Tucked away in a secluded neighbourhood of Sedona, this exquisite privately-owned bed and breakfast inn offers up quite a few unexpected surprises.

Try as I might to dodge those yawningly early morning flights, I occasionally have to concede defeat. Just last week I was forced to catch an 8am plane from Heathrow to Zurich.

Ten Euros - that’s how much the rickshaw fare was from the Arc de Triomphe to our hotel. It was a little expensive for a four-minute ride but we went for it anyway.

Homemade carrot cake and a welcome cuppa by the Aga went a long way to reviving our flagging spirits after a drive up the A1 from London to the Yorkshire Dales through torrential rain to the two-bedroomed Heather Cottage guest house in Aysgarth Village.

Hotel suites at the Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort have much in common with an average flat in Britain; namely, square footage.

Along with a four-poster bed, there’s a walk-in wardrobe, lounge, spacious balcony and bathroom with separate shower room.

It was only a short stay in Santa Monica and so for me, the beach beckoned. This resort hotel is located on Ocean Avenue where the beach is just 59 feet away and hit the spot.

For a moment you might wonder if you had taken a detour into Chaucer’s England, setting eyes on a medieval manor surrounded by a clutch of thatched cottages. But no Canterbury pilgrim ever spent the night.

From Nice airport it was a pleasant tootle along the twisty N8 coastal road. I was heading for the tiny town of Théoule-sur-Mer where they say, the water quality around its cliffs is the best in Europe.

I had chosen the Tiara Yaksta boutique hotel for its discreet location and found it was so hidden that I passed it at least three times.