The Retreat at Elcot Park

Once home to Percy Shelley’s mother, this Regency mansion in parkland has been reimagined as a contemporary country-house hotel, infused with a blithe spirit. Formerly a garish Mercure, it is now part of Hector Ross’s Signet Collection (see The Mitre, Hampton Court, The Barnsdale, Oakham). ‘It looks like a posh country-house hotel with croquet, tennis and a helipad, but it comes with a frission of fun and at a fraction of the price,’ write our inspectors. ‘Complimentary wine at check in, pantries to raid and family swim times in the pool make this a relaxed retreat.’ It’s also a stylish one, with a ‘modern English feel, bright fabrics and William Morris wallpaper’. Surprisingly affordable bedrooms range from ‘classics’ with a walk-in or over-bath shower, to suites with a mini bar of treats, maybe an in-room copper bathtub. Some are dog friendly; you can eat with your pooch in the Atlas Room lounge, or in the Orangery, part of the 1772 Brasserie, where a short menu includes dishes such as tempura-battered hake. The Pan-Asian Yu serves the ‘freshest sushi and sashimi’. Breakfast includes an ‘excellent buffet’ plus cooked dishes; there is a spa and hair salon on site.