Four Seasons Hotel, Hook, Hampshire

The house sits in Dogmersfield Park, as it has done for centuries (it is mentioned in the Doomsday book of 1086). The estate is bordered by the Basingstoke canal and has its own lake and pond, along with ancient oak and fir trees. Basingstoke is just a 15-minute drive as is Farnham Maltings arts centre, while it will take less than half an hour to get to Jane Austen's House at Chawton.

By car: 50 minutes from Southampton, 1 hour 40 minutes from London. Just over an hour from Oxford and just over 2 hours from Birmingham. Free, accessible parking and electronic car parking is available on site.

By train: Hook, Winchfield and Fleet stations are a 10-minute drive from the hotel, with services from Basingstoke (10 minutes), London Waterloo (1 hour) and Portsmouth Harbour (1 hour 30 minutes). Book trains.

The original Georgian mansion has been restored and sensitively extended by Four Seasons. Sit in front of the roaring fire in reception to remove your wellies and relax in either the oak-panelled lounge full of period style or the hipster bar, with leaf wallpaper, velvet armchairs and standard lamps. Barbour-wearing door attendants add to the country-house feel.

Service is exceptional, from the first greeting by door attendants to finding your clothes have been folded and hung up at turndown. Facilities are wide-ranging with outdoor pursuits such as clay pigeon shooting, fly fishing, bird watching and horse riding (borrow a jacket and wellies), an indoor pool, thermal suite and spa.

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Outdoor pool
• Indoor pool
• Thermal suite
• Spa
• Kids club
• Family activities
• Family-friendly
• Pet-friendly

The décor of the rooms is less memorable than in the public areas, with an old fashioned, country house style that is in keeping with the period of the property, but doesn't have the 'wow' factor. Marble bathrooms are spacious and well-equipped, and coffee machines and minibars are in all room categories.

Room types: Manor, Grand Manor, Heritage, Garden and Mews Rooms, Suites, Speciality Suites

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom, luxury bath products, daily newspaper, 24-hour in-room dining, safe, ironing facilities, Wi-Fi

The modern British menu is executed by an Italian chef and so has latinate flourishes. Melting burrata from Puglia, cavatelli with Devon crab and a vegetarian risotto with cheddar cheese and caramelised onion broth are among dishes such as wild Nordic Skrei cod with smoked potato veloute and chicken with foie gras.

Wild Carrot: Chic brasserie-style restaurant. Seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mains from £16.

Café Santé: Bright, airy glasshouse setting overlooking spa and grounds. Relaxed, healthy.