‘Bravo! I spent three marvellous days at The Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds.’ A reader in 2019 raves about her stay at this Elizabethan coaching inn with roots in the 1300s. In the guestbook, the names of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (though not of earlier guests Charles I and Oliver Cromwell) recall a glamorous heyday, but the hotel had lost some of its lustre before a rescue by Iconic Luxury Hotels (see also Chewton Glen and Cliveden). Now it is ‘lovely, relaxed, gorgeous’, its ‘quirky features enhanced with beautiful fabrics and colours’. From cosy bedrooms to historic suites, all have an espresso machine, maybe furniture by Gordon Russell (see next entry). Dog-friendly courtyard suites open on to a landscaped terraced garden. You can dine in the wine bar (panini, pasta, pizzette), in cosy lounges or ‘the stunning Great Hall, with its barrel ceiling, huge fireplace’ and minstrels’ gallery. Ales Maurer’s modern British menus include such dishes as herb crust lamb canon, wild garlic leaves, radish, spinach; for vegans, heritage cauliflower, spring greens, walnut pesto. ‘The food was amazing, the whole hotel so lovely, the staff perfect, a real heaven.’ (S and TB, and others)