Buckland Manor

Built in the yellow stone common to the Cotswolds, Buckland Manor is a grand country house that dates back to the 13th century. It's set in 10 acres of sprawling grounds, featuring a sunny patio that overlooks formal gardens with carefully manicured lawns, neatly arranged flower beds, and sculpted water features. Inside, the hotel has a few comfy lounges with great stone fireplaces, which are lit during winter, walls clad in wood panelling that has been dyed a rich tobacco color by years of aging, and an assortment of cozy sofas and armchairs in an old-fashioned but sophisticated style. The hotel owner’s handsome Labrador, Oscar, is found either hanging out here or prowling the grounds, generally to the delight of guests. The on-site restaurant might be too formal for some, a hushed and reverent space in a great arched hall, but its Michelin-starred chef makes it a memorable affair. Note that Sunday lunch and some dinner services require guests to wear jackets. The property attracts tourists -- primarily couples -- looking for a measure of splendid isolation in the English countryside.

Buckland Manor is rather isolated, despite being a six-minute drive from Broadway (or a 30-minute stroll through the English countryside) -- one of the bigger and more touristy towns in the Cotswolds. There are closer villages, including Buckland, just down the hotel’s long and snaking driveway. The hotel does benefit from not being closer to Broadway, which can quickly become overwhelmed with tour groups and coaches in the summer, and instead is a great base from which to explore the Cotswolds. The nearest train station is in Moreton-in-Marsh, a 20-minute drive away. From here, it’s a 90- to 100-minute journey to Paddington Station, in London. Expect transfers to Bristol Airport to take 90 to 100 minutes, while the journey to London Heathrow takes just over two hours by car.

Buckland Manor only has 15 rooms, each of them individually decorated, and they all look out over the hotel’s grounds through mullioned windows with thick leading. Decor throughout is elegant, with a mix of contemporary and antique furnishings, such as paisley-fabric headboards, wood-beam ceilings, red carpeting, and ceramic plates and vases. Classic Rooms, such as Rose, are the simplest, with a queen or king-sized bed, desk and an armchair, and modern bathroom with either a shower-tub combo or a bathtub and separate shower cubicle. Small Deluxe Rooms, such as Sophia, are larger, with king-sized beds. Deluxe Rooms are larger still, with couches and armchairs, and the Delaney room has a small, separate room with an antique writing desk, which can accommodate another bed. Huge Master Rooms have antique escritoires, couches and armchairs, wood panelling on the walls, and a fireplace. The Superior Four Poster Room has a queen-size bed and a fireplace with an electric stove. All rooms have free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, robes, slippers, and high-end toiletries.

Buckland Manor has relatively few amenities compared to some hotels of its standing -- it lacks a spa, pool, and gym. However, guests thoroughly appreciate what is on offer. The hotel makes great play of its restaurant, which offers a seven-course set menu dinner with locally sourced game, meat, and fish, and vegetables and herbs from the hotel’s own garden, as well as an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. For guests not looking for fine dining, the kitchen also does a less formal menu, served in the hotel lounges. Afternoon tea is popular, and can be taken in the gardens or the lounges. In the mornings, the hotel serves a free continental buffet breakfast supplemented by hot options from an a la carte menu. Hidden away in the 10 acres of grounds, which are beautiful in their own right, is a tennis court and lawn for croquet. The hotel has free Wi-Fi throughout.