Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro

Tranquil, intimate and exclusive, the resort of Sveti Stefan attracted stars like Kirk Douglas and Sophia Loren in its 1960s heyday.

Covering a cliff-edged islet just off Montenegro's most dazzling stretch of coast, this former 15th-century village has undergone a five-year restoration by the Aman Group.

Fifty spacious rooms and suites, housed in the limestone cottages, are finished in simple but luxe style, with whitewashed walls, parquet floors and white-shuttered windows. You'll want to gaze across the tiled rooftops to the glistening Adriatic and distant mountain ranges.

Accessible via a stone causeway, the guest-only, car-free village - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is a maze of narrow cobbled lanes linking guests' rooms, plus four tiny Orthodox churches and a central piazza. Two black-tiled pools overlook Budva Bay.

Treat yourselves and book the resort's Sveti Stefan Suite in a standalone cottage, which comes with a private pool and garden. Across the causeway, it's a short stroll to the Aman-estate-owned gardens and the private Queen's Beach, a horseshoe-shaped bay lapped by crystal-clear water.

WOW FACTOR: The imaginative and delicious dishes using local produce and spanking-fresh seafood, though pricey, are worth splashing out on.

GO: Seasons (seasons.co.uk) offers seven nights from £2,795 per person. Includes flights to Dubrovnik and transfers.