Looking for Europe’s Best Hotels? Well that’s really too hard to pick but here are some contenders and less well-known picks for a luxury stay in Europe, or at the very least an interesting one.

Four Seasons Hotel, Prague
On the banks of Vtava River this hotel consists of three historic buildings which covers the Renaissance, Baroque and Classic styles. The location here is supreme, in the “Golden City” with views across Charles Bridge and Charles Castle. The Jewish Town is within five minutes walk. The Four Seasons is Prague’s most luxurious hotel and this year the Allegro, the hotel’s signature restaurant gained a Michelin star under chef Andrea Accordi.

The Four Seasons, Prague

Mystique of Santorini, Greece
Perched at the top of the fabled Oia cliffs with unreal views across the turquoise Mediterranean Mystique of Santorini resort has everything. Literally, the antiques, the infinity edged pool and some excellent home-grown wines. This is boutique luxury at its best with only 18 suites all get the picture perfect sea-facing terraces. Some suites also have jacuzzis while the Air of Mystery and Air of Secrecy Villas are make you feel like you are on your own private Greek Island

Mystique of Santorini

The Dolder Grand, Zurich, Switzerland
This Neo-Gothic pile was originally built in 1899 but has recently reopened after a $450 million four-year renovation - trust the Swiss not to do a half-hearted job! The top suites at The Dolder Grand are all different and include the Maestro inspired by, Herbert von Karajan, conductor. Classical music influences classical architecture: at the highest point in the tower of the main building is the Maestro Suite. In contrast Suite101 was inspired by the Rolling Stones and features “retro-style furniture and a predominantly black and pink décor redolent of the Swinging Sixties”.

The Dolder Grand, Zurich

Chateau de la Chevre d’Or, French Riviera
Fit for Cary Grant or Grace Kelly, this historic property has a commanding hillside location in the village of Eze on the French Riviera. The 33 individually decorated rooms spill over two floors. The hotel’s restaurant has the French impressed so is probably worth checking out - though not without reservations one imagines.

Chateau de la Chevre D'Or

Das Park Hotel, Linz, Austria
This centrally located hotel boasts minimalist decor - very minimalist. OK yes its a drainpipe - but a nicely decorated one! Not quite 5-star though as the Das Park drainpipes don’t come with en-suite (you use the park’s facilities) they are secure with electronic access, a skylight, a side lamp and a 220V power point for recharging those electronic necessities. The price: pay what you can afford but reservations essential. OK not 5-star facilities but 5-stars for unusual - only open during the summer months.

Das Park Hotel, Linz

Developers had a good year in Israel in 2007, but there has been a slowdown in the luxury home market during 2008.

With one exception – The Ultra Luxury market. Much like the super luxury market in France, which recently witnessed a record-breaking price for La Leopolda, a luxury villa on the French Riviera, the Israeli super luxury market is also seeing record prices.

The market usually sees deals worth $5-6 million or more no more than 10-15 times a year, but 2008 has already seen over 40. These properties usually involve very large apartments covering an entire floor, buildings slated for preservation, and large lots. Israelis are no longer satisfied with luxury 200-300-square meter apartments, and developers are now marketing apartments of 500-1,000 square meters or more.

There is no shortage of luxury apartments in high-rises, but buildings slated for preservation are few, and each one has its own unique character. The number of seafront penthouses is also limited. Prices of $80,000 per square meter are becoming the norm rather than the exception.

Record prices are being paid for properties with a direct line of sight to the sea, and the gap between these properties and prices for apartments on the second line and farther from the sea has widened dramatically.

Apartments on the upper floors of seafront luxury high-rises, such as Tel Aviv’s Opera Tower, are priced at $15,000 per square meter and up.

The differential between the second line and the fourth line, where it is still possible to have sea view, is eight-fold. Until recently, the difference was only two-fold, and I suspect the next median price report will show a substantial increase.

70pc of buyers of luxury homes Israelis, and 30 pc are foreign residents but, foreign residents account for at least 40pc of the purchases of seafront residences.

While rumors were flying that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had purchased a huge estate near the French Riviera, it turns out that reports are only partially true.

Yes, they will be staying at Chateau Miraval. No, they did not buy it. Yes, they did lease it for a whopping three years.

As we said earlier, we knew they were looking for property but weren’t 100% certain they had actually bought this French property. Interestingly, the E! story we originally linked has been updated to note the rental, with no mention of the previous version saying they’d bought the place. That’s a little bit sneaky, E! Why not just note a correction?

It seems like a lot of the gossip rags are fixated with the Jolie-Pitts at the moment, with the current rumor saying that they just had their twins. Of course, that rumor, too, has been squelched.

Brad and Angelina have been hanging out in France to attend the Cannes film festival and to await the birth of their twins. Angelina told reporters that she wants to give birth in France, in honor of her French grandmother.

No word if Brad will fly his parents out from Missouri to visit the new babes once they’re born.

Photo by Ryan Fuertes/BuzzFoto.com

We interrupt our regularly scheduled post for some breaking news. We’re seeing rumors fly all over the web that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have just bought a $60 million compound on the French Riviera. It’s not just an estate, it’s a small village.

Chateau Miraval has over 1,000 acres and its own vineyard, Miraval. Reports from the Daily Mail and E! say that the couple have been flying all over in a helicopter looking for a property, and have finally settled on something. And they’re not just “settling” for a property. It’s nothing to sneeze at, my pretties.

In addition to a massive 1,000 acres surrounded by forest, the palatial castle has 35 bedrooms. And there’s a lake, swimming pool, fountains, and even ponies! What child wouldn’t be ecstatic at the thought of ponies? They bought it in part for the extreme privacy, and so Jolie could have her twins in France as a tribute to her French grandmother.

It’s still a rumor at this point, as far as we’re concerned. But we’ll let you know if things are indeed confirmed. (Do we really think they just dropped in via helicopter and asked for a selling price? Probably not.)

Edit - Wednesday 27th May -

It seems as though the news of a sale was a little premature and we are now hearing that they have instead signed a three-year lease. I cannot see Brad Pitt with his shirt off, sweating in the Provence sun, crushing grapes with his feet anyway. On the other hand……….