Marie Claire (October 2009)
Travel Insider: The latest weekend breaks and stylish getaways.

"With designer lodges, a sensational desert landscape and no jet lag, Namibia is a good choice for a winter adventure. Check out i-escape.com for the best places to stay, from tented camps to elegant B&Bs, starting at £64 a night for two."

Online resources for the picky traveler

"Finding hotel and destination information across a barrage of online sources ... can be an exhaustive and overwhelming exercise, particularly for those of us who like to tread off the beaten path, without compromising comfort, vibe or aesthetics.

"I’ve come to realize that exploration and adventure and comfortable chic are not mutually exclusive concepts in the travel space, they’re just a little more difficult to find. Here are two travel sites that seem to have a similar sensibility to mine.

"i-escape - offers a nice selection of “Hip Hideaways and Boutique Hotels.

"36 Hours - NY Times - an excellent resource for tapping into the local zeitgeist... though the 36-hour time period seems a bit ambitious for this traveler."

How to make your money stretch further when you go on holiday to Spain this summer:

"For an excellent selection of characterful accommodation, from b&bs to boutique hotels, try i-escape.com."

"Watching the pennies doesn't have to mean staying in soulless budget hotels. Take a look at i-escape.com's new recession-chic guide to Europe's hottest hotels, villas and boutique B&Bs for under £100 a night. Casa Sibarita, a stylish 19th-century Spanish townhouse, near Valencia, is just a short drive from the beach, offering rooms at £44 B&B per night all this year. Find this hotel and others on www.i-escape.com."

"Without a doubt i-escape is one of our absolute favorite travel websites. We have used it to plan trips to Thailand, Vietnam and Croatia. The recommendations were all perfect – exactly what we were looking for. When I have the time and the money I will find all of the accommodations for my next big family trip through i-escape. I am thinking Greece or Uruguay next time around…two places I love!"

From hip replacements to hip hotels

"Once, the only parties associated with Madeira were the blue-rinse coach variety, but with a raft of new stylish places to stay the volcanic island is finally starting to rock..."

Nick Maes travelled with i-escape.com. i-escape.com features fine hotels on Madeira, including:

Estalagem da Ponta do Sol
Summer Place
The Vine

Best for Hotel Reviews:

"Who should you trust to pass judgement on a hotel? If you belive in the 'wisdom of crowds' go to TripAdvisor.co.uk, which boasts some 20 million reviews. If, on the other hand, you think that professional reviewers make better judges, try i-escape.com ... which caters to the boutique hotel market."

"There are plenty of boutique hotels to be found in Madrid; i-escape offers the newest and funkiest ones."

Turkey

"For a cosy holiday home with lots of character, book into one of the Terrace Houses, three 19th-century cottages in the hill town of Sirince, six miles from Ephesus. The little buildings have been carefully renovated with reclaimed marble basins, wooden sleigh beds and lovely lighting, including Chinese lanterns and wrought-iron chandeliers. A week in peak season costs £630, accommodation only, for a cottage sleeping up to four, with a local gift, for i-escape guests."

4. www.i-escape.com

"The site describes itself as "an independent, highly researched interactive travel guide and free online booking service". A user describes it as: "Everything Lastminute.com should have been - intimate, high-quality recommendations, a lovely brand experience.""

"Think recession-busting holidays are all youth hostels and camping? Think again. i-escape.com has launched an online Recession-Chic guide featuring Europe's hottest hotels, villas and boutique B&Bs for under £100 a night. How about a stay at the charming Casa Sibarita, a 19th-century house in the town of Rafelguaraf near Valencia, Spain, for £47 per room per night? That even includes breakfast. Book any of the places on the list through i-escape.com and you could also receive discounts and gifts on arrival."

"The website i-escape has cherry picked its favourite spots. It's such a good list, we've republished it.

"Holidaying in 2009 is all about getting the most for your money, but that doesn’t have to mean bunking down in a hostel, pitching a leaky tent or checking into a soulless budget hotel. Here's the pick from the larders of i-escape - all offers include a gift."

"If you are looking for a stylish hideaway there's more than 1000 options on here, and it even has affordable hotels too. Each hotel comes with at least 21 images and highs and lows about the property, plus there's maps and advice on restaurants and activities."

"I have my favourite hotel booking sites, namely Design Hotels, i-escape.com, Mr & Mrs Smith and Tablet Hotels. Why would I use a booking site and not just book direct with the hotel? I have booked direct before but some of the smaller properties don't have the best websites, or too much 'flash' for my liking, so it can be easier booking through one of the above, particularly when there are no booking fees.

"Of all of these, I have in truth only ever booked with i-escape.com. Why? Well, I have always liked the personal reviews with both highs and lows listed. After using the booking system I found it extremely easy and enjoyed reading reviews from other people. Would I use them again? Yes, I don't have to pay to be in a club and there is usually an offer available on booking."

Lisa Corcoran,
Editor - Travel Notebook
Read her full posting

50 Best Travel Websites:

18. i-escape.com

"A one-stop shop for tracking down independently owned, stylish and usually small places to stay around the world. Covering a wide spectrum, from budget self-catering properties to lavish boutique hotels, though more upmarket choices have been added as the site has developed, it's the quirky "hidden" choices that make i-escape's listing stand out from the crowd. All the properties it covers are rigorously and independently reviewed and it's gradually adding more destinations to its range."

"A sign of the times. i-escape.com, the website that specialises in small stylish boltholes anywhere from Amsterdam to Zanzibar, has found a selection closer to home. Its latest collection features 60 "hidden gems" in the UK, from townhouse B&Bs and city apartments to eco retreats. In London, if you don't mind not being in the centre, the Church Street Hotel, nicknamed the Camberwell casita thanks to its Mexican owners and design, has single rooms from £70 and doubles from £90. Many of the properties have special offers, such as Fronlas in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, which is £95 a night B&B but has a 10% discount for stays of three nights or more."

"If you fancy a palazzo but don't have a princely budget, there are some alternatives to the high-end hotel option. In Florence, Johlea and Johanna Residences offer comfortable B&B accommodation in five different palazzi in a quiet residential area just north of the Duomo...

"This is one of several palazzi listed on i-escape.com. Another of its cheaper finds is Ca' della Corte, off Dorsoduro in Venice, a family run B&B in a 16th century palazzo with rates starting at €80 for a double...

"BB22 in Palermo, Sicily, is a boutique B&B set in a restored palazzo, with six sophisticated guestrooms and a small roof terrace."

Greece 2009: accommodation options:

"www.i-escape.com is an excellent source for appealing hotels and apartments to suit all budgets, which are covered in detailed, helpful reviews; strongest on Crete, Mykonos, Santorini and in Athens."
Fred Mawer

"With many travellers now realising that you get more bang for your buck if you opt for city self-catering, the holiday rental industry is booming. Several upmarket chains have been launched over recent years, but it's also worth trying an independently owned place... i-escape.com has a collection of show-home apartments in European cities."

"I've long been an admirer of i-escape for its boutique-style choice of accommodation."
Steve Keenan