Chewton Glen

This quintessential English country house with spa, pools, kids’ club, elegant bedrooms and fun treehouses hits all the right luxurious notes for a romantic or family stay. ‘I have been to Chewton Glen many times and it never disappoints,’ confirms a regular. Tennis, golf, croquet, gardens and woodland – plus a path to the beach – mean that there’s no need to leave this five-star cocoon. Relax in one of the lounges with their old-school elegance or around the pool in the light-flooded spa or refresh in the outdoor pool. Main house bedrooms are lightly traditional – soft colours, marble bathrooms – with parkland views, many with balcony or terrace. Suites are more contemporary while the treehouses are sharply modern, with hot tubs and log-burners: ‘out of this world, with every possible detail considered to make it as comfortable and luxurious as possible’. ‘Wonderful food’ is served in the glass-roofed Dining Room for traditional fine dining such as Dover sole and venison (vegetarian, too), and the breezier Kitchen for gourmet burgers and pizzas. ‘Very attentive’ staff were ‘helpful throughout our stay’. (Victoria Sterman, and others)