From the landscaped gardens with ‘a five-star view’ over Rutland Water to the Michelin-starred dining, Tim and Stefa Hart’s acclaimed hotel nails English country house excellence. ‘Courtesy, helpfulness and a constant search for perfection remain the standards here,’ sighs one regular. ‘Baggage was in our room in a trice, followed by a nice tray of tea and biscuits.’ The handsome Victorian mansion has a sweep of public rooms with panelled walls, deep sofas and open fires. Bedrooms are classic country house: rich fabrics and wallpapers, antiques, a roll-top bath, fresh flowers and home-made treats. In the Michelin-starred restaurant, Aaron Patterson creates meals ‘magnificent in style and quality, brilliance and richness’. Menus might include poached fillet of halibut, mushroom tortellini, lemon verbena sauce, or startling combinations such as rabbit in a liquorice sauce. One quibble: residents find it is ‘not always possible to find seating in the lounge’ before dinner. With ‘outstanding service’, this Relais & Châteaux hotel inspires loyalty: ‘When we go there it is like returning to old friends.’ (Anthony Bradbury, CF, and others). This hotel is a member of Pride of Britain.