Website of the week: oneoffplaces.co.uk

Most major holiday rental websites are unselective. By that I mean they list many thousands of properties to rent, and while some may be special, most will be run-of-the-mill villas, cottages and apartments.

OneOffPlaces is different. It promises that the 500 properties it advertises, which are spread over 37 countries, all stand out in some way, perhaps because of their glorious location, their unusual exterior, or memorable interior.

Strengths
A staffed villa in Bali; a riad in the medina of Marrakech; a beachfront cabana in New Zealand; a woodsman's cabin in the Dordogne; a Venetian apartment with direct access to the lagoon; an apartment in a Benedictine monastery in the Scottish Highlands...many of the properties featured more than live up to the website's name.
And many are also very affordable - I'm looking at a cute cottage in Brittany rentable in the winter for £175 a week. News from dailymail.co.uk

• Turn Up The Heat This February With The Top Five Romantic Destinations (10 January 2012)
• Things Bogans Like: Bali (10 November 2011)
• Ubud ranks among travelers' top choices as ideal place to visit (27 June 2011)
• Ubud visitors can observe Galungan celebrations (16 March 2010)
• Increase on European Tourist Flow to Bali (22 October 2009)
• Honeymoon Holidays making your wedding special (25 September 2009)
• Travel: off the grid in Bali (10 June 2009)
• The new Bali (10 June 2009)
• Holiday packages unveiled (10 June 2009)
• Disney Breaks Ground at Hawaii Resort (26 November 2008)