Rome, Italy
$251
From within the butter-hued walls of the verdant courtyard at Relais Le Clarisse (20 Via Cardinale Merry del Val; 39-06/5833-4437; www.leclarisse.com), the lively streets of downtown Rome seem a world away. But this remodeled former cloister in the bohemian Trastevere neighborhood is still just a short walk from the heart of the city. Blond-wood furniture and wrought-iron beds give the five rooms a warm, residential feel. While all of them flank the sun-soaked courtyard, the Rose suite has its own vestibule and tall, vaulted ceilings. In the evening, stroll through the cobblestoned streets and do as the Trastevereans do: pause for an aperitivo.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
$195
Few things come cheap around the chic Oud Zuid neighborhood—not the chunky gold baubles at Bulgari on the venerated P.C. Hoofstraat, nor the escargots perdus at brasserie Le Garage. So a room with double-height windows, Burberry throws, and a soaring corniced ceiling at an affordable price is a find indeed. Spread over six adjacent 19th-century town houses, the discreetly marked Hotel Vondel (26 Vondelstraat; 31-20/612-0120; www.vondelhotel.nl ) fits right in with the neighboring residences. The restaurant is stylishly decorated with framed python skins and vintage Indonesian prints, while the tranquil garden is perfect for evening drinks.
Porto, Portugal
$140
With just seven rooms and a prime spot in the Foz district, Porto’s toniest seaside neighborhood, Casa do Poema (245 Rua Pero do Covilhã; 351-22/617-0656; www.casadopoema.com) feels more like the house of an in-the-know friend than a hotel. Built in the 1950’s by architect Viana de Lima, the funky little building has white marble floors and curving staircases, and is chockablock with 18th- and 19th-century antiques and Turkish carpets. You can pick your style of room, from grandiose Empire to pared-down Modernist; there are also four suites that overlook the ocean. Porto’s medieval center and the riverside Ribeira district are a 20-minute drive away, but the city’s best shopping and restaurants are right next door.
Madrid, Spain
$118
In the minimalist white-travertine lobby of Room Mate Alicia (2 Calle Prado; 34/91-389-6095; www.room-matehoteles.com), a curlicue staircase rises through the compact space like a 3-D Brice Marden painting spun out of silvery metal. The entrance says it all: high style, intimate scale. With interiors by Spain’s star designer Pascua Ortega, the 34 pastel-colored rooms are reminiscent of an ocean liner’s: spare furnishings with clever space-saving built-ins, like reading lamps attached to headboards. If you’re willing to splurge, the two duplex suites are decadent retreats complete with private plunge pools that overlook the 19th-century Plaza de Santa Ana.
Marbella, Spain
$144
The glitter, yachts, and pounding nightclubs of nearby Puerto Banus fade like an old memory at the gloriously unpretentious Town House (7 Calle Alderete, Plaza Tetuán; 34/95-290-1791; www.townhouse.nu), a nine-room hotel tucked into a hidden corner of Old Town. Nothing is overdone in this whitewashed find. Four-poster beds are covered in crisp white linens; bathrooms have Molton Brown products. And then there’s Eva and Maria, the effusive Swedish hostesses, who will gladly arrange your dinner reservations and map out a walking tour. Breakfast is served in the Moorish-style bar, but we prefer to take our coffee to the sundrenched rooftop terrace.
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