We asked you to tell us your dream hotels and hideaways for the year ahead: the places which you yearn to escape to in 2023. And you voted in droves! A massive thank you to all who took part, and hearty congratulations to our deserved winners…
Best Affordable Escape
Winner: La Dama del Porto, Italy
In the current economic climate, finding a good-value holiday is high on everyone’s agenda. Thankfully, with room prices as good as those at La Dama del Porto, you won’t need to compromise on luxury. Frankly, we’re astounded by the fact you can stay in style on the glittering shores of Lake Maggiore from just £70 per night. What’s more, there’s a top-rated restaurant on site, headed up by a Michelin-level chef, with a phenomenal lakefront setting. What a steal.
Runners-up: OceanBlue, Little Agave, Koula’s House
Best Wild Escape
Winner: Lyngen Experience, Norway
If there’s one thing those years of lockdown taught us, it’s how much we value the great outdoors. So it’s no surprise to see a far-flung adventure retreat in northern Norway topping the wild escapes category this year. Lyngen Experience gazes directly over a vast mountain-framed fjord and has whales as neighbours. You can do all sorts of wild adventures here, everything from dog sledding to Midnight-Sun hikes, and you might even steal a glimpse of the mesmeric dances of the Northern Lights.
Runners-up: Inara Camp, Hisa Raduha, Samara Karoo Reserve
Best Beach Escape
Winner: Masseria Mongio Dell’Elefante, Italy
How refreshing to see a European farmhouse-hotel taking the crown for the best beach escape in 2023. Who needs faraway tropical shores when we have equally stunning coastlines closer to home? Masseria Mongio Dell’Elefante is set amid vines and olive trees in rural Puglia and has a direct path down to a stunning, chalky white beach (300m). The sea here is crystal-clear and the sand stretches for miles. Back at the hotel, you get homecooked food and a spa. Total tranquillity by the sea – bliss.
Runners-up: Zannier Bai San Ho, House 123, Fundu Lagoon
Best City Escape
Winner: Hotel Rum, Budapest
It’s got to be that panoramic rooftop restaurant that won Hotel Rum the prize for best city hotel this year. This cool and contemporary conversion of an old Pest apartment block has trendy rooms with designer furnishings, two restaurants and stellar views over Budapest. Both the hotel and the city itself are extremely affordable, and all the big sights (Hungarian Parliament, Buda Castle, Dohány Street Synagogue) are walkable. If you’re after a fun-filled city break with friends in 2023, this is it.
Runners-up: Boutique Apartments Porto, El Fenn, Palacio Bucarelli
Best Romantic Escape
Winner: Marataba Mountain Lodge, South Africa
It looks as though blowout romantic escapes will make a big comeback this year. Marataba Mountain Lodge is what safari dreams are made of. This is your ultimate honeymoon-style retreat with all the trimmings. The lodge is adults only and is set in a private game reserve, so you get wildlife viewing without any crowds. And the unusual setting beneath the Waterberg Mountains makes for a scenic backdrop to safari adventures, plus this whole area is malaria-free. For ultimate romance, you can spend a night in a luxurious treehouse, which is completely secluded in the wilderness and has a four-poster bed on its viewing deck – Out of Africa eat your heart out.
Runners-up: Hotel V, Le Grotte della Civita, Malabar Hill
Best Family Escape
Winner: Coot Club, South Africa
In addition to being your number one destination for a romantic escape, South Africa is also your top choice for a family getaway. And we can see why. A place of staggering diversity, it’s long been one of our favourite countries to visit with kids in tow. We checked out Coot Club only a few months back and loved it from the get-go. The nature retreat nestles between lagoon, mountain and sea, with beautifully styled cottages that work well for families or varying group sizes. It offers a bunch of land- and water-based activities for all – kayaking, biking, nature walks, sailing – and the nearby beach is one of the best places in the world for whale watching.
Runners-up: Moonfleet Manor, Liodentra, Chateau Les Carrasses
Best Eco Escape
Winner: Montimerso Skyscape, Portugal
Eco-friendly holidays are the future of travel, but who said you can’t do them in style? Montimerso Skyscape, in Portugal’s untouched Alentejo region, manages to capture the perfect balance between luxury and sustainability. It gazes over a magnificent lake, and the whole estate has been rewilded, so nature is rampant. Dinner ingredients are homegrown, and local culture is championed. This unspoilt corner of the country’s interior sees few visitors and, thanks to its inky skies, UNESCO has granted it the first Starlight Tourism Destination in the world. Come before everyone else does.
Runners-up: Sarinbuana Ecolodge, EcoCamp, Koh Jum Beach Villas
Best Foodie Escape
Winner: Castello di Fighine, Italy
Tuscany will always come up trumps when it comes to foodie getaways. But what swung it this time? Probably the fact that this Michelin-starred restaurant occupies an ancient castle dating back to the 11th Century. Castello di Fighine is a destination restaurant, a historic relic and a tranquil Tuscan retreat all rolled into one. The old buildings surrounding the castle have been carefully restored and transformed into elegant, classically styled houses that you can rent out. And the food? Let’s just say tasting menus, wine pairing and a magical garden setting.
Runners-up: Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Domaine de Manville, Mont Rochelle Hotel
Best No-fly Escape
Winner: The Haycombe Hideaway, Bath
It looks as though you’re all hankering after a merry get-together for your 2023 staycation because The Haycombe Hideaway is a house for entertaining. Situated on the outskirts of Bath, this fun and flexible country retreat has beautifully styled social spaces and expansive countryside views. No matter your group size, whether it’s 2 or 18, you get masses of space and privacy. And having Bath on the doorstep means you could quite easily get here without driving, let alone flying. Bundle in, fire up the hot tub, make cocktails at the bar, and party the night away.
Runners-up: Port Hotel, Artist Residence Bristol, Paris Boutique Apartments
For a full list of winners and runners-up in the 2023 Hotel Awards hit the button below
