Rebuilt and reinvented by Bassam Shlewet, this small hotel brings ‘great service’, chic style and impressive cuisine to a picturesque stretch of the Thames Path. The smartly rustic bar has a cosy wood-burning stove, exposed brickwork, wooden beams. Award-winning chef Michael Chapman draws in diners from near and far for his ‘excellent’ British menus, ‘promptly served by charming waiters’ in the restaurant, where a huge window lets you observe the working kitchen. Understated bedrooms in creams and greys have urbane comforts (large bed, luxury bedlinen and towels, coffee machine, air conditioning, underfloor heating, a ‘strong shower'); calls to UK landlines are free. Efficient insulation subdues noise from the adjacent busy road.