Wish you were here? The best long-stay hotels for escaping lockdown

Since England's second national lockdown was announced on Saturday, holidaymakers have flocked to airports and bookings have surged for travel agents. It seems those with the economic means are desperate to escape England's latest planned month-long restrictions before they into effect on Thursday, November 4.

Prior to the announcement, a handful of countries including Croatia, Spain, Barbados and Antigua had revealed new digital nomad visas for remote workers looking to swap a dreary-looking winter for a warm few months (or even longer) away. Many hotels, apartments and villa companies subsequently started offering long-stay deals, from 'workation' packages to generous discounts.

Abercrombie & Kent for instance is offering a month-long package to Joali in the Maldives, priced at £20,000 per person (actually a saving of more than £23,000 per couple), which includes direct flights with British Airways and seaplane transfers, travelling from Wednesday, November 4 and returning on Wednesday, December 2, when restrictions will hopefully be eased.

Though the new measures will include a blanket ban on non-essential international and domestic travel, the Department for Transport has clarified that "British nationals currently abroad do not need to return home immediately". So you have until midnight on Wednesday to set off on holiday without impunity. You will also need to consider whether a destination has a travel corridor with the UK, and if not, the implications on insurance, as well as quarantine restrictions on return.

The savviest among us will discover that some deals are actually cheaper than the rent one might pay in a city – such as those of Airbnb, which has reported that hosts are offering discounts on month-long stays, with savings of up to 76 per cent. So where can we go, where can we stay – and when?

If it's an extended city break you're after, CitizenM’s Global Passport package offers travellers a fixed-rate stay option from £1,350 per month. Similarly, Generator – which has 15 city-centre hotels in Europe and the US – is offering a new Stay Longer Save More scheme which cuts rates by by 30 per cent for bookings of seven nights or more, and the longer you stay the higher the discount.

In line with the Palma de Mallorca tourist board's new 'winter workation' offers, 35 per cent of the city's hotels have agreed to remain open out of season and offer special rates. Among these is Can Bordoy, a 16th-century property in the old town that is offering monthly stays from £3,163 – a significant saving on nightly rates from £315. Even cheaper in Lanzarote, Eco Village Finca de Arrieta is tempting travellers to its beachside rental properties from £890 a month for two guests.

Since Croatia announced its new 12-month Digital Nomad Visa (which unfortunately doesn't come into force until early 2021), Adriatic Luxury Hotels has had an influx of requests for long stays, leading the group to create "Feel at Home" offers for bookings of 21 days at Hotel Dubrovnik Palace (from £2,169) and Hotel Excelsior (from £6,868).

On a slighter grander scale, and appealing more to the leisure traveller, Rocco Forte hotels launched "Carpe Diem" packages at its two properties in Rome: Hotel de Russie and Hotel de la Ville, as well as The Savoy in Florence, on November 1. Guests can stay in a junior suite from £9,500 a month with breakfast, dinner and a spa treatment per week.

If money is no object, it has to be the Maldives or the Caribbean. Guests travelling out before Thursday can stay at the One&Only Reethi Rah for 28 days or more with a number of complimentary additions from £32,111 for two guests. At Vakkaru Maldives, month-long stays are offered at a slightly lower rate of £19,388 for two adults.

Eden Roc Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic is offering long-stay fun for all the family. It's costly to say the least – one month will set you back £34,500 – but the Family Staycation package includes a 24-hour butler and private chef, unlimited Spanish, piano, swimming and craft lessons for children, plus an in-villa office for adults.

For remote workers, Bequia Beach Hotel in St Vincent and the Grenadines has launched a new 'Work from Paradise' package with a 10 per cent discount for stays of 20 days or longer.

Antigua's Curtain Bluff has slashed its rates by 50 per cent for bookings of 21 days or more (valid until December 16, 2020; or from January 4-May 31, 2021), while most hotels in Anguilla are offering a 'pay three weeks, get one week free' deal, including Waves (from £11,500 per month).

Topping these all cost-wise is Cerulean, a private estate operated by the same company, offering nine suites and a complete staff of 18 people at an eye-watering £230,000 per month. We did say if money is no object.

Are you heading away for lockdown? Comment below to share your story.