With peacocks in the garden, kilt-wearing staff, fire-warmed sitting rooms and antiques at every turn, this 17th-century country house is an indulgent place to stay.

There is a wide choice of generously equipped rooms at this substantial, dog friendly, family-friendly hotel on the edge of the Burghley Estate, with a pleasantly informal ambience and imaginative, seasonally inspired food served in the bistro.

Beyond the Doric portico of a white stucco neo-classical mansion, this boutique hotel captures the eclectic charms of glamorous and bohemian Notting Hill.

With views to the sea across a Regency square, this townhouse hotel, which is the flagship of a small, privately owned chain, has a hip, bohemian vibe, bedrooms with bare brick walls, retro and reclaimed pieces, and a café-bar and lounge for casual all-day dining.

Modern mixes with medieval on the ramparts of what remains of Nottingham Castle, with this sleek hotel the perfect place to escape the bustling city.

A jar of cookies in the bedroom is just one of the quirks at this fun, intimate boutique hotel, with bedrooms that mix vintage and modern, contemporary British cooking, great service – and Alnwick Castle a stroll away.

Named in honour of Shrewsbury's famous son, this Grade II* listed Sandford House, moments from the Severn towpath, has evolved into a B&B full of Darwin references, with animal and plant wallpapers, maps and natural history objets.

Much loved by readers, this hotel, restaurant and social hub beside the Great Ouse offers a wide choice of rooms, an all-day lounge and bar menu, sophisticated cooking in the large, attractive dining room.

With a history stretching back to Norman times, Helen Heraty's beautiful hotel has spacious, antique-filled bedrooms, an oasis rear garden bounded by the city wall, stunning views of the Minister and a fine-dining restaurant.

A personable, affordable hotel in swanky Belgravia, the Lime Tree has smart boutique bedrooms, 24-hour reception, an oasis 'secret' garden, barista coffees, breakfast, brunch and lunches on offer in the Buttery, and some great restaurants close at hand.

Enjoying an ideal location opposite Clifton Down, this twin-bayed Georgian merchant's house B&B sits atop one of Bristol's highest hills, with panoramic views.

There's a huge sense of fun at this stylish hotel, whose logo is Vanity Fair's caricature of the 9th Marquess of Queensberry, Oscar Wilde's Nemesis. Laurence and Helen Beere's hotel, a quirky combination of four townhouses has pugilism-themed jokes throughout; the decor is knockout too.

Each of the beautiful, uncluttered bedrooms has a sea view at Susan Stuart's Georgian house B&B in a subtropical garden, overlooking the harbour and Mount's Bay, where guests are free to drop into the kitchen for coffee and cake, and breakfast is exceptional.

Town meets gown at this splendid city hotel, a much-revamped 19th-century coaching inn, its interiors a joyous celebration of Cambridge, where a library holds works by past alumni, some of the smart suites overlook Parker's PIece, and the menu is a showcase for the best of British produce.

A home away from home in the heart of Chelsea is the aim of these red-brick Victorian townhouses, which have been converted into a luxurious hotel of dazzling individuality.

A stroll from the cathedral in the historic heart of the city, this buzzy local restaurant occupies a Georgian house-turned-inn, with splendid bedrooms above, some with a cathedral view, each named after a designer and styled accordingly.

Jeremy Mogford's conversion of the old Barclays Bank right in the city centre gets credit for its smartly furnished bedrooms, marble bathrooms, and an art-adorned all-day bistro, Quod, in the old banking hall, with Italian garden terrrace.

With cool styling and a fun vibe, this Georgian townhouse a five-minute walk from the city walls is home to a child-friendly boutique hotel, abounding in wit and whimsy, with dreamy bedrooms, an interesting bar menu, and creative cooking of local ingredients in the restaurant.

At this Grade I listed Georgian House of Assemblies, where glamorous event spaces drip with chandeliers, you'll find a restaurant, cookery school, and 15 spacious bedrooms, styled with pizzazz and a sense of fun, several with their own garden or lounge.

Overlooked by the dramatic landmark of Arthur's Seat, this period gem of a Victorian villa with fine original details and handsome furnishings is now run as a friendly B&B with imaginative breakfast choices. It's just ten minutes from the city centre.

You can imagine nodding off in an armchair over the latest issue of Samuel Johnson's Idler, or William Hazlitt's polemics in the Tatler, when you step into this time-warp hotel and close the door on trendy Soho. It was here, on a Georgian terrace in the 1820s, that essayist Hazlitt penned his valediction, and antiques and furnishings keep faith with a bygone age.

Modern mixes with medieval on the ramparts of what remains of Nottingham Castle, with this sleek hotel the perfect place to escape the bustling city.

Enjoying an ideal location opposite Clifton Down, this twin-bayed Georgian merchant's house B&B sits atop one of Bristol's highest hills, with panoramic views.

This Georgian house might be on Newport's main street, but it makes a great base from which to explore the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the Preseli Hills, say readers. Hosts Judith and Michael Cooper, who welcome guests with tea or coffee and homemade Welsh cakes, can advise on the 'fabulous walks nearby'.

Lionel Copley applied his designer's eye and gentle wit to the styling of interiors at this chic and grown-up Georgian rectory B&B (no under 10s), with beautiful bedrooms, elegant public spaces showcasing the work of local artists, treatment rooms, onsite café, walled garden, and exceptionally imaginative, locally sourced breakfasts.

A stroll from the cathedral in the historic heart of the city, this buzzy local restaurant occupies a Georgian house-turned-inn, with splendid bedrooms above, some with a cathedral view, each named after a designer and styled accordingly.

Babe of the litter, this little piggy occupies a crenellated Georgian house and former pub built into the medieval city wall, with an artful granny's attic aesthetic, just a dozen bedrooms, and a deli using produce from the kitchen garden at the mother Pig at Brockenhurst in the New Forest.

Art-filled interiors and home comforts make for a soothing ambience at this hilltop Georgian townhouse B&B on a cobbled drive in Liverpool's cultural quarter, with four luxurious bedrooms, an elegant sitting room and walled garden.

In a wooded valley just a short drive from the city centre, this Arts and Crafts mansion has splendid interiors, a wide choice of individually styled bedrooms, inspired cooking by executive chef Gareth Rayner in Fern Dining Room, and more casual dining from a bar and lounge menu.