Luxury in the trees
Chewton Glen, Hampshire
At various times in the past, Chewton Glen has been described as one of the finest hotels in the world. So why have they opted for treehouses?
Perhaps it’s because these are luxury treehouses that take woodland living to new heights. This is a place where Tarzan and Jane could get it together in style. Although the suites are not built in the branches, guests are surrounded by swaying trees that give the impression of being up high.
Forget any den you built in the woods as a teenager: the Chewton Glen experience is something special. These are permanent structures that have everything you need to woo a lover, icluding deep-pile carpets, a wood-burning stove, plus a sofa that is overloaded with moss-coloured cushions.
Outside, I relaxed on a suspended balcony that looks out across woodland. When the afternoon sun became too hot, I jumped into a private hot tub that is freshly filled every day.
The downstairs bedroom has ceiling-to-floor glass and is mated to a luxury bathroom, loaded with sweet-smelling toiletries and a shower large enough for a rugby team.
Hopefully, though, you’ll be with your chosen one and able to sink back on one of the recliners outside and admire the stars. In the morning, a breakfast hamper of goodies is posted through a hole in the wall.
Chewton Glen (treehouse rooms from £800 per night)
A bijou barn
Peasecroft, Coniston, Lake District
A romantic weekend in an old garage may not sound that appealing. However, tiny Peascroft has been imaginatively transformed by the Gorman Hext family into the ultimate, bijou love nest.
Perched on a hillside above Lake Coniston, this sweet, wooden shack dates back to the 1880s when it first housed a cart, then later the family Daimler, before ending up as a storage shed.
But instead of falling into decay, Peasecroft has been granted a new lease of life. Earlier this year it opened for the first time as a self-catering cabin for two, with every conceivable luxury.
When I pulled open the gable end doors it revealed an Aladdin’s cave in white. White hand-built day beds and sheepskins, white bed linen and even white fairy lights (just leave muddy boots outside on the mat).
Nestled under a rocky outcrop, with views over the town’s cricket pitch, it’s hard not to feel loved-up in Peasecroft. Squirrels leap around the orchard, sheep baa and I woke to the sound of a morning chorus.
Instead of walking the hills, I ended up toasting my toes by the fire, admiring the views and sipping on a glass of red. It wasn’t much of a struggle to climb the steep ladder up to the mezzanine level that houses a double bed and a stack of squidgy cushions.
I can’t think of a more romantic hideaway anywhere in the UK. Truly a place to melt hearts.
Peasecroft (from £795 per week)
Good therapy and great food
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Cumbria
Fine dining, sumptuous interiors and an unforgettable spa: Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is a hidden gem. The property also starred in BBC2’s excellent series Chefs On Trial.
The Cunliffe family run this Relais & Chateaux property with an intimate professionalism that is reflected in the staff employed there. Nothing is too much trouble, and everything is done with aplomb.
The main hotel features several intimate dining rooms, stunning views and food prepared by head chef Hrishikesh Desai, the winning cook in Chefs On Trial.
Many of the rooms have private hot tubs where you can sit, sip a glass of Champagne and watch the sun set over rocky crags.
However, Gilpin’s unique offering is the Lake House boutique spa, hidden in a peaceful valley a complementary drive away. There are six individual suites by the lakeside and an array of treatments to ease your stresses away.
Pool, hot-tub and sauna are shared but there is so much space at the Lake House you rarely see another person. There are hidden spots everywhere: try the Japanese Ofura Tub with its sensational views of distant peaks.
Gilpin is a hotel I yearn to return to. You could easily spend a week enjoying its many delights but, like all the best hotels, it’s made by its excellent staff.
The Gilpin (rooms from £295)
Luxurious love
Hotel 41, London
A button on the bedroom telephone at Hotel 41 is marked ‘whatever, whenever’. It could sum up the entire philosophy of this hidden gem, located in the heart of London by Buckingham Palace Mews.
Red Carnation is a small, upmarket hotel chain that dominates the top ten places to stay in London on Trip Advisor. If you want quintessential ‘English’ without the fuss, look no further.
The secret is exceptional staff who go the extra mile to make every guest feel at home. Hotel 41 is the chain’s most romantic hideaway – with one very exceptional room for lovers.
The Conservatory Suite allows you to cuddle up under a blanket of stars, thanks to a glass roof. All very lovely after a bottle of Champagne, but if you do want a lie-in in the morning, the electric blind comes in handy.
There’s a cosy open fire on the lower level of the suite, iPod docking station to set the mood and a double jacuzzi bath under a glass ceiling.
It’s unlikely you couldn’t woo your beloved in the Conservatory Suite but just in case, there’s a pop-up television too.
My favourite touch was anwelcoming letter before I arrived that gave me a choice of eight types of pillow. Lovers will be delighted to hear this incudes ‘anti-snore’ and aromatherapy.
Let staff know you are planning a romantic visit and they will scatter rose petals on the floor, light candles and provide a handy bottle of massage oil.
Hotel 41 (rooms from £347, conservatory suite £959)
Quintessential country house
Tylney Hall, Hampshire
The perfect place for those looking for a truly English experience; this Grade II listed hotel is set in 66 acres of manicured gardens, woodlands and lakes. The historic estate is ensconced in tradition and boasts a grand dining room, velvet-draped library and drinking lounge, a bright orangery and drawing rooms for afternoon tea.
You’ll find Tylney Hall Walking Guides in your room so you can work up an appetite before dinner in the panelled Oak Room where a pianist plays classic and contemporary numbers Wednesday to Sunday. There is a good and varied menu on offer and dishes come with a distinctly British twist and befit the four-star rating.
Many of the traditional mansion house rooms boast period features and provide excellent value when compared with the boutique hotels of Cornwall and Devon.
Around 50 minutes from London, Tylney is ideal for a quick country fix. Room sizes are capacious and you can feel like Lord and Lady of the Manor for a few days. There is a spa to soothe frazzled nerves and one of England’s prettiest heated outdoor pools (open from Easter).
Tylney Hall Hotel & Gardens (one-night stay from £250 per room)
Secluded hideaway
The Bakehouse, Purbeck, Dorset
This is a hidden gem for romantics (or Thomas Hardy fans, looking to roam the Dorset heathlands seeking inspiration). The Bakehouse lies at the end of a gravel track, surrounded by open fields and marshland.
It’s a perfect haven for birdwatchers, too, who visit one of the many hides that surround the cottage. The best viewing spot is just a minute’s walk from the property, with spectacular vistas across the coastal wetlands.
Even if you aren’t a proper ‘twitcher’ they’re a friendly bunch. We spent an hour observing herons, spoonbills and oyster catchers wading in the shallow water. A barn owl makes a regular appearance around 9pm in the summer months.
The Bakehouse has an enormous inglenook fireplace with a woodburner fully loaded and ready to light. Even in the summer, the thick walls of the 17th-century cottage mean that it’s cool enough to strike a match, before curling up on the sofa as the sun sets.
Walks and cycle routes criss-cross the area and there are fine views of Corfe Castle from a nearby hillock. Studland Beach is a short drive away, if you fancy a romantic strolls and sand between your toes.
The Bakehouse is a great place to get away from it all, forget the car and enjoy the splendour of Dorset on foot or bike.
National Trust Holidays (three-day break from £333)
Lake Vyrnwy Hotel, Oswestry, Shropshire
Why bother flying to romantic Lake Como when one of Europe’s most heart-warming hotel sunset view is from a balcony in north Wales? Lake Vyrnwy Hotel isn’t a five-star affair but it does offer spectacular views from almost every window. No level of luxurious pampering at more expensive venues can beat it.
The dam was flooded 120 years ago to provide a clean water supply for Liverpool. It’s rare for such a large-scale, man-made feature to enhance a location but that’s exactly what happened.
The west-facing hotel is perfectly situated for couples to sip on a glass of Champagne, watch the sky turn red and then gaze into each other’s eyes. One suite even has a double-ended bath overlooking the lake.
Lake Vyrnwy is also a hunting lodge and smacks of a bygone era, with stuffed animals and shooting paraphernalia lining the walls. The staff are welcoming not stuffy; Llion the barman is usually on hand to explain the wine list.
The restaurant does some things well – like rare beef sandwiches and a selection of artisan gins and beers – but most people go to Lake Vyrnwy for the view and Mother Nature has ensured that’s perfect. With a little help from the 1,000 men who dug the dam.
Lake Vyrnwy Hotel (lake view rooms from £134)