Estalagem da Ponta do Sol - Hotel in Madeira

With a history still sticky from the island's sugar trade – Madeira was once the world's first exporter of 'white gold' – this self-styled 'escape hotel', a bold departure from the rustic island cliché, retains little vestige of the quinta that used to be here (you arrive via a red-lit elevator from the village below, for starters). Award-winning, über minimalist architectural lines lead you to open-plan, split-level interiors; wooden flooring, lots of glass, dashing art on the walls. A large grassy terrace, originally for whale-spotting, dominated by an ancient dragon tree, overlooks the village below. Above, accessed by a funky footbridge, is the bedroom block; blacks, whites and greys, huge beds, huge mirrors, designer chairs, black-and-white rural landscapes, cathedral windows to balconies and views to die for. (It's like sleeping in a design magazine on a cliff!) Take a bath in the spa or loll in the infinity pool, the bay spread prettily at your feet, the wind in the palms, a glass of fine local wine in your hand and the kids at home... try and come up with reasons to leave. It's cool, and it knows it.