Hand-picked hotels

We’ve been carefully researching and sourcing the finest, friendliest and most charming hotels and characterful accommodations since 1985. Looking out for small, family-owned accommodations that take a genuine interest in their guests, we also keep an eye out for places whose menus epitomise the local cuisine.

Our accommodations offer much more than just a bed for the night. Many are historic properties, castles and palaces that have previously hosted monarchs, renowned artists and famous authors. All are individually selected, and because we have strong, trusted relationships with our hoteliers, you can expect a warm welcome wherever you go.

Some of the places we feature are way off-the-beaten-track in mountain villages while others are in the heart of the most ornate historic centres. Many reflect the tastes and, at times, quirky styles of their owners, with all sharing a desire to provide "service plus" at every point of your stay.

If you’re looking to stay in a small family-run hotel, our Taste of Tuscany Walking trip allows you to stay at Agriturismo La Pietriccia, run by brothers Stefano and Simone near Chianciano, Italy. For a restored castle stay, our Contrasts of Catalonia Cycling takes you to the enchanting Castell d’Emporda which houses Europe’s biggest scale model of the Battle of Waterloo. If you’d like to stay in a modern hotel, complete with a wellness centre, our Cycling from Bruges to Brussels trip, takes you to Hotel Hotel Vé, a former fish smokehouse and cigar factory in 1923, located 450 yards away from Grote Markt.

Simply expand the day’s itinerary of the individual holiday pages to find out more about your accommodation. If the holiday is a single centre the hotel information will be shown only in Day 1. We clearly mark each accommodation with our own star rating for guidance purposes.

All our accommodation has been inspected and classified by the authorities of the relevant countries. As there is no direct British equivalent of many classifications, the broad expression ‘hotels’ refers to all the different types of accommodation we use, from friendly family-run B&B and country inns to luxury ★★★★★ hotels (where ★ is the country’s official hotel rating).

Headwater’s accommodation star ratings are provided to give you guidance on the relative standard of the accommodation you will be staying in. In most occasions this will match the official star rating of the accommodation, however, if we feel it necessary Headwater will adapt a rating to what we believe is fair. This is based on a variety of checks which can include property visits, customer feedback, facilities and location, or if the accommodation does not hold an official rating of its own. These ratings are reviewed regularly to ensure their accuracy and relevance for guidance purposes.