If You Love the Country ...
... the English countryside has a new jewel in its crown.

It’s Lympstone Manor, a Georgian pile in Devon that’s been lovingly converted into a 21-room hotel by the locally beloved chef, Michael Caines. On the expansive grounds, you’ll find 28 acres of gardens and parkland and a newly-planted vineyard, which Caines hopes will produce Champagne-style wines by 2021. Bonus: The Jurassic Coast beaches are just a few minutes down the road, as are the towns of Exmouth and Exeter. Rooms from $378.

When to go: The English countryside is beautiful all summer long.

What not to miss: Bike along the eight-mile Exe Estuary trails, and you’ll see the idyllic towns and villages of Topsham, Exton, and Cockwood.

Portugal is the place to be this year.

And you wouldn’t be doing it right if you stuck to the cities. Base yourself at the Anantara Vilamoura-Algarve Resort, the first European property for this venerable Asian brand. Aside from their impeccable hospitality standards, you’ll find built-in activities for the whole family. (There’s an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, separate kids’ and teens’ clubs, an Ayurvedic spa, and six restaurants.) You’re also within easy reach of vineyards, beaches, and the pastel-colored town of Vilamoura. Rooms from $266.

When to go: July and August are the driest months; June offers tons of local festivals.

What not to miss: Spot flamingos (and tons of other unusual birds, such as the purple swamphen) in the tidal flats at Ria Formosa Natural Park, a series of coastal lagoons and wetlands that stretch across 18,000 hectares.

Switzerland isn’t just for skiing.

Over in Lake Lucern, the Bürgenstock Resort—once a favorite of Sophia Loren, the Carters, and the Danish royals—will soon be reborn as a summertime paradise. Following a $545 million investment, it will serve as four separate hotels: one five-star, one inn, one wellness resort, and a boutique four-star option in a 1904 Belle Époque building. The latter, called the Palace Hotel, will be the first to open, in June, with 108 wood-lined rooms strewn with fur throws and brass fixtures. (Remember, four-star standards in Switzerland are five-star-worthy anywhere else.) Rooms from $436.