C is for Cheap but chic

Sophy Roberts5 April 2012

Recession doesn't have to mean retreating to the all-inclusive resort from hell. Hitch a ride on a charter flight and then book into one of these cheap but chic hotels.

Dar Dhiafa on the Tunisian island of Djerba. There are 14 rooms built around five courtyards with two plunge pools. The style is simple and Boho.

Jake's, Jamaica. Colourful, adobe-style cottages on the island's forgotten south coast, where Desmond's line in rum punches will keep you in tune with the island's pace. Cool enough for Jude Law to book in.

The Portixol Hotel and Restaurant, Palma, Mallorca. The 23-room hotel has been newly refurbished and features platform cherrywood beds and super-sleek white tiled bathrooms. The restaurant is highly recommended.

The Tea House, Essaouira, Morocco. The guesthouse is a delicate mix of Moroccan antiques, bleached pink walls and mercury-stained Murano mirrors.

Tamarind Hill, Thailand. Better known for its girlie bars than chi-chi hotels, Koh Samui has one gem ? Tamarind Hill, with nine villas scattered above Lamai Beach. Next door is the island's best spa, Tamarind Springs.

Hotel Bratsera on the Greek island of Hydra. This 23-room hotel is simplicity itself: whitewashed walls, exposed beams and amphorae dotted about the pool.

Helga's Folly, Kandy, Sri Lanka. The 40 rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, are a design medley of antiques, stuffed animals and checkerboard tiles. There's also a small but perfectly formed swimming pool.

Hotel San Roque, Garachico, Tenerife. The hotel occupies a 17th-century mansion in this small fishing village and is decorated in chrome and terracotta. There's also a pool, with teak loungers to catch the sun's last rays.