I’ve stayed in thousands of British hotels and this is my favourite, according to the Hotel Inspector – plus my other top picks in the UK, from country houses to a cosy pub

There are hotels, and then there are hotel resorts (or resort hotels), which offer everything you could possibly want without ever leaving the complex, and then some.

Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire clearly falls into the latter camp, with some 3,000 acres of beautiful Cotswolds parkland on its doorstep.

For those of us unaccustomed to opulence on every street corner, this extravagant project is the golden cookie. First there’s the long, sweeping driveway; then the cheerful youngsters in tweeds who insist on parking your car and carrying your luggage, after which a kind of welcoming committee makes it clear that it’s okay to feel okay.

The neo-Jacobean stately building (formerly the Eynsham Hall Hotel) was built in 1908 and has been a maternity hospital and police academy over the years.

Sharan Pasricha and his wife Eiesha, daughter of Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal, took over in 2017 and began welcoming guests late last year. But the vast Romanesque spa complex has just opened, plus paddle courts, a huge gym, axe throwing, archery, foraging, falconry, cycling and even mini electric Land Rovers for the kids, along with a kids’ club like those you might find in London’s Mayfair.

Something of a theme park you might think – but you’d be wrong. This is a multi-layered triumph with no expense spared. There are 108 rooms of varying shapes and sizes, some in the main building, others around the kitchen garden and in the converted stables.

Ours, overlooking the terrace (love the parasols) and heated pool, has a colonial feel, with a four-poster bed, club chairs and sofas, beautiful antiques and wood panelling. It’s probably the nicest room I’ve ever stayed in – and the marble bathroom isn’t bad either.

Soho Farmhouse is nearby and also has a members’ area, albeit a pricey one (£3,600 per year, with a £500 joining fee). For this you get access to a special members’ area, which includes a Japanese restaurant and its own lively bar.

We have an excellent meal in the Brasserie (we could also have chosen the Chinese restaurant or the Glasshouse in the middle of the vegetable garden), although my wife finds her steak a bit tough – until a waiter kindly points out that she is holding her knife with the blunt side down.

The lofty drawing room, which overlooks the library, is a sensual feast. The glamorous bar begs for a gimlet cocktail served in a beautiful glass. There’s striking modern art – and a general sense that the Pasrichas (who own the Gleneagles Resort in Scotland and the Hoxton Hotels) are setting a new benchmark for high-end hospitality.

It’s a given that deep pockets are required. Even if you stay (and aren’t a member) you have to pay £95 to enjoy a ‘thermal journey’ at the Romanesque Eynsham Baths, which has a huge tepidarium bathing hall and then a series of hot and (very) cold pools.

We stay as long as we can, finishing with a fantastic lunch at the Glasshouse. Driving back down the driveway and back to our normal lane will not be fun.

Double rooms from £450 b&b (estellemanor.com)

….and some other hotels in the UK that have been awarded the inspector’s five-star rating:

Narberth Forest, Molleston, Pembrokeshire

This fantastic family-run hotel is set in a dip behind a pond, surrounded by ancient woodland and cerulean hydrangeas. There are no ugly signs; no framed AA Rosette awards; no leaflets. Just a beautiful, slightly quirky house, parts of which can be traced back to the 14th century. The restaurant has a Michelin star.

Double from £201, grovenarberth.co.uk

The Nici, Bournemouth, Dorset

Miami Beach comes to Bournemouth in the form of this swanky £25 million hotel. Your spirits will soar as you step into the sunny Art Deco lobby, featuring palm-themed artwork and fun touches like a Playboy pinball machine and table football.

Opt for an ocean view room and don’t miss the basement spa. The outdoor pool, flanked by cabanas, high-end loungers and sunken fire pits, is as chic as anything Miami can offer.

Double rooms from £155, thenici.com

Wildhive Callow Hall, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Wildhive Callow Hall, on the edge of the Peak District, has been winning plaudits since it opened two years ago. And rightly so. It’s bang on trend, with Penny Morrison fabrics, Robert Kime wallpapers and Fermoie lampshades. The house dates back to the 1850s and the cedar tree by the front door is 800 years old. A fantastic glass box at the back of the building houses the bar and restaurant.

Double from £224, wildhive.nl

The Olive Branch, Clipsham, Rutland

Ben Jones, who worked at both Hambleton Hall and Gravetye Manor, bought this closed pub in 1999 and then acquired the pretty little house opposite, which now has six bedrooms. The atmosphere is welcoming (Ben’s father used to be in the antiques business), the food is delicious. A perfect place to stay. Great value for money.

Double rooms from £175, theolivebranchpub.com

The Bell, Charlbury, Oxfordshire

It’s easy to sneer at Lord and Lady Bamford’s growing Daylesford empire, but this recently revamped 12-room pub won’t disappoint. Every nook and cranny works. There are at least three roaring fireplaces; the wood-paneled walls and artwork (including a dried flower and herb wall) create a sense of community; the staff are all friendly. The food is fantastic.

Double from £176, thebellatcharlbury.com

Lime Tree Hotel, Ebury St, London

This exceptional B&B in a double-fronted Belgravia house is one of London’s best-kept secrets. There are 27 rooms, all renovated in the last three years.

It has a private country house feel, with soft sofas, bright cushions and a pretty walled garden. The only thing missing is a golden retriever sprawled across the hall. Breakfast is served in the Buttery next door, where residents get a 10 percent discount.

Double rooms from £220, limetreehotel.co.uk

Grantley Hall, Ripon, Yorkshire

This is an ongoing development of such opulence (reportedly £100m) that house prices in the area have apparently risen by 20 per cent. It’s flash, with five restaurants, including Shaun Rankin’s Michelin-starred outlet; a nightclub; the poshest gym (plus an underwater treadmill); a cryotherapy chamber; a motorsport simulator; a lifestyle consultant; an indoor/outdoor pool at the Three Graces Spa; a ‘snow room’; a gift shop; a Japanese garden, and so on.

Doubles from £500, grantleyhall.co.uk

The Village Pub, Barnsley, Gloucestershire

The latest venture from The Pig Group — and it’s a charmer. There are just six rooms (only one has a bath). It has lovely antique and quirky furnishings, with three fireplaces, plus some outdoor dining space. Note the high wooden bench at a table set for six. Lovely staff. Excellent food.

Double rooms from £215 B&B, thepighotel.com

Location on the dam, Porlock Weir, Somerset

There are just four rooms, three of which face the sea. The building is set back from the main road, which draws visitors all summer. It was bought six years ago by a former Italian city trader and his designer partner. Dinner is the big deal — fresh, creative and beautifully presented.

Double rooms from £225, locandaontheweir.co.uk

Roxburghe Castle, Kelso, Scotland

It looks like Balmoral from the outside, but with a huge newly built spa at the back of the building. It was once owned by the Duke of Roxburghe before being sold to a German company.

Stunning rooms with high ceilings, antique furniture and two restaurants. According to locals, around £50 million has been invested in this Scottish Borders resort hotel. It shows.

Double from £194, schlosshotel-roxburghe.com

The Bottle & Glass Inn, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

This is a tiny thatched pub in the Chiltern Hills, which has been extended to create a large dining area and three rooms in an adjoining building. You come here for the atmosphere and the food. And it’s great value for money.

Double rooms from £120, bottleandglassinn.com

Middleton Lodge, Richmond, Yorkshire

A Georgian house designed by John Carr is the centrepiece, but there are rooms spread across the converted stables, dairy, orchard and walled garden. You’re minutes from the A1(M) at Scotch Corner, but it feels like Provence.

The staff are cheerful; the food is all locally sourced; the wines are carefully chosen and reasonably priced. Some rooms have their own wood-burning stoves. Take a stroll in the gardens before you leave.

Double rooms from £245 b&b, middletonlodge.co.uk

The Lamb Inn, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire

Arriving here amid the chatter of happy guests scattered across the nooks and crannies, with flagstone floors, a creaking bar and five understated rooms, is a life-enhancing experience. And good value for money, too. Two thirty-somethings, Peter and Tom, run the place and offer a fantastic menu (don’t miss the anchovy toast). Antique furniture and sumptuous linen await when it’s time to say goodnight.

Double rooms from £99, thelambshipton.com

Boys’ Hall, Ashford, Kent

It’s not the most salubrious of places, but once you’re inside this fantastic Jacobean house (built by Thomas and Margaret Boys in 1616) all is well.

Rooms are large and tasteful, some with freestanding baths. The restaurant is a barn-like conversion at the back with a large open fireplace. There are no TVs, except one in the pub, tucked away in the main hall.

There are currently seven rooms, but more are planned, some in garden lodges.

Double rooms from £180, boys-hal.com

Trewornan Manor, Wadebridge, Cornwall

Situated close to the spectacular North Cornwall coastline, this Grade II listed country house was in a dire state when the owners bought it in 2014.

Today it is a great B&B, with a generosity of spirit (free cakes with tea), honesty bar and 25 acres of grounds. All the rooms are named after beaches in the area. Not cheap, but always cheerful.

Double rooms from £180, trewornanmanor.co.uk