Hotel L'Avenida, Soller, Majorca

 {our room was HUGE}

 {the view from our room}

 {the restaurant at Deia beach, the seafood is sublime}

Hotel L'Avenida is a small but perfectly formed establishment in rural Majorca. The building, formally a grand turn of the century mansion, was practically in ruins before it was saved by the present owners. Decorated in retro chic style this is a sleek and glamorous getaway.

Hotel Monte Rosa, Zermatt, Switzerland

In the summer of 2011 my husband and I completed the Walker's Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. To reward ourselves at the finish we stayed at the Hotel Monte Rosa in Zermatt. It is the oldest hotel in town and one of the nicest.



The British Alpine Club in front of the Monte Rosa

 Edward Whymper, the English illustrator, climber and explorer, stayed at the Monte Rosa before becoming the first person to summit the Matterhorn in 1865. On the descent four members of the party were killed. The English connection (almost) explains why the bar is covered in tartan!

The accommodation is luxurious and very chic, the staff are polite, helpful and charming, plus you have access to the spectacular wellness and spa at the neighbouring Mont Cervin Palace. Everything you could want in a hotel.