Ellenborough Park Hotel

Cheltenham, England

The original dark wood-panelled dining room; the majestic great hall overseen by a minstrels’ gallery (a cosy balcony, also ideal for post- dinner single malts); and the Cotswold stone that’s the literal building blocks of the property – there’s history in every nook of this 15th-century Cheltenham manor house. Located right on the doorstep of the town’s racecourse, there’s more than a lick of equestrian paint throughout the 61-room hotel. It’s evident in the art on the walls, sculpture in the gardens, and even the name of the all-day brasserie, The Horse Box, which does a decent three-course set lunch for £24 in case you’re hungry enough to eat a whole one. But when it comes to the modern trimmings you want from a hotel in this bracket, it delivers. The spa, the rooms (varying from oak-clad classics to white modern simplicity), the outdoor pool and fitness centre and the service are all proof that Ellenborough Park doesn’t rest on its 15th-century laurels.

Doubles from £121. ellenboroughpark.com