10 of the best boutique hotels in Europe

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America might have invented the boutique hotel but Europe put them on the map. Case in point is London’s very own Blakes, designed by noted stylist Anoushka Hempel, which was one of the very first boutiques to open its doors in 1981. Ever since, boutique hotels have mushroomed across the world’s cities, inspiring travellers to ditch the mundane chain hotel and stay somewhere that offered them something a little more characterful than just a bed for the night and a breakfast the next morning.

The continent is full of splashy boutique properties, all with their own flavour and character. Here are 10 of the best.

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