The sweeping plateaux, vine-covered valleys and dramatic gorges of the Tarn region, one of France’s more under-the-radar parts, are ideal for some autumn exploration. This elegantly restored 19th-century chateau has surprisingly eclectic interiors that pop with vivid colours – hot pink, bottle green – and 1970s-style furnishings in the 16 rooms. The hotel’s ownership – it’s part of the Asian-based Pavilions group – comes through in the Revivo spa, where traditional Balinese therapies are on offer alongside an Icelandic plunge pool, yoga and meditation classes in the newly constructed “shala” and a classic hammam. The food, however, remains European, with chef Jérôme Travere delivering fine-dining dishes in the chic Renaissance restaurant.
Doubles from £285, room-only (0033 55472 1010; chateaudefiac.com)
Hotel Valdemossa, Majorca
Valdemossa is one of the most beautiful towns on the Spanish island of Majorca. Its leafy streets, and the vast peaks of the Tramuntana mountains that rise up around it, shake off the summer crowds as the season turns, leaving it peacefully swathed in foliage. The Hotel Valdemossa opened in February, an adults-only bolthole of 12 rustically elegant rooms combining warm caramel décor with contemporary art and panoramic views. The hotel has a partnership with local hiking guide Martin Bestard to create private trips, including trails through vineyards and private land not normally accessible to visitors. Dinners are Japanese-Peruvian courtesy of De Tokio a Lima, an outpost of one of Palma’s most renowned restaurants.
Doubles from £398, B&B (0034 971 612626; valldemossahotel.com)
Andronis Concept Wellness Resort, Imerovigli, Santorini
Santorini’s sunset over the island’s extraordinary volcanic caldera is one of the world’s most extraordinary, best seen when the autumn sun is at a lower angle and some of the cruise crowds that have blighted the island this summer have disappeared. Andronis’s 28 suites and villas, some with private pools, have blistering sea views, with muted décor, abstract art and contemporary wooden furniture. This autumn, the hotel is offering a “harvest haven” experience, with time in the hotel’s vegetable and herb gardens, egg-collecting from the eco-friendly henhouse, cookery lessons and wine tastings. Guided walks can also be arranged, including the famous Caldera hike, which reveals much of Santorini’s extraordinary geology and biodiversity.
Doubles from £590, B&B (0030 2286 036738; andronis.com)
