You want luxury, you need style and you certainly appreciate value for money, so for your ultimate holiday hotel we give you 10 of the choicest hotels in the some of the most exotic locations in the world.

For people who like to live large but like things intimate, there is no better place to stay than at a boutique hotel. Typically, the room count is under 200 and there are plenty of enticing suites. The point of such places is to serve a few select guests at a high level of service and deliver the feeling of a home away from home. Comfort is the utmost priority. Around the world there are fabulous opportunities to stay in chateaux's, lodges and intimate luxury hotels and here we give you some from which to choose.

UNITED STATES - Hotel Plaza Athenee

New York City

www.plaza-athanee.com

Classic French contemporary furnishings, gorgeous suites with glass-enclosed solarium terraces and a dark, exotic bar which feels lost in time - this hotel has not compromised its classic, classy character to the hip hop hotel scene and the loyalty of its guests is matched by the long-standing staff.

AUSTRALIA - Peppers The Louise

Barossa Valley

www.peppers.com.au

This retreat is a luxury experience, which has been missing in this part of Australia's wine country. Recently bought and renovated, this property has 15 suites and sits atop a hill, surrounded by hundreds of acres of vineyards. Guest privacy is taken seriously here and suites have gated courtyards and inspire the feeling of being hidden away in a posh home decorated with art work from South Australian artisans. The hotel has a carefully developed wine cellar and Appellation and is one of the premier dining destinations in Barossa.

BALI - Como Shambala Estate at Begawan Girl

Ubud

www.begawan-girl.com

This is a sanctuary where the true traveller can unwind and ultimately find spiritual renewal. Forget about the island's reputation for busy beaches and the chaos of Kuta Town! The estate's sublime residences are tucked into lush jungle in Ubud, on grounds fed by three holy springs - and the spa facilities are the closest you are likely to find to a heaven on earth. This truly is the paradise Bali of years gone by!

CANADA - Post Hotel

Lake Louise

www.posthotel.com

Few ski lodges have the sophisticated luxury of boutique hotels, but this hotel is both intimate and hospitable. For the apr�s-ski crowd, the Post Hotel elevates the quaint European mountain hideaway to a new level. The wine cellar offers over 25,000 bottles, the Cigar Lounge features hands-rolled Cubans and log cabin-style bedrooms are just minutes from the slopes. Lovers of the authentic can enjoy the traditional antlers hanging on the walls!

COSTA RICA - Hotel Punta Islita

Guanacaste

www.hotelpuntaislita.com

Any place can offer the feeling of intimacy and elitism, but in a boutique property a guest must feel in harmony with the surroundings, the style and the hosts. At the Hotel Punta Islita guest's comfort is as important as community relations and ecological preservation. When you stay here you become essential to the country you are visiting and you discover, as you laze in your hammock or savour a sunset massage, the joys of social responsibility.

SOUTH AFRICA - Londolozi Private Game Reserve

Sabi Sand Game Reserve

www.ccafrica.com

You remember those Russian nesting dolls which opened up to more and more tantalizing pleasures? Landolozi Private Game Reserve reveals treasures within treasures. Hidden in its jungles are four camps - if you can call a cluster of suites or chalets adorned with teak decks, inlaid mosaic floors and private plunge pools a camp! There are no more than 12 accommodations per camp and everything required for a satisfying safari is provided for - game drives, moonlit bush dinners and guided stargazing. From the furnishings to the views, this place is drop-dead gorgeous!

IRELAND - Adare Manor

County Limerick

www.adaremanor.com

It's slightly unusual to include an 18th century Gothic manor house with 75 fireplaces and 365 leaded glass windows in a list of boutique hotels, but this hotel, set in 840 acres, gives a feeling of intimacy. There are only 63 rooms, which means you feel as though you have the place to yourself. Here you can kindle romance, explore your thoughts, pamper yourself at the spa, explore the rolling countryside on horseback or play a round of championship golf.

ENGLAND - One Aldwych

London

www.onealdwych.com

How would you describe a "hip hotel"? Quirky, snobby or stark? In some cases this is true but at One Aldwich they have got it just right. Housed in a plush Edwardian building in the midst of Covent Garden, it signifies warmth, style and sophistication in every sense, from the decor to the service. It also means that even though a hotel is small, with just 105 rooms, it still has everything you desire. You will find a private screening room, a lap pool and over 400 works of art. A true gem in the centre of London.

MEXICO - Hacienda de San Antonio

Colima

www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com

This surely is the unique boutique hotel experience. With 25 impeccably appointed suites in a sprawling hacienda originally built in the 1870's, you feel you have entered glorious picture book of Spanish colonial splendour. European and Latin aesthetics merge with the best result - an out of the way getaway with its own private airstrip, where you can take long hikes, ride horses, watch birds or just chill by the pool and soak up the sun. On the property there is a farm, a cheese cave, a chef's garden and even grass fed beef and lamb, making most meals farm to table experiences. Originally owned and renovated by British billionaire Sir James Goldsmith, the property is now operated by his children.

FRANCE - Chateaux Les Crayeres

Reims

www.lescrayeres.com

For the quintessential boutique experience this is a winner. Chateaux are the original boutiques and let's be honest - could there be anything more intimate and indulgent than escaping to what is essentially your own private manor house? At Chateaux Les Crayeres there are just 20 lavish, light filled bedrooms, a celebrated restaurant all in a park-like setting in Reims, the Champagne capital. The perfect place to enjoy all that bubbly!