Captain’s Club Hotel

Berthed on the banks of the Stour since 2006, this child-friendly, dog-friendly, glass-and-steel hotel, with the sleek lines of a cruise liner, was built for leisure. Light-filled, river-facing twins/doubles, family rooms and suites have an espresso machine, Bluetooth audio, Aromatherapy Associates toiletries, and floor-to-ceiling windows through which to watch the boats. The largest suites have three bedrooms, a kitchen and living room/diner, ideal for an extended stay. If you want to eat in but don’t feel like cooking, just call room service. Otherwise, you have the choice of dining in the restaurant, in the club lounge or on the terrace – maybe moules frites, a burger or Thai green curry. In the morning there are ‘excellent breakfasts’, which include smoked haddock, Severn and Wye salmon, smashed avocado, the full English or vegetarian. One reader this year was upset that they weren’t given the twin room that they had booked, but thought the breakfasts were 'excellent'. For days out, you can take a boat trip from the quay or a ferry across the water, while the New Forest is almost on the doorstep.