Heure Bleue Palais, Essaouira

Heure Bleue Palais doesn’t do the hippy chic that is Essaouira’s stock in trade. It does full-on, old-fashioned colonial grandeur. And it does it beautifully. Late summer/early autumn is a better time to visit Essaouira, too. What crowds there are have died down, and so have the alizee winds that lick the bay throughout June and July – allowing you to really feel the benefit of the late summer sun beating down on the hotel’s fabulous roof terrace.

Crillon le Brave, Provence

A compound of seven, honey-coloured village houses with faded pastel-blue shutters, Crillon le Brave is all very Provencal... and very, very romantic. During the day you can alternate between a pool with gorgeous views and the mini Cowshed spa, while come the evening the Terrace du Ventoux bar is the perfect spot to sit, over a cocktail or two, in the last shards of late summer sun.

Clublevante, Pantelleria

Pantelleria is like a slightly more glam, off-the-beaten track version of a Greek Island. And up at the northern tip of the island, spread out across a rocky volcanic bay, Clublevante offers a selection of chic villa-style rooms, an infinity pool, some uninterrupted sea views, and not a great deal else. Check in in September and you get that dreamy end of the season feel, before the last of the visitors leave for the winter and the island is left at the mercy of the winds…

Hotel Podstine, Hvar

Another stunning Mediterranean island retreat, Hvar has in recent years attracted a bevy of celebrity visitors like Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce. And, if Hotel Podstine's not quite in that dizzying celebrity hemisphere, when it comes to places to stay for late summer sun it's pretty hard to beat. A lovely seafront hotel set back off a quiet bay, it’s got a romantic garden restaurant, a neat little spa and, for the active, an on-site diving centre.

Ezzahra, Marrakech

Our second Morocco pick for late summer sun; and this time we move from the cool, twilight blue of Essaouira to the dust and heat of Marrakech. A stay at super-luxury Palmeraie villa Ezzahra is like the grandest house party with friends you could possibly imagine. Days can be broken up between hitting the souks in the morning, followed by a swim in the afternoon and private spa treatments in the evening before dinner. It’s a tough routine, but somebody’s got to sign up to it…

Not a sun goddess? Check out our pick of the best rural retreats in the UK. Or see ELLE escapes’ entire collection of places to stay.