Hi Hotel, Nice

The Hi Hotel is the epitome of affordable chic. The rooms and public spaces are very cool indeed – the designer, Matali Crasset, was a Starck apprentice and has clad the hotel from top to bottom in bright colours and funky furniture – but they don’t come with the usual exorbitant design hotel price tag. The best thing about it, though, is that on days when Nice's city beaches are just a bit too crowded for your liking (and remembering this is August…) there’s also a rooftop pool to lounge by.

Prices for the August Bank Holiday weekend start from £161 – but if you book three nights over the August bank holiday weekend on ELLE escapes you get a fourth night free

The Old Bank, Oxford

With its stylish, vintage-feeling rooms, artwork-filled public spaces and buzzing brasserie, The Old Bank stands out as a chic place to stay in a town that’s hardly overflowing with them. And if Oxford’s not really that sort of place it is, however, just perfect for a lazy – and very picturesque – English summer weekend break. You can go punting, and drift along the River Cherwell like Cleopatra on her barge, picnic in the Parks, hole up in a pub garden for the afternoon, or pop down the road to The Old Bank's sister hotel The Old Parsonage for afternoon tea. All very civilised indeed.

Prices for the August bank holiday weekend start from £220 per night for a two-night minimum stay on the Saturday and Sunday

Hotel Miramar, Barcelona

Set high above the city on the Montjuic hill, Hotel Miramar isn’t really the place for anyone looking to actually spend time in Barcelona. Although it’s only a 15-minute walk to the centre (downhill all the way – taxis are strongly advised for the return journey), the temptation to never leave the premises is strong. Afternoons can be spent strolling idly around the 8,000 square-metre garden and striking a pose by the pool, while there’s an excellent restaurant and 360-degree views of the glittering cityscape to enjoy by night.

Prices at Hotel Miramar for the August bank holiday weekend start from £164 per night on the Saturday

Floroom 1, Florence

Floroom 1 is a gorgeous four-room boutique B&B in the heart of the Oltrarno. Literally the ‘other side of the Arno’, the Oltrarno is the part of Florence for anyone who just wants to hang out in an Italian city for a couple of days rather than face the tourist scrum. Florence is a small city, so you can easily dip in and out of the galleries, but with its local cafes and bars and a smattering of antique shops, it’s got a lovely neighbourhood-y vibe that can be hard to tear yourself away from.

Prices at Floroom 1 for the August bank holiday weekend start from £150 per night on the Saturday

Ku’Damm 101, Berlin

A stark former office block on one of West Berlin’s main drags, if Ku’damm 101 is hardly a thing of great beauty from the outside, inside it’s all sleek, stripped back 70s minimalism. The hotel also recently popped up in our pick of cheap city break hotels – because while there may be one or two cooler places to stay in Berlin, there are very few that are such good value.

Prices at Ku’Damm 101 for the August bank holiday weekend start from £86

Haven’t found quite what you’re after from our pick of August bank holiday hotels? Check out our full collection of places to stay.