Country house hotels
Looking for a rural retreat? Booking into the right hotel can turn a pleasurable holiday into a memory to treasure. Crisp linen sheets. A crackling log fire. Total relaxation. You'll find plenty of choice throughout Britain.
Rural retreat
Indulge in the high life of a past era: roaring fires, billiards rooms, rolling parkland and dressing for dinner. Cliveden (www.clivedenhouse.co.uk), with its whiff of 60s scandal, has to be the ultimate rural retreat - unashamed luxury overlooking the Thames.
Celebrity favourite
You can sample the lifestyle of a Scottish laird at Skibo Castle (www.carnegieclub.co.uk/). Exclusive and luxurious, with its own golf course, beauty spa and Victorian conservatory pool, it's easy to see why Madonna chose this venue for her wedding! Or, why not unwind at the luxurious Stoke Park Club (www.stokeparkclub.com/). If you are lucky, you might see the odd celebrity guests, as the club has previously been used for movies such as James Bond and Bridget Jones.
Cookery courses & countryside sports
If a break away means taking part in some activity, Swinton Park (www.swintonpark.com) may have the answer. Dating from the 17th century, Swinton Park, a luxury country hotel near Ripon in North Yorkshire, houses a cookery school in the 18th-century stable block. Those taking the course are encouraged to bring their partners to stay in the hotel where they can enjoy a programme of activities including golf, fishing, riding, shooting and falconry on the estate.