Homewood

The yellow submarine in the 'beautiful grounds' and the hedge sculpture of a giraffe set the scene at this ‘playful, quirky hotel’, in a traditional honey-stone building. Homewood is ‘full of eclectic eccentricity’: reception has a plethora of clocks, and a seating area has rows of copper kettles, while the dining room has a wall adorned with antique plates, another with dried flowers. ‘Sometimes it works, others it doesn’t,’ says a Guide insider. Part of Ian and Christa Taylor’s Kaleidoscope Collection (see The Bird, Bath), ‘it is, above all, fun’. Bedrooms are all different but even the cheapest ones have mood lighting, an espresso machine and luxury toiletries, while some suites have their own hot tubs. In Olio restaurant and on the terrace, Mediterranean-influenced dishes include spiced tiger prawns with chorizo and lamb cutlet with chimichurri and feta. Local asparagus was 'perfectly cooked' and the truffle chips were 'to die for', ‘The spa is a highlight’, with its outdoor heated pool and hot tub 'where guests wallowed well into the evening'. ‘The complimentary pantry with jars of sweets, soft drinks and fresh milk was a nice touch.’