A through-the-looking-glass sort of place, this hotel playfully inverts the traditional country house theme, with bold interiors created for new owners the Experimental Group.

A charmed ‘village within a village’, this collection of honeyed buildings houses chic rooms surrounded by pretty gardens, with outdoor pool, spa, cookery school, bar, and short, modern menus of country produce in the Ox Barn.

This baronial-style Victorian manor house overlooking a deer park in the New Forest has been stylishly updated as an adults-only retreat with a well-regarded restaurant.

The open-plan restaurant and bar, serving creative modern British dishes, provides a buzzy meeting place at this Victorian townhouse hotel overlooking abbey and park, where individually styled bedrooms have feature wallpaper, designer fabrics, modern bathroom fittings.

This chic and stylish small hotel in a restored Regency building has an enviable clifftop position overlooking the beach and Royal Harbour.

An £80 million makeover of an old coaching inn has resulted in this splendid city hotel, which playfully references Cambridge in its décor, and serves retro classics and more exotic fare in Parker’s Tavern.

The River Eden loops past this red-sandstone mansion, topped with a cupola, on a wooded estate.

All of the grandeur of the former Edwardian Shire Hall has been retained in this hotel, now part of the India-based Roseate group.

What began life as a cliff-top coastguard station in 1847 has metamorphosed into a relaxed luxury hotel in rural seclusion, with its own beach a walk away.

A ‘superbly positioned Art Deco wonder’, the former railway hotel overlooking the sand flats of Morecambe Bay was restored to its iconic glory by the English Lakes group.

Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines has created a country house hotel for the 21st century, a foodie destination and place of soft-spoken luxury, in a Georgian mansion overlooking the Exe estuary.

From amuse-bouche to dessert, dinner in the candlelit dining room is the highlight at this Georgian town house on a cobbled street in this market town, but that is not to fault the individually styled bedrooms or excellent breakfast.

A favourite hangout of the England football team, the former home of Lord Louis Mountbatten is ‘well-run’, with contemporary bedrooms, cosseting suites, a good choice of eating and drinking spaces, and a magnificent spa.

Part of the Barkby Group, this stylishly updated Cotswold stone hotel on the market square is a winning mix of cask ales, beams and crackling log fires, modern European cooking and contemporary country-style bedrooms.

Overlooking St Bride’s Bay, a 19th-century windmill tower forms the centrepiece of this contemporary art hotel with a wide choice of generously supplied bedrooms, and a restaurant serving creative, modern dishes.

The catch of the day could be Shetland hake in the restaurant or nifty fielding on the sands at this pub-with-rooms overlooking the Firth of Forth, with its own beach cricket team.

Close to the city centre, a Jacobean-style Victorian villa sitting above a manicured front garden, combines with Hampton House across the road as a ‘really fantastic hotel’.

Behind adjacent shopfronts on the marketplace, this vivaciously styled, open-all-day restaurant-with-rooms wins high praise for its generously equipped, affordable, beautifully presented bedrooms and short, exciting seasonal menus, with dishes from the charcoal grill.

There are log fires, bucolic views and a warm welcome at this Grade II* listed country house, in a spread of gardens surrounded by acres of farmland and forest.

Down a single-track road on the edge of Dartmoor national park, this dog-friendly, ancient, thatched and whitewashed pub, with four individually designed bedrooms, is a local hub serving exceptional gastropub fare.

A handsome 18th-century coaching inn is now home to bright, contemporary bedrooms, a fish deli, a modern glazed atrium, and an intimate restaurant where Tom Williams-Hawkes’s adventurous menus showcase locally farmed and fished produce.

In a Lyth valley village on the edge of the Lake District, Becky and Ash Dewar transformed a 16th-century hostelry into this family-friendly village pub.

Graeme and Emma Clark’s hospitable guest house on the Isle of Islay basks in uninterrupted views over the Mull of Oa; guests often bask in the comfort – and indulgent treats – the hosts provide.

A fine base for exploring the Chilterns, this urbane hotel is just outside a picturesque riverside village.

Overlooking the Tywi estuary, this contemporary restaurant-with-rooms in a restored Georgian mansion is enjoyed for its ‘really lovely hospitality, food and accommodation.’

In leafy Edgbaston, a whitewashed Victorian villa is home to this colourful boutique-style guest house, its modern bedrooms furnished with some antique and retro furniture, with a bright sitting room, and a sister gastropub next door.

Chef-owner farmers Tom Adams and April Bloomfield draw inspiration from European agriturismo at their rustic-chic guest house and restaurant in an ancient farmhouse and outbuildings.

Spectacular views across Loch Tummel to the iconic peak of Schiehallion can be seen from this ‘characterful and quirky old coaching inn’ ten miles from Pitlochry in Perthshire’s big-tree country.

Friendly, helpful staff win praise at this town-centre hotel, with contemporary bedrooms, some in the annexe, a drop-in lounge for afternoon tea, a bistro for informal dining, and the Adam Room restaurant.

Overlooking the River Avon, this 18th-century merchant’s house has been imaginatively converted into a relaxed, modern-day inn with Nordic-influenced bedrooms, an industrial-chic bar and restaurant.

In the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, this dog-friendly former coaching inn has rustic-chic and contemporary bedrooms, cosy spaces, modern dishes served by smiling young staff in a light-filled dining room and alfresco.

‘You feel as though you’re on the French Riviera’ at Olga Polizzi’s seaside hotel ‘in one of the most idyllic locations you could hope to come across’.

In a wooded estate on Loch Torridon, this baronial-style hunting lodge appeals to sybarites and sporty types, with luxurious bedrooms, tasting menus sourced from the kitchen garden and farm, and a brasserie.

An outdoor heated pool, extensive grounds, Downs views, individually styled bedrooms and refined dining are among the attractions at this dog-friendly hotel on the banks of the River Cuckmere.

With Thameside gardens and free mooring, this 18th-century inn has six courtyard bedrooms with vintage and contemporary furniture, a cosy beamed bar, a menu of pub favourites and creative dishes.

You can sit on the ramparts and watch for puffins, seals and invading armadas over a cream tea at this Elizabethan artillery castle and family-run hotel within star-shaped walls.

In a picturesque medieval hilltop town, behind the street front of a Georgian coaching inn, ancient buildings are subsumed into one smart hotel.

Pack your Schiaparelli gowns, beach pants and playsuits, and board the 'sea tractor' for a trip back to the 1930s at this Art Deco hotel on a tidal island where the beau monde came to play.

On the banks of the River Colne, this updated 17th-century coaching inn mixes country-style and contemporary comfort in well-equipped bedrooms, while dining options include gastropub and brasserie fare.

Avowedly family-friendly and fun yet stylish, this hotel with spa occupies a Baroque Victorian mansion in five acres above the Fowey estuary.