i-escape is delighted to have been voted one of the top 10 websites in the Wanderlust Travel Awards 2012. Click here for more information and a full list of the winners.

"i-escape is an online travel agent with a difference. It’s pretty much a travel magazine, packed full of guides to some of the world’s most interesting and inspiring destinations, on which you can then make bookings directly if you’re feeling adventurous. Simply pick a country on their map or drop down list that you’re interested in visiting, and you’ll get an easy-to-navigate page filled with tips on the best places to go, gorgeous boutique hotels to stay in (organized by price if you’re penny conscious). And if you have absolutely no idea where you’d like to go to, there’s a sweet “Inspire Me” button that will take you somewhere awesome the editor picked out, based on whether you like the beach, cheap ‘n’ chic city breaks, spa trips and so on.

"When it comes to booking your vacation, it’s very naturally built in with the site, easy to use, and generally stress free. And if you don’t believe me, it may help to know that i-escape just won the Guardian’s award for 2011 Best Online Booking Service."

"The boutique hotel website i-escape.com has added Corsica to its list of destinations. Five small but perfectly formed properties are listed in a range of locations - and not only on the beach. The Hotel Artemisia is a cool, modern design hotel in a mountain village with spectacular views..."

"...special hotels appealing to all budgets, reviewed in meticulous detail and often with i-escape negotiated deals."

"Planning a holiday is truly half the fun - you can visit a thousand places in your head before you have to wield the credit card. The website i-escape makes the planning and dreaming stage almost half as good as the actual trip: not only are the hotels and destinations individually chosen and rated by price, range of activities and suitability for different occasions, but the photography is jaw-droppingly gorgeous.Spend half an hour perusing and see if you don't feel warmer already."

"i-escape's new family collection includes hip haunts where little ones can keep busy with reggae lessons (Round Hill, Jamaica), toy-filled tepees (Yab Yum, Goa), or even yoga and spa treatments (Hotel Esencia, Mexico); the hotels start from around £100 per night."

i-escape was delighted to be named Best Online Booking Service at the Guardian and Observer Travel Awards 2011. Revealing the winners, the Guardian said: "This new category reflects one of the fastest growing sectors in the travel industry: online bookings. Both web-only companies and traditional tour operators and travel companies are represented in the top 20 but the honours go i-escape for its tantalizing collection of hand-picked places to stay around the world."

A big thanks to Guardian and Observer readers!

Click here for a full list of the winners.

We are delighted to see that in the 2011 WMA WebAwards, i-escape.com scored 63 points against an industry average of 52 points, and was duly honoured with an "Outstanding Website Award" for "work above and beyond the standard of excellence".

About the WebAwards:

The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and development of the best websites on the World Wide Web... Now in its 15th year, the WebAward program is the premier annual website award competition that names the best Web sites in 96 industries. Websites [are nominated by the public and subsequently] judged by a panel of independent experts.

"We probably mention this lip-smacking site most weeks, but it is our first port of call for gorgeous boutique accommodation around the world. Lots of photos, honest reviews by writers that list what's good and bad about the properties, tons of detail on the place and surroundings, rates through the season and a mix of mid-range to high-price luxury properties make it one of the best out there. And though they're not cheap, they're not all eye-wateringly expensive either."

"i-escape.com seeks out hip hideaways with a unique edge... There's everything from jungle tree houses in Brazil to historic palaces in Italy and beach huts in Zanzibar... Resorts don't pay to be featured so you're getting totally unbiased reviews, plus the costs are often less than if you go directly to the hotel yourself."

"Properties are carefully chosen and thoroughly inspected by i-escape, and from my experience usually turn out to be very appealing. Reviews go in to exhaustive detail about the location, rooms, facilities and food, and are pretty honest. Drawbacks are pointed out - for example, the Ajia Hotel in Istanbul can be a bit rowdy at weekends, and doesn't have great air-conditioning."

In an interview with Lili Barbery-Coulon, founder of ma-recreation.com...

"Avez vous un site favori pour préparer votre voyage?
i-escape: c'est avec ce site que je fais à présent presque tous mes voyages perso. Leur sélection d’hôtels est parfaite, avec des tas de budgets différents et on est certain d'éviter les hôtels horribles conçus pour les touristes en masse."

"Websitet i-escape har gjort det til sit speciale at hjælpe rejsende med at finde helt særlige overnatningsmuligheder rundt om i verden. Rejsemagasinet Explorer faldt for det lækre website og viser her et udvalg af de unikke muligheder."

i-escape has made it its specialty to help travelers find unique accommodations around the world. Travel magazine Explorer fell for this lovely website and shows here a selection of unique places.

"Den hippe og moderne rejsende, der er træt af pakkeløsninger og turister i flok, lægger både tid, kræfter og passion i jagten på den helt særlige hoteloplevelse. Websitet www.i-escape.com har samlet spektakulære og enestående overnatningssteder, der graver sig dybt ind i hjertet og efterlader et lille stykke af verden i den besøgende. Her findes ingen kædehoteller og all inclusive resorts, men derimod små unikke steder med masser af sjæl og atmosfære. Der er alt fra øko-bjerghytter, familiære guesthouses og træhuse gemt i junglen til storslåede historiske paladser og private udlejningsejendomme, der alle byder på mindeværdige oplevelser ud over det sædvanlige. Et ekstra plus er, at samtlige muligheder værner om den lokale natur og kulturarv."

Hip and modern travelers who are tired of packages and crowds of tourists invest lots of time, effort and passion in pursuit of the unique hotel experience. www.i-escape.com has put together some spectacular and unique accommodations that dig deep into the heart and leave a small piece of the world in the visitor. There are no chain hotels and all inclusive resorts, but rather small, unique places with lots of soul and atmosphere: everything from eco-mountain huts, guesthouses and wooden houses hidden in the jungle to magnificent historical palaces and private rental properties, all offering memorable experiences beyond the ordinary. An added plus is that they all cherish the local natural and cultural heritage.

"FORDELE
- Det er muligt at søge på en lang række kriterier som destination, interesser, sæson eller udvidet multisøgning som et usædvanligt sted til at holde forretningsseminar eller bryllupsrejse eller bare et sted, der er unikt, sjovt og endda billigt.
- Sitet er lækkert og stemningsfuldt, og det er nemt at navigere rundt.
- Priserne vises i realtid, så der er ingen overraskende gebyrer. Det er desuden muligt at få priserne vist i danske kroner."

HIGHS
- It is possible to search on a wide range of criteria such as destination, interests, seasonal or an extended multi-search, such as an unusual place to hold business seminar or honeymoon or just a place that is unique, fun and even inexpensive.
- The site is beautiful to look at, and easy to navigate.
- Prices are displayed in real time, so there are no surprise fees. It is also possible to have prices shown in Danish kroner.

"When I-Escape say they've 'done the hard work for you', they're rather underselling themselves... Carefully selected and reviewed, the site lists more than 1,200 small hotels, lodges and house rentals across 45 countries."

"Een van de meest interessante websites om toffe hotelletjes op te speuren, is de Engelse i-escape. Enkele jaren geleden was dat nog een compacte website met een handvol bestemmingen. Tegenwoordig is het portfolio erg uitgebreid en vind je er een selectie van vaak erg betaalbare logeeradressen tot luxueuzere opties over gans de wereld.

"Alle hotels worden door onafhankelijke journalisten of schrijvers bezocht en zelfs de negatieve puntjes van het adres staan ook vermeld. Bij 'highs' lees je waarom je naar deze plek moet afreizen en bij 'lows' krijg je soms waarschuwingen zoals 'er is weinig parkeerplaats' of 'het hotel is meer geschikt voor koppels dan voor mensen die willen feesten'. Dingen die je best weet voor je boekt, kortom.

"I-escape is perfect voor wie snel kleinschalige logies zoekt en daar onmiddellijk en zonder veel geklik alle achtergrondinfo wil over te weten komen."

One of the most interesting websites for cool hotels. A few years ago it was a small website with a handful of destinations. Nowadays it is an extensive portfolio with a selection of very affordable hotels to more luxurious options all over the world.

All are visited by independent journalists or writers and even the negative points of the address are listed. In ' highs ' you read why you should travel to this place and in ' lows ' you get warnings such as ' the hotel is more suited for couples than for people who want to party '. Things you should know before you book, in short.

i-escape is perfect for those looking for small-scale accommodation quickly and immediately with all the background info you would like to know.

"J’en profite pour partager avec vous une adresse formidable pour trouver des hôtels branchés et pas toujours hors de prix : i-escape.com. Ce site anglais répertorie des dizaines de lieux confidentiels et design, livre un avis très honnête sur chacun d’entre eux et garantie un prix non majoré voire même négocié à la baisse. De quoi rêver dès aujourd’hui à ses futures vacances…"

http://www.ma-recreation.com/6-mood/article/holidays

Lili Barbery-Coulon, Beauty Editor of French Vogue

"Web-based travel expert features over 130 stylish boutique hotels and B&Bs countrywide, with professional independent reviews. Particularly strong in Andalucia and Mallorca. Booking service if required."

"i-escape offers detailed, insightful reviews of dozens of typically small-scale and chic places to stay in France."

"You're not the only one who is confused. Since the first Hilton opened in 1925, chain hotels conquered the world. The term "boutique" was coined to describe the small, individual and often quirky properties that started to spring up in the 1980s to counteract the extreme predictability of the big groups. Blakes, in South Kensington, London, was one of the first.

"Trouble is, every Tom, Dick and Harry hotelier has jumped on the bandwagon, and now you'll find 200-room chain hotels that claim to be 'boutique'. Which, clearly, they're not. For good examples of what boutique should be, try websites such as mrandmrssmith.com, chicretreats.com, i-escape.com and luxique.com."

"My favourite website is i-escape.com, which I often look at just when I need to escape and relax mentally, even if it's only for 10 minutes. I don't spend a lot of time surfing the web, but this is the one site that I keep coming back to."
Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave at Dom Perignon