Quirkiness abounds at this contemporary hotel in a remodelled Victorian mansion, decorated with witty eclecticism, featuring modish, well-equipped bedrooms and an all-day menu of modern British dishes served in the restaurant or on the terrace amid dining pavilions and fire pits.

As it awaits the playful Kaleidoscope s treatment, this hotel, occupying two handsome Georgian townhouses on an iconic thoroughfare, has a range of classic bedrooms from cosy doubles at the top, to four-poster rooms and suites.

'Unparalleled views over the Severn Valley' can be seen from this hotel, in extensive grounds high above the Malvern Hills.

Rolling countryside surrounds this large Georgian house in extensive grounds of meadows and woodland; a tunnel leads to the river Wylye.

With the Chatsworth estate on the doorstep, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire's Peak District hotel has had a ravishing makeover to complement the superb food in its restaurants.

With its romantic bedrooms and views across the Menai Strait, the former country residence of the Armstrong-Jones family offers 'exceptional yet relaxed service and great food', writes a reader this year.

Whether you turn up with muddy boots or in your Sunday best, with wet dogs or children, you will be greeted with a warm welcome at this jolly country inn between Windermere and Beatrix Potter's Hill Top home.

An iconic landmark on the harbour front, this bright-blue-painted former harbourmaster's house is home to a hotel with a great choice of individually styled bedrooms and an unpretentious restaurant, big on fish.

The epitome of country-house luxury, Tim and Stefa Hart's hotel stands on a peninsula, overlooking beautiful gardens and the shining expanse of Rutland Water.

Whale-watching, spectacular sunsets and starry, starry nights are among the wonders at this Victorian former hunting lodge on a wooded estate lapped by Loch Gairloch.

Overlooking subtropical gardens and sandy Carne Beach, the Ashworth family's hotel delights readers with its country house style, superlative service and retro classics in the dining room.

History feels very present at this half-timbered, jettied medieval inn overlooking village green, with a choice of atmospheric four-poster rooms and contemporary accommodation, real ales on tap, and an eclectic menu served in a panelled dining room.

'A hidden gem on the Welsh border', the Hunter family's 'highly dog-friendly' hotel, in a Georgian former rectory, can again bask in the praise from our readers,

'A jewel set in glorious Welsh countryside', on the edge of Brechfa Forest, this 17th-century country house is 'one of the most outstanding small hotels we have stayed in', readers write.

If the Borrowers opened a hotel, it would probably be something like Nick and Charlotte Dent's Georgian farmhouse, filled with upcycled objets trouvés.

Just over a mile from York, this imposing William and Mary country house in 20 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland offers 'luxurious rooms and amazing food'.

Inventive cooking of beautifully presented dishes impress at this gastropub overlooking the Evenlode valley, with four rooms that are smart but not ostentatiously 'designer'.

Behind a neo-classical façade, this Georgian coaching inn is a happy mix of local drop-in, hotel and restaurant, with 'comfortable rooms, good food and welcoming staff', says a returning reader.

More a stylish gastropub than a community hub, this historic inn has a loyal following of foodies who rave about its 'delicious meals' as well as its 'lovely quiet rooms'.

Under the big skies of Caithness, wrapped in woodland and a curve of the River Forss, this Georgian mansion offers the grandeur of Scottish country house living but with modern-day warmth and comforts.

The yellow submarine in the 'beautiful grounds' and the hedge sculpture of a giraffe set the scene at this 'playful, quirky hotel', in a traditional honey-stone building.

On show through walls of windows, the sea is a huge presence at this family-run hotel on the cliffs above a surfers' beach, which offers craft sessions as well as a spa and kids club.

With glorious views over the Tamar valley and a good choice of rooms and suites, this former mine captain's house has long been a gastronomic destination.

'Our stay was wonderful – the staff, the food and our lovely room were exceptional,’ readers wrote of a stay at this luxury hotel, a historic country house, extended in the 1800s for the Witts family, rectors and later Lords of Upper Slaughter.

A brook runs by the terrace of this smartly refurbished gastropub with rooms, where you can eat locally sourced, imaginative dishes in the restaurant or alfresco, or simply enjoy a pint with the locals.

Behind the pretty façade of a Georgian town house in an affluent market town, this hotel is a perfect retreat, with small spa, oasis garden and croquet lawn.

It's worth the expense to stay and eat in this 'lovely and historic house with delightful staff', conclude readers. Relaxed and easygoing, the Victorian Scottish baronial hotel on a 28-acre estate has plenty of comfy seating around log fires in bar and lounges.

An Edwardian country house in long-time family ownership is run as a spa hotel, restaurant and leisure destination with facilities for golf, tennis, bowls, croquet, swimming.

Renowned for its herb garden, with some 400 varieties, this Georgian merchant's manor house is set in 30 acres of Norfolk parkland. The country theme is continued throughout – garden herbs are used in the spa, bedrooms are named after plants, and cabins with freestanding tubs on the terrace overlook the orchard.