The Dorchester Collection know how to make luxury hotels and their version of a country house hotel has it all; polo fields, horses, deer, an excellent spa, Michelin-starred restaurant and on the list goes. Near Windsor and Ascot, Coworth Park is probably the closest country house hotel to London and a mere hop, skip and a jump for a weekend of pure relaxation and indulgence. The grounds are glorious at any time of year, singing with autumnal colours at this time of year, bristling with flora and fauna in the spring and summer and offering the cosiest escape with roaring fires in winter. As they sprawl over a large area and the hotel is made up of various buildings (the main hotel, the spa, a kid’s club, various cottages and a separate restaurant), the team are always on hand with a nifty buggy to whizz you from location to location, which only adds to the fun of a stay here. As you’d expect, the service is impeccable and any wish can be granted, from a lakeside private picnic to superlative massages on heated water beds (an innovation you never knew you needed until you try it). There’s plenty to do nearby in Windsor and beyond, but truly there is no need to leave Coworth Park once you land.

Beaverbrook

Conveniently located in the Surrey Hills, Beaverbrook’s main house has been beautifully restored with interiors by Susie Atkinson, and really gives the sense of what it might have been like to stay in one of these grand country houses in their heyday. It’s an extremely comfortable place to be, whether you’re warming up in front of the fire in the drawing room or enjoying a cocktail in the library. The spa and its now infamous colourful tiles and stained glass ceiling by the artist Brian Clarke, has become a destination in its own right, with indoor and outdoor pools and a brilliant programme of wellness activities. You can also stay (and eat) in the more ‘pub with rooms’ style Garden House, charmingly designed by Nicola Harding, at the stylish Coach House, or one of the estate cottages. Come for the day or spend a long weekend: mini-breaks don’t get much better than this.

Take a picturesque country pub, add to the mix a much-lauded chef, a talented up and coming interior designer, an experienced landscape gardener, and an owner/investor with deep pockets and a sizeable dose of London glamour and, more than likely, you’ll end with an establishment that can’t help but attract column inches across the media. Let’s start with the roll call of characters involved. First up is Margot Henderson, chef, cookery writer, co-patron of the Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch (one of the best restaurants in London), and key player on the London food scene alongside her husband Fergus Henderson of the brilliant St John restaurant in Spitalfields (and another). The two are keen advocates of nose-to-tail cookery (with cookbooks to prove it) whereby no part of an animal goes to waste. Next up is Frances Penn, daughter of acclaimed interior designer (and Somerset local) David Mlinaric, who more than proves the adage of apples never falling far from the tree. The palette range is simple but not bland; floors are wooden overlaid with rugs; curtains are hefty linens, sometimes striped or lightly patterned, sometimes plain; furniture, lighting and art are a carefully curated blend of antique and contemporary. Then comes landscape designer Libby Russell (also a local) whose pretty garden of hedging, lawn and flowering beds is small but mighty. And finally, we have the owner, Max Wigram, former London gallerist who has a second home nearby, which he shares with his wife, fashion designer Phoebe Philo. The old, flag-stoned bar, now linked with the dining room by a central wood-burning stove is a convivial space for the consumption of meaty bits and piggy bits, local veg (largely provided by ‘no-dig’ pioneer, Charles Dowding), sourdough and cheese from the fabulous nearby Westcombe Dairy, and all sorts of Somerset ales and ciders.

Adam Lynk

For those looking for contemporary comfort combined with city history, you won’t be able to do better in Oxford than The Store. Design-wise, The Store is smart and modern, with plenty of on-trend details, from the velvet-upholstered headboards to the reeded joinery that pops up in rooms and public areas. It is bigger than you might expect for the centre of a small(ish) city, with 101 rooms across a long, sprawling site. The hotel’s drive for affordable luxury is reflected in the presence of a spa at the basement level, which features a sauna and steam room as well as a studio for yoga classes and treatment rooms for massages and beauty treatments in collaboration with Oskia. Locals also have plenty of reasons to visit, which gives the hotel a buzzing feel. There is a generous bar on the ground floor where people can meet for coffees, afternoon teas and drinks during the day and even hole up for a day’s remote working. The stylish rooftop bar on the fifth floor offers views up the famous Broad Street, where students and professors cycle ceaselessly.

Cliveden House, Berkshire

Over the course of its history, Cliveden has been a retreat for royals (Meghan, Duchess of Sussex stayed here on the eve of her wedding, and it’s said Queen Victoria was a bit of a fan back in the day, too) and the site of the scandalous Profumo affair in the 1960s. Built in 1666 by the Duke of Buckingham, the Grade I-listed manor is a good schooling in eccentric, over-the-top English decoration. Think rooms clad with tapestries, the odd bit of armour, a winding Gothic Revival mahogany staircase, a palatial dining room lit by glittering chandeliers, a mammoth lawn, heavy drapes, handmade beds and intricate wallpapers. There’s also a knockout spa (the OTO CBD treatments are simply divine), complete with indoor and outdoor pool and hot tubs ideal for your Instagram feed. The estate gardens stretch all the way down to the Thames where you can either unwind for a picnic or jump on a boat for a leisurely trip up the river to Windsor. It’s all a tad extravagant, but in the best way possible.

Astrid Templier

Newbury and Hungerford may not be destinations at the top of anyone’s travel wishlist but The Retreat at Elcot Park, a country hotel by the Signet Collection, makes them worth the visit. Zip down the M4 or hop on a train out of Paddington and you’ll soon be there, ready to enjoy colourful interiors, sweeping grounds and a small yet swish spa. There are two restaurants to dine at; one a modern brasserie and the other a pan Asian delight. Country pursuits come high on the agenda here, with fishing, horse racing, shooting, croquet and tennis all available, plus there are electric bikes you can borrow to whizz around.

Helen Cathcart

This New Forest-based hotel is at the limit of the two hour criteria, set right in the forest itself and surrounded by incredible walking paths. Each room even comes with handy laminated cards of all the walks, so you can never get lost and choose from short strolls or long treks. Whichever you choose, you’ll be welcomed back to perhaps the most cosseting surrounds imaginable, with beautiful, neat gardens, soaring ceilings, roaring fires and perhaps what Lime Wood could say is it’s USP: the food. The restaurant is run by Angela Murano so expect hearty but refined Italian fare in a lovely, light dining room that overlooks the gardens. There’s also a restaurant attached to the spa that serves raw and cured dishes, so it’s the place for a lighter lunch pre- or post-treatment. And a treatment, or at the very least a spa visit to take in the swimming pool and wonderful hydrotherapy pools and steam rooms is a must for any trip to Lime Wood. Between that and the food, it could almost be the perfect place.

Heckfield Place

If a serene, pared-back hotel interior that still packs plenty of charm is your bag, Heckfield Place is where to look. Thanks to an impeccably talented team of designers and architects, the uber classy Georgian country house is nothing short of spectacular with its sweeping 400-acre parkland views, cosy lounges, lazy-hazy summer corners and grand staircases. The bedrooms are simply gorgeous; expect comfy linens, vintage photos, bespoke minibars, English oak floors, handcrafted furniture and plenty of little curios. Two restaurants overseen by seasonal-eating pioneer Skye Gyngell provide all the sustenance with produce sourced direct from the hotel’s biodynamic farm on the estate. It all sounds frightfully classic and traditional through and through but, thankfully, Heckfield prides itself on a fuss-free ethos that’s far from stuffy, pompous or intimidating.

For a seaside trip within the two hour mark, Margate is hard to beat. There’s art (the Tate), excellent restaurants (try Sargasso and Angela’s) and lovely shops abound. As for where to stay, Margate House is a destination in its own right and the interiors are warm and welcoming, with a cosy salmon-painted sitting room on entrance typical of a Victorian home, but with a modern spin: boucle upholstered deep armchairs are paired with a dusty pink velvet sofa and travertine coffee table in front of an exposed brick chimney breast. High-impact shades of pink adorn the walls of the rooms and common areas, each custom-made. ’Staying here feels more like spending the night in the home of a close friend, with the owner often hosting afternoon rounds of orange wine or evening gatherings with guests in the sitting and dining area. It is intimate, friendly and familiar – yet stylish without a hint of pretension. Commonly called ‘Hackney-on-Sea’ due to the influx of emigres out of East London to this patch of the Kentish coast, the opening of Margate House offers a smart boutique post for creative weekenders.

Helen Cathcart

The Grove is a go-to for Londoners looking for the country house experience, without having to travel far. You can even get to this Hertfordshire hotel via public transport, and a short taxi ride. It’s a sprawling red brick mansion outside Watford, set amongst lush green rolling fields, a golf course and endlessly tranquil vistas. Most recently, the suites have undergone a slick transformation at the hands of Martin Hulbert Design, upping the ante of this popular haunt even more. Expect to find bedrooms you’ll have to tear yourself away from, with four poster beds swathed in airy linen curtains, roll top baths that take in the sweeping countryside views and the finest fabrics. Of course, there’s a spa too, outdoor swimming pool and the hotel caters to families brilliantly.

Mark Anthony Fox

Part-hotel, part-members club, Estelle Manor is the latest project of hotelier Sharan Pasricha, the man behind the Hoxton Hotels, Gleneagles and discreet members club Maison Estelle in Mayfair. Having conquered the London and Scotland hotel scenes, he set his sights on Oxfordshire and took over Eynsham Hall, transforming it into a country house hotel in impeccable style and adding in the private members’ club element. The rooms are sleek and smart but punctuated with inky colours that make the hotel feel homely and warm. There’s a walled garden, outdoor swimming pool, Roman-inspired spa and choice of accommodation between the main manor house, woodland cottages, walled garden cottages and a collection of houses for groups. Members get access to a larger clutch of uber-private bars and restaurants beyond those of the hotel itself.

Mark Anthony Fox

Boys Hall, Kent

Upon the rather convenient arrival to Ashford – a 40-minute train journey from London’s Kings Cross – it is only a quick 10 minute taxi to reach the grand Wealden hall style manor held up by timber frames and surrounded by three acres of informal gardens. A warm glow radiates through the mullioned windows, breaking the grey fog of a winter’s dusk on my arrival and inviting you inside for a fine tipple and hearty meal by the warmth of a large open fire. Stories from the building’s over 400 years of history can almost be heard through the walls (it is even speculated that Charles I stayed here while hiding from Oliver Cromwell).

Read the full Boys Hall review