A natural hot spring feeds the onsen baths at Kohanyu, and an uncommon devotion to music and the art of acoustics is the reason for its audiophile-quality sound system. Three luxurious, sparsely decorated rooms look out over artfully framed views of the surrounding greenery, and the cuisine is made from freshly harvested local ingredients. It’s a memorable modern twist on the timeless ryokan experience.

Sitting just above the town of Villanders at an altitude of 1,200 meters, Felder Alpin Lodge is an exclusive-use retreat surrounded by some incredible Dolomites views. The centuries-old mountain farmhouse has been authentically restored by three passionate local owners, who have retained the traditional Alpine style whilst adding in thoughtful contemporary furnishings from all over the world.

There are just three rooms at Maison Jullian. They’re named after the wife and daughters of Martien Jullian, a local vineyard owner who built the late 19th-century villa as his family home on the edge of the oldest canal in Europe. Quaint and rich with historic character after restorations by the new owners, the interiors are filled with romantic details and the restaurant specializes in slow food.

Just 45 minutes from Tallinn, Maidla Nature Resort offers a modern kind of solitude: three striking villas, each by a different Estonian architect, set on stilts above wetlands where nature leads and design follows. There is no Wi-Fi, no background music, just stillness, open sky, and glass walls framing the view. The estate includes a 16th-century manor and Michelin-recommended SOO restaurant.

With just four individual villas surrounded by meadows and mountain views, Soneka is about as private as a hotel can get. Each of the villas is designed as a self-contained residence, complete with its own kitchen, fire pit, terrace, and, in two units, a private pool. Most importantly, each one comes with its own outdoor onsen bath. Each villa also comes with a wood-fired grill, for getting hands-on with your ingredients.

Lilløy Lindenberg is, in a literal sense, a private island hotel, but it’s at once less extravagant and more memorable than the phrase might imply. This is no luxury resort, but a wild, rocky island in the North Sea, home to little more than a beautifully restored farmhouse and a boat launch. The house’s four rooms are decorated in what they call an “antique Scandinavian folk style.”

Quercus takes its name from the oak, fitting for a retreat set on 3,800 acres of forest, pasture, and river in rural Georgia. What started as a return to regenerative farming soon evolved into a project that unites land, food, and hospitality. The result is four cottage-style suites furnished with botanical tones and heirlooms from the Visconti collection, while wide porches and fireplaces turn the outdoors into living space.

Sophisticated but understated, with sweeping views of the Ionian Sea, the four-suite Amethyst Selene is located in a quiet village on the western coast of mainland Greece. It takes its name from a gemstone known for its calming and healing properties, which is fitting: the architecture is characterized by clean lines, geometric shapes, and the use of organic materials, including local wood and stone.

Built in 1902 as a hunting lodge for Adolf Muhr and later favored by King Alexander of Yugoslavia, Vila Muhr carries a patina of aristocratic history into its new life as a lakeside retreat. Its four suites are lined with larch and layered with natural textures, each with balconies that open to Alpine scenery and bathrooms fitted with either saunas or deep tubs. A fine-dining restaurant celebrates seasonal produce from the region.

When a snowcat is needed in winter to pick you up, then you know you’ll be staying somewhere pretty remote. There are just four bedrooms at this wood and stone built mountain lodge, whose name means ‘black sheep’. Whether your day is spent mountaineering or skiing, hiking or just taking in the mountain air, you’ll find yourself happy to return to the coziness of the lodge with its roaring fire and hearty, seasonal food.

In architectural terms it’s a palazzo, no doubt, but don’t let the word’s associations mislead you as to its size. The century-old Palazzo Piccinno contains a mere four rooms, and is thus just about as intimate as they come. In contrast with many pocket-sized Puglian hotels, it’s no farmhouse — it’s set in the small town of Parabita. Not a busy location, by any means, but one that allows a hotel to lean in to its residential aspect.

Colonial charm meets retro chic at Maison Celeste, an art-focused boutique hotel and gallery in Mexico City’s hip Roma Norte neighborhood. Many of the mansion’s historic details have been carefully preserved, and the minimalist ground-level rooms house permanent and rotating exhibitions. A sleek Japanese eatery is a fixture, and regular creative collabs mean plenty more to eat, drink, see, and buy on the premises.

The Penny Bun, an old country inn turned into an elegant but down-to-earth boutique hotel in the North Yorkshire village of Askwith, epitomizes the English pub concept. The focus here is on gourmet food and drink — mostly locally sourced, the name a reference to a mushroom that grows nearby — and the experience of enjoying it by the glow of candlelight. The inn’s five rooms are free of screens and all other manner of distractions.

The owners of the highly regarded Gostilna AS in Ljubljana are behind this mountain retreat, a striking modernist structure set on the hillside above the Julian Alpine village of Gozd Martuljek. Chalet Sofija offers just five luxurious suites, but they’re only part of the experience. As you’d expect from restaurateurs of this caliber, Chalet Sofija places equal emphasis on its gourmet restaurant.