Without and within, this dog-friendly, family-friendly, extended 19th-century pub is a mix of traditional and modern, with a relaxed vibe, varied menus and smart, unstuffy bedrooms.

In a Tudor manor house in the Cotswolds just across from Cheltenham Racecourse, this hotel with spa and 90 acres of grounds is both family and dog-friendly.

'The Queen of Cotswolds cool Carole Bamford has again upped the ante at this sister property to Wild Rabbit (see Kingham),' writes our cub reporter.

A charmed 'village within a village', this collection of honeyed buildings houses chic rooms surrounded by pretty gardens, with outdoor pool, spa, cookery school, bar, and short, modern menus of country produce in the Ox Barn.

'Talk about Cotswolds chic,' writes our inspector of boutique hotel Wild Thyme and Honey, which stands alongside The Crown at Ampney Brook. Together, they form part of Grosvenor Pubs and Inns, but are a very personal project for founders Jason and Shara Myers.

With Thameside gardens and free mooring, this 18th-century inn has six courtyard bedrooms with vintage and contemporary furniture, a cosy beamed bar, a menu of pub favourites and creative dishes.

Jeremy Mogford's conversion of the old Barclays Bank gets credit from a Guide insider for its 'brilliant location, right in the city centre'.

There is a simple sophistication about both the interiors and the menus at this Georgian rectory, where bedrooms have contemporary and period furniture and subtle paint shades, and modern dishes tick the boxes for foodies.

Lionel Copley applied his designer's eye and gentle wit to the styling of bedrooms at this chic Georgian rectory B&B, with elegant public spaces, treatment rooms, walled garden, and a breakfast to write home about.

Smart accommodation combines with the ambience of a country pub, replete with beams, flagstones and open fires, and a restaurant serving modern British cooking at this Cotswolds hotel.

In a picturesque, tourist-free Cotswold village, this creeper-swathed 16th-century coaching inn was refurbished in 2020 by best mates and hip pizza-makers Harry Henriques and Fred Hicks, better known locally simply as Baz and Fred.

Part of the Barkby Group, this stylishly updated Cotswold stone hotel on the market square is a winning mix of cask ales, beams and crackling log fires, modern European cooking and contemporary country-style bedrooms.

A through-the-looking-glass sort of place, this hotel playfully inverts the traditional country house theme, with bold interiors created for new owners the Experimental Group.