Tylney Hall Hotel, Hook, Hampshire

Situated between the villages of Rotherwick and Newnham, Tylney Hall occupies 66 acres just a 15-minute drive from the centre of Basingstoke and a few minutes from Junction 5 of the M3. Hook station is a ten-minute drive, which is an hour's train ride to Waterloo. The Bombay Sapphire distillery is a 30-minute drive, where you can find out how this English gin is made.

By car: Tylney Hall is just over an hour from London, 2 hours 15 mins from Birmingham and 1 hour 40 mins from Bristol. There is free parking at the hotel.

By train: London Waterloo to Hook takes around 1 hour. The hotel is a 10-minute taxi ride from the station. Book trains to Hook.

This is a wonderful Victorian building and the public rooms are resplendent with historical flourishes; marble fireplaces, walnut and oak panelling, library shelves of antique books, lofty ceilings and - in the Italian lounge - an ornate ceiling removed piece by piece from a Venetian palace.

There's five-star service at this four-star hotel with staff all suited and booted and ready to run out in the rain with an umbrella to help you from your car or deliver a coffee and cookie to your table by the fire. Indoor leisure facilities are a little tired, but an overhaul is planned.

• Restaurant
• Bar
• Gardens
• Lounge
• 2 swimming pools
• Spa
• Pets allowed
• Free parking
• Free Wi-Fi

Mansion suites make the most of the period proportions of the property with lofty ceilings, fireplaces and plenty of space. Standard rooms, though smaller, still enjoy large windows with period furniture and Molten Brown toiletries. Dog-friendly rooms form a crescent and open out onto a lawned garden.

Room types: Deluxe, Mansion Deluxe, Executive, Mansion Executive, Junior Suites, Mansion Junior Suites, Suites, Mansion Suites, Master Suites, State Suite

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom with Molten Brown toiletries, bathrobes, free Wi-Fi

Michael Lloyd is producing some wonderful food in the two AA-rosette Oak Room and the whole experience is refined, from delicate, flavoursome amuse bouches to meltingly tender cuts of meat and perfectly prepared fish. Elsewhere, afternoon teas and more relaxed lounge dining is popular, along with service by the pool.

The Oak Room Restaurant: 2 AA Rosette dining, modern European cuisine, seasonal menus, Sunday roasts. Open for lunch Weds-Sun and daily for dinner, 6-9pm. Mains from £22.