Chewton Glen

Readers are ‘unable to fault anything at all’ at this ivy-clad country house hotel on the edge of the New Forest, ‘the ultimate luxurious and indulgent treat’. It is a ‘lovely place to celebrate a special occasion or recharge the batteries’, with plenty to occupy all ages, including cookery classes, tennis, golf and kids’ club. It has ‘one of the best’ hotel spas one reader has ever experienced, with an indoor pool and hydrotherapy pool. The hotel’s 130 acres of woodland, gardens and parkland, close to the coast, are ‘idyllic and peaceful’. Staff are ‘attentive in an understated and relaxed way’. Bedrooms, suites, some with hot tub, and tree-house suites are a blend of classic comfort and contemporary luxury, with ‘everything we needed’. Food ‘will not disappoint’, with Executive Chef Luke Matthews creating ‘exceptional’ dishes from locally sourced ingredients. The mushroom risotto, Emmental soufflé, venison and sea bass were all ‘heavenly’ and the sommelier was ‘amazingly knowledgeable’. ‘We will certainly be going back.’ (Mervin and Judith Knight, Alexandra Heaton, Paul Solomons, and many others)