Cliveden, Berkshire
Ever since John Profumo first laid eyes on Christine Keeler as she basked in Cliveden’s pool, it’s been clear that this place was destined to be a favourite with country-house hotel lovers. A celebrated haunt of politicos and literati, this majestic neo-classical manor, with its air of faded grandeur, is the perfect setting for anyone looking for a traditional Christmas celebration with all the festive trimmings.
• CHRISTMAS EXTRAS: afternoon tea, mulled wine and carols, a champagne reception, four-course dinner and midnight mass followed by hot chocolate and stollen on Christmas Eve; breakfast, four-course festive lunch and buffet supper on Christmas Day; breakfast, treasure hunt, butler-guided house tour, afternoon tea buffet, champagne and canapé reception, three-course dinner and dancing into the early hours on Boxing Day; breakfast on 27 December. Three nights from £3,045 a couple
Ellenborough Park, Cotswolds
This Cheltenham charmer once lived life as a stately home – the kind with turrets and towers and Tudor accents and green, gorgeous grounds – but today, it’s open to all. The sports-loving hotel (overlooking Cheltenham Racecourse) has thoroughbred good looks, 90 gorgeous green acres of National Trust land, and a herd of indulgent extras (including a gym, outdoor pool and petite but perfectly formed spa). Then there’s the whisky-toting, cigar-selling Tudor Club bar and the impressive Great Hall, perfect for curling up in front of the fire with a mulled wine and mince pie.
• CHRISTMAS EXTRAS: afternoon tea, champagne and canapé reception, four-course dinner, mulled wine and mince pies on Christmas Eve; breakfast, champagne, traditional festive lunch and evening buffet on Christmas Day; breakfast on Boxing Day. Two nights from £1,360 a couple
Cotswolds House, Cotswolds
Your dream designer pad with all the mod cons in a breathtaking rural village setting. Chipping Campden is the stuff that tourist-board dreams are made of – ancient, higgledy-piggledy, low-lying buildings of beautiful yellow Cotswold stone. Each room at Cotswold House has its own USP, and comes equipped with a massive television, Bang & Olufsen entertainment centre, and one of the biggest and comfiest beds, ready for sleeping off a bit of holiday over-indulgence.
• CHRISTMAS EXTRAS: festive treats on arrival, gala dinner and reception on Christmas Eve; breakfast, five-course lunch and evening buffet on Christmas Day; breakfast, falconry display, grand buffet dinner and race night on Boxing Day; breakfast on 27 December. Three nights from £2,040 a couple
Amberley Castle, West Sussex
Who wouldn’t want to wake up in a castle on Christmas Day? Glide up the gravel drive to Amberley, and you’ll feel suitably period-drama as you arrive at the main gates and portcullis. Even if –when it comes to hotel interiors – you support the modernist edict of ‘less is more’, you will be appeased by the historical Sussex setting, the good taste of the furnishings and the incredible South Downs grounds.
• CHRISTMAS EXTRAS: à la carte dinner and mass followed by mulled wine on Christmas Eve; breakfast and five-course traditional festive lunch on Christmas Day; breakfast on Boxing Day. Two nights from £1,765 a couple
Strattons, Norfolk
Tucked off the high street of the market town of Swaffham, this family-run hotel is a beautiful, Queen Anne, Palladian villa. Whether you’re in the mood for kitsch and contemporary or antiques and fabric-festooned decadence, each room is individually decorated with a unique theatrical flair. Not just a pretty face, the hotel has won awards for its restaurant and eco-policies, so you can also enjoy a guilt-free New Year’s celebration.
• CHRISTMAS EXTRAS: breakfast on both days; five-course tasting dinner on New Year’s Eve; three-course à la carte dinner on your other night; CoCoes sweet and savoury nibbles platter and tea or coffee on both days. Two nights from £660 a couple
The Cambrian, Switzerland
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Sleek, modern, and situated at the snowy heart of the Swiss Alps, The Cambrian is the perfect place for keen skiers and Alpine adventures to rest their heads – or to bask their way to bliss in the soul-soothing terrace hydrotherapy pool. With awe-inducing mountain views in every direction, you’re guaranteed seasonal snaps that your friends will actually want to see.
• CHRISTMAS EXTRAS: breakfast and access to the spa every day, a horse-drawn carriage trip followed by mulled wine on 22 or 23 December; Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Three nights from £846 a couple