With a Michelin-starred restaurant, Grade II listed garden, 17th-century pele tower and French drawing room, Askham Hall sounds as if it might be very formal; not a bit of it. 'The most homely stately hotel we have ever stayed in,' reports one reader. Beyond the impressive entrance of the Lowthers' ancestral home, now a restaurant with rooms, guests can be assured of a warm welcome and a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, with dogs and children mingling among family heirlooms, books and modern art. One drawing room has doors to a classic English country-house garden. In Michelin-starred Allium, Richard Swale's 'absolutely fantastic food', with fresh produce from the kitchen garden, might include roasted John Dory with a langoustine bun, or chestnut gnocchi with black truffle. Main-house bedrooms – some with leaded windows and fireplace – mix antiques with modern pieces, while those in the courtyard have a rustic style. Some rooms have four-posters or antique Chinese wallpaper; bathrooms might have a roll-top bath. Once home to a miniature railway, the Train Room is now a pleasant setting for a family to stay, with a log burner, beams and duplex accommodation, but no locomotive. 'The staff were very attentive and helpful. We look forward to our next visit.'