‘Within lovely walking distance’ of Chatsworth House, the Duke of Devonshire’s ‘very nice hotel’ continues to please. Philip Joseph is the much-praised manager. ‘The staff are some of the most helpful and welcoming we’ve come across.’ Newly refurbished bedrooms overlooking parkland have kept their ‘traditional theme’ – they are ‘delightful’. ‘My room was magnificent, with a superb bathroom,’ reports a correspondent this year. (‘A slight criticism: the bedroom lighting could be better.’) Among the ‘welcoming touches’ in the rooms: fresh milk and ‘high-quality biscuits’, thick bathrobes, ‘a cute teddy bear – like them or loathe them’. Teatime brings ‘the nicest, warm, home-baked scones’ (‘with a generous portion of clotted cream’) – ask to eat them on the terrace in sunny weather. At dinner in the Gallery restaurant, chef Alan Hill earns plaudits for such dishes as ‘salmon rillettes with unusual, delicious horseradish ice cream; tender, pleasantly gamey venison; flavourful wild sea bass with crisped skin’. A tasting menu may be taken at the Kitchen Table; simpler fare is on the menu in the Garden Room. (Richard Creed, Robert Gower, Susan Willmington)