Portsmouth, NH—(July 2006)—In a recent poll on Hideaways.com, 69% of discerning travelers say "smaller is smarter" when it comes to cruise ships and, in a companion poll, 50% "always prefer boutique hotels and resorts" while only 5% "prefer big" accommodations.

"When we started Hideaways back in 1979, the idea of escaping to a small, lesser-known hotel or a yacht-like cruise ship was rather uncommon," says Mike Thiel, Founder and President of the 27-year-old Hideaways Aficionado Club. "Now, lodging providers are scrambling to fit into the boutique category. But an increase in options doesn't make it easier to find a true hideaway. We travel the world to locate its best small- to mid-size hotels and cruise lines and share our discoveries with travelers who place a high value on intimacy, uniqueness, and first-class amenities and service."

Here's a look at just a few of Hideaways' Lilliputian finds:

EVEN TUSCANY HAS ITS SECRETS

Hidden in a marvelous, low-key, and undiscovered corner of Tuscany, L'Andana is an elegant country hotel that's as much about its 33 guest rooms (with vineyard and sea views) as it is about its ever-changing menu, with dishes like potato gnocchi in lamb sauce. This hotel is, after all, the bambino of renowned chef Alain Ducasse, whose influence dominates the two restaurants. When guests tear themselves away from the culinary treats, they feast on unabashedly livable luxury like a chaise is every bathroom and a fireplace in every bedroom.

Perfection in Puerto Rico

The Horned Dorset Primavera Hotel has just a handful of spacious and elegant suites and private villas, reminiscent of centuries-old haciendas, spilling down a hillside toward the placid Caribbean. This is the kind of place with no televisions and an inspired ban on cell phones, although there are various diversions nearby which the staff is happy to arrange—fishing, snorkeling, sightseeing, golf. Here, guests simply settle in and revel in the serenity.

YACHTING WITHOUT THE BIG BILLS

In an era when cruise ships keep getting bigger and busier, SeaDream is charting its own course toward intimate, casual perfection. Its two small vessels, "downsized" to create only 55 spacious staterooms within, are more like yachts than cruise ships. Everything aboard the SeaDream I and SeaDream II is designed to please and pamper, from the more than 3,000 bottles of wine that complement the fine international cuisine to the tempting "toys" that invite guests to play: sailboats, snorkeling gear, and Wave Runners, mountain bikes, and Segways.