We visited the Scarlett, shortly after it opened, boasting impressive eco-credentials. Two years later, we went back to see how life can be when you go green next to the blue sea.

Taking a dip in a non-heated outdoor pool in September is invigorating. But this isn't any pool - it's more of a super-clean pond with reeds.

The lights are low, the floor is of black marble and the walls are covered in a black velvet-like material. Dotted around are appealing paintings and sculptures with an Asian theme. The air is heavily scented with jasmine.

This is the scene of the reception area at the newly refurbished (to the tune of £25 million) 174-bedroom Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street hotel.

If a five-star property exuding tranquil elegance is your dream of a holiday hideaway, then first impressions of the Hesperia will be hugely encouraging.

Considering it was 142 years old and the oldest hotel in Slovakia by a mile, the flatscreen TV and free high-speed wi-fi in my room were something of a revelation.

So too, come to think of it, were the crisp cotton sheets, the contemporary room furnishings and delicious interior design.

Hotel Bankov was once the pride and joy of Kosice's well-to-do, looking down on to the city from its lofty

When I moved to the East End to be near the City, it became a ritual to escape to Cornwall to be near the sea.    

So it was with just a tinge of irony that the first person I met when I decided to head to this eponymous five-star country estate was one of the most famous EastEnders in the world.

When going to Orlando en famille you could choose to squeeze into a hotel room close to Disney where space is at a premium. Or you could rent a spacious, high specification condo in a manicured village resort that offers peace and tranquillity after a hectic day at a theme park.

Reunion resort is such a place.

This traditional English inn has a rightful claim to using the 'olde worlde' spelling of its name - it is reputedly the oldest coaching inn in Britain, dating back as far as 1135, with a secret tunnel leading to what was the old priory.

Charm? It has in bucketloads – a snug bar, rustic-chic restaurant and 48 simply furnished rooms and suites (although just 11 are in the main house).

Just over two years old, Jerusalem's Mamilla Hotel is probably the coolest and most beautiful hotel in the city.

Known locally as "the castle", the Fairmont Banff Springs was built in 1888 around the resort's hot springs.

The grandest of Canada's railway hotels, it was designed to provide luxury lodgings for rich tourists crossing Canada aboard the Canadian Pacific Railway at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Vibrant is the word used to describe areas of London that are culturally diverse and far from gentrification; and so we find The Town Hall Hotel & Apartments in "London's vibrant East End".

That said, hop in a cab from the City and you're there in a matter of minutes.