Travel indulgence of the month
What's one of the best ways to indulge both yourself and your partner this summer? Book a long weekend break at one of the UK's gorgeous country house hotels. To give you some inspiration, here are three of our favourites - and the reasons we love them...
Stapleford Park, Leicestershire
We love it because... This stunning country house has just reopened following a multi-million-pound refurbishment. Esteemed design and fabric houses including Osborne & Little, Lorca and Nina Campbell helped create three sumptuous bedroom suites, while the public areas were given a fabulous facelift by interior designer Russell Sage. We also adore the spa and techno gymnasium, located inside an old Victorian stable block - but forget spending hours on the treadmill during your well-deserved time off, and hang out by the gorgeous pool instead.
Further information: Double rooms in June cost £295, including full English breakfast, newspapers and wireless internet access. To find out more, go to www.staplefordpark.com.
Stoke Park Club, Buckinghamshire
We love it because... This ultimate five-star retreat has just unveiled 28 new luxurious bedrooms, decked out with contemporary furniture, modern art from the likes of Andy Warhol and Robert Silvers, slim-line HD TVs, mood lighting, iPod docking stations, luxury mini bars and en-suite marble bathrooms with wet rooms and double-headed showers. Beyond the bedrooms, there's a £20m pool and spa, plus a 27-hole golf course.
Further information: Double room prices cost from £285 per night. To find out more, go to www.stokeparkclub.com.
Combe House, Devon
We love it because... It's just won a coveted Small Hotel of the Year Silver Award at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, the highest accolade in English tourism. The hotel restaurant was also recently awarded its second consecutive Michelin Rising Star for its fresh seasonal menus created by master chefs Hadleigh Barrett and Stuart Brown. The Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor is hidden on a secluded wooded estate where Arabian horses and pheasants roam freely. How romantic!
Further information: Prices start from £170 for a double room; a three-course dinner with canapés is £42 per person. To find out more, go to www.thishotel.com.
