Talk about the perfect weekend. First, a day of shopping in London’s Peter Jones and Harvey Nichols, followed by a catch up with a friend over sushi and Champagne and a night in boutique Beaverbrook Town House. Next, day, I was driven an hour south to Beaverbrook itself, the Surrey Hills country mansion that press baron Lord Beaverbrook called home. Here, amid 450 acres with deer-filled woods and a fishing lake, a sublime spa day awaited.
If you can’t decide between a town or a country break, why not combine both? An increasing number of British hotels now have sister properties allowing you to do just that. Here’s our pick of the best that combine both capital and the country.
THE SIGNET COLLECTION
THE MITRE, HAMPTON COURT, SURREY AND THE RETREAT AT ELCOT PARK, BERKSHIRE 70-MINUTE DRIVE
Town
The Mitre, Hampton Court, Surrey
The riverside setting and free parking might not give The Mitre the feel of a London hotel, but you can use your Oyster card to get here from Waterloo – it’s still within zone 6. Commissioned by Charles II to house overspill guests for Hampton Court Palace across the road, the hotel now includes free palace entry for its guests.
A relaxed riverside air pervades within, where you’ll find a complimentary tipple waiting at check-in, a retro jukebox in the library, and the choice of hiring a boat to explore the river or just sipping a drink on the terrace.
I could gaze at the views of The Thames from a window seat at the riverside rotunda for hours. The lower level houses the hotel’s atmospheric 1665 Brasserie (I recommend the teriyaki cauliflower popcorn and creamed wild mushroom pappardelle), while upstairs, the Boat House bar with a roof like a circus tent doubles as a breakfast venue.
Colourful bedrooms with opulent fabrics are squirrelled away down a warren of corridors. They’re all lovely, their pops of colour showcasing designer Nicola Harding
