From Florence to Malta, 5 New Boutique Hotels

The last thing you want to do on vacation is to spend your time in a crowded pool or waiting in line at a breakfast buffet.At these five new boutique hotels, you don’t have to.

Their dreamy atmospheres and picturesque views — including a chateau amid a vineyard in Burgundy and a romantic hideaway in Malta — are just right for intimate summer getaways.Attard, MaltaCasa BonavitaThis former 18th-century home has emerged from a seven-year restoration as a 17-room boutique hotel — yet one that retains an inviting, residential feeling.Inspired by Malta’s Arabic and Italian influences, Casa Bonavita is the creation of Christopher and Suzanne Sharp, the owners of the Rug Company, based in London.

High ceilings, frescoed walls, antique furniture, textiles and gardens where you might find yourself among jasmine and bougainvillea make for a place that is a homage to easy “faded grandeur,” as the hotel puts it.A number of the rooms have terraces or open to gardens or the pool.

A restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and offers candlelit dinners in a courtyard beneath palms.Choose from small plates like crudités and zucchini fritti, and main dishes such as Champagne risotto and spaghetti vongole.

As the night unfolds, sip a cocktail or two at the hotel’s charming Valletta Bar.The property is about a 15-minute drive from Valletta, the country’s capital that is home to the 16th-century St.John’s Co-Cathedral, where you’ll find Caravaggio’s “The Beheading of St.

John the Baptist.” Another short car ride will take you to the walled city of Mdina (fans of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” may know the city as one of the television series’ locations).Ask the hotel for recommendations for things to do and the answers, including pottery workshops and temple visits, may be informed by the owners’ experiences in Malta, including Ms.

Sharp’s childhood there.Prices are from 390 euros, or about $447 a night (based on two people sharing), and include ...