Gravetye Manor

At the end of its mile-long drive, this Elizabethan manor house with glorious gardens and superb dining is, for many guests, the ultimate country house hotel. ‘Comfortable, beautiful, friendly and great food,’ said one reader. Everything about it is grand and traditional, from its gables and mullioned windows to the wood-panelling, carved ceilings, plush sofas and roaring fires inside. With masses of flowers – William Robinson’s Victorian gardens are famed for their visionary, natural approach. Enjoy breathtaking views of them in the newly designed dining room with its floor to ceiling glass walls. The ‘exceptional’ Michelin-starred food – with produce from the garden – includes dishes such as Orkney scallop, girolle, kohlrabi and elderflower, and green asparagus, wild garlic emulsion, quail egg and goats curd. There are more garden views from the ‘beautiful bedrooms’. Expect pretty fabrics and upholstered armchairs; some have wood-panelling or a four-poster. Staff are praised for their ‘outstanding and memorable’ service. A Relais & Châteaux hotel. (Frances Thomas, Yvette Peart, Roderic Rennison)