Where the travel experts pay to stay

James Lohan, founder, Mr & Mrs Smith
UK Lime Wood, Hampshire
“It has the best beds I’ve slept in, and my wife cannot get enough of the spa. What’s more, it’s within two hours’ drive of London in the peace and quiet of the New Forest. The countryside-to-table restaurant, Hartnett Holder & Co, is excellent too.”
Abroad Soneva Fushi, Maldives
“Perfection is a much-abused word in travel, but this lavish Maldivian resort lives up to it. Its commitment to sustainability and to supporting the area’s community is outstanding: local staff are your hosts and the perfect-for-families villas are designed to blend into the surroundings. You’re spoilt rotten too, whether you’re indulging at the treetop restaurant, the Six Senses Spa or helping yourself to the treats in the chocolate room. There’s also a reef for world-class snorkelling and an observatory.”
Details One night room-only at Lime Wood costs from £330 (02380 287177, limewoodhotel.co.uk). One night’s room-only at Soneva Fushi costs from £825 (relaischateaux.com)

Nick Jones, founder of Soho House
UK Gleneagles in Scotland
“My choices aren’t always original, but they’re classics. This is an old-school hit that has recently been redone by Ennismore — the people behind the Hoxton hotels. They’ve got a great little French brasserie, which does a brilliant BLT; the food is really good.”
Abroad The NoMad in New York
“This hotel belongs to Andrew Zobler, our partner in the Ned. The French-American dishes are delicious, especially its famous chicken. If I’m not staying at Soho House New York, I’ll be here or at the Carlyle.”
Details One night’s B&B at Gleneagles costs from £265 (01764 662231, gleneagles.com). One night room-only at the NoMad costs from £200 (00 1 347 472 5619, thenomadhotel.com)

Masseria Il Frantoio in Puglia, Italy

Alastair Sawday, founder, Sawday’s
UK Langar Hall, near Nottingham
“It is a fine example of a beautiful country house hotel: homely and grand, and immensely friendly.”
Abroad Masseria Il Frantoio, Puglia, Italy
“It’s an organic family farm with enough rooms to be a hotel, food straight from the farm and a joyousness that is transforming for all who stay.”
Details One night’s B&B at Langar Hall costs from £100 (01949 860559, langarhall.com). One night’s B&B at Masseria Il Frantoio is from €120 (00 39 3804 329301, masseriailfrantoio.it)

Lime Wood in Hampshire

ADRIAN HOUSTON

Robin Hutson, hotelier, Lime Wood and The Pig
UK Babington House in Somerset
“It’s the intelligent luxury without pomp and ceremony that draws me back time and time again.”
Abroad Gili Lankanfushi, the Maldives
“This place stands out, because it’s about as perfect as it gets. The hotel is barefoot elegance at its best.”
Details One night room only at Babington House costs from £240 (01373 812266, babingtonhouse.co.uk). One night’s B&B at Gili Lankanfushi costs from £930 (00 960 6640304, gili-lankanfushi.com)

Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman

Giles Coren, Times restaurant critic
UK Babington House, Somerset
“This is one of the only truly family-friendly hotels in Britain where the whole family can all sleep and live together, and the food is the type of thing that we all want to eat. Aside from work, I never go anywhere without my children, so any hotel that does not put them first is of absolutely no use to me.”
Abroad Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman
“It’s Babington-by-the-sea in a hot country. Properly relaxed, top-class casual eating, mostly English upper middle classes. Very few ghastly Russians.”
Details One night room-only at Babington costs from £240 (01373 812266, babingtonhouse.co.uk). One night room-only at Zighy Bay costs from £500 (00 968 2673 5888, sixsenses.com). Giles Coren presents Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby on BBC Two. Series two starts in early 2018

Michael Achenbaum, hotelier, the Curtain
UK The Pig on the Beach, Studland, Dorset
“It’s a great British hotel that has fantastic food — all locally sourced — and thoughtful service in a beautiful part of the country. I love the wild beaches, and always return to London feeling restored.”
Abroad The Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawaii
“I stayed here just before opening my first hotel and it was an inspiration. The service and attention to detail continue to be something that I strive to match and, if I possibly can, exceed. It’s amazing.”
Details One night room-only at the Pig costs from £175 (01929 450288, thepighotel.com). One night room-only at the Four Seasons costs from £600 (00 1 808 3258000, fourseasons.com)

Gregg Wallace, MasterChef judge
UK The Waterside Inn, Bray, Berkshire
“It has lovely rooms, an incredible setting, and is so romantic. The restaurant has had three Michelin stars for ever and they make the best cocktails in the world. Everything’s is absolutely exquisite.”
Abroad The Hotel Splendido Mare, Portofino
“The main Hotel Splendido is a mile up the hill, and the Splendido Mare is its cute little sister on the quayside. It’s so refined and in such a beautiful spot.”
Details One night’s B&B at the Waterside Inn costs from £255 (waterside-inn.co.uk). One night’s B&B at the Splendido Mare costs from €690 (00 39 0185 267801, belmond.com)

James Palmer-Tomkinson, owner, PT ski
UK Four Seasons Hotel, Hampshire
“I spend much of the winter in the Alps looking after our guests, so when I’m back in the UK we always go here to recharge our batteries. It’s comfortable, luxurious and has impeccable service. The spa, which is stunning, is a highlight for my wife.”
Abroad The Dev Shree, Rajasthan
“Although it’s very luxurious, it is the way that the owners, who are local aristocracy, make you feel like private guests. Taking us on an evening drive through the villages, culminating in sundowners by the lake, was the highlight of our trip to India.”
Details One night’s B&B at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire costs from £255 (fourseasons.com). One night’s B&B at Dev Shree costs from about £250 (devshreedeogarh.com)

Raymond Blanc, chef and hotelier
UK Lympstone Manor, Devon
“This place has been transformed by Michael Caines; he has carefully restored the beautiful Georgian house, turning it into a tranquil retreat. The estuary views and peaceful countryside are breathtaking. It is a great joy to see one of my chef protégés go on to fulfil their dreams.”
Abroad The Ritz, Paris
“It’s an iconic hotel, full of grandeur, romance and history — and it’s right in the heart of one of my favourite cities. The staff are so gracious and welcoming.”
Details One night’s B&B at Lympstone Manor costs from £305 (01395 202040, lympstonemanor.co.uk). One night room-only at the Ritz Paris costs from £763 (00 33 1 43 16 30 30, ritzparis.com)

Kit Kemp, co-founder, Firmdale Hotels
UK The East End Arms, the New Forest
“It is a local pub that has not been tampered with. Locals who come to play darts mix with the flapping-trousered sailing enthusiasts. Meanwhile, a donkey is in the garden looking very interested in the ploughman’s lunches being served.”
Abroad Hôtel du Palais, Biarritz
“We go every year for a week. I love its old-fashioned scale and grandness. Having breakfast in the Hôtel du Palais feels like being safely on the bridge of the Titanic with the waves of the Atlantic breaking over the clifftop and the lighthouse bravely flashing in the distance.”
Details One night’s B&B at the East End Arms costs from £110 (01590 626223, eastendarms.co.uk). One night room-only at the Hôtel du Palais costs from about £310 (00 33 5 59 41 64 00, hotel-du-palais.com)

Joel Cadbury, owner, Bel & The Dragon country inns
UK Blakes, Chelsea, London
“It is very difficult to be objective about a UK hotel at the moment because we have just opened our own in Surrey. If I had to pick another on English soil, I think that it would have to be Blakes. My wife and I spent our wedding night there and, even after all these years, the creative genius of Anouska Hempel remains without equal.”
Abroad The Cuq en Terrasses, southwest France
“A stunning little countryside hotel between Toulouse and Carcassonne in France, the Cuq en Terrasses is open for six months of the year. It has a handful of bedrooms and a superb restaurant in what I believe to be the most beautiful countryside in Europe.”
Details One night’s B&B at Blakes costs from £340 (blakeshotels.com). One night room only at the Cuq en Terrasses costs from €85 (00 33 5 63 82 54 00, sawdays.co.uk)

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire

PAUL WILKINSON

Michael Caines, chef and hotelier
UK Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire
“This is my all-time favourite for its blend of luxury, picturesque setting, hospitality and wonderful food and service. It offers a fantastic guest experience all round; Raymond Blanc is a true pioneer of country house hotels.”
Abroad The Royal Palm in Mauritius
“There’s an idyllic beach and excellent dining. It’s a slice of paradise with outstanding service — and is very family-friendly too.”
Details One night room-only at Le Manoir costs from £545 (01844 278881, manoir.com). One night room-only at the Royal Palm costs from £676 (00 230 209 8300, royalpalm-hotels.com)

The Pig Hotel in Brockenhurst

Laila Ram, co-founder, i-escape
UK The Pig in Brockenhurst, Hampshire
“It has delicious fresh food, all home-grown, foraged or sourced locally. There are cosy lounges with crackling fires, massage rooms, and 26 beautiful rooms with monsoon showers. It’s perfect for couples, but we take our kids, who love romping around the New Forest.”
Abroad The Mudhouse, Sri Lanka
“It’s a cluster of thatched open-sided huts in a secluded jungle wetland where you can lie back in a hammock and listen to birdsong. Our children loved swimming in the lake and spotting elephants. Dinner is served under the stars and there are firepits outside every hut.”
Details One night’s room-only stay at the Pig in Brockenhurst is from £155 (thepighotel.com). One night’s full board at the Mudhouse costs from £260 (themudhouse.lk)

Gerard Basset, co-founder, Hotel du Vin
UK The Waterside Inn, Bray, Berkshire
“Of course I love Michel Roux’s restaurant, but we also like the way the whole place is run. Diego Masciaga, the general manager, makes you feel so incredibly welcome. He’s so charming, always smiling — highly professional and funny. The bedrooms are very comfortable.”
Abroad Cliff Bay Hotel, Madeira
“This hotel is fabulous.There are two great swimming pools: one near the sea and one that’s half-in and half-outside. It’s unpretentious and I feel at home. We take a sea-view room and there’s always a glass of Madeira wine at sunset.”
Details One night’s B&B at the Waterside Inn costs from £255 (01628 620691, waterside-inn.co.uk). One night’s B&B at Cliff Bay costs from £120 (00 351 291 707 700, portobay.com)

Jane Knight, Times travel editor
UK Brimstone, the Langdale Estate, the Lake District
“One of the coolest hotels in Britain, Brimstone has uber-sexy rooms with lots of slate, wood, silver and purple furnishings. Spa suites have a spectacular bathroom area as well as a log fire, there are complimentary drinks and snacks in the reading room and you can borrow boots and waterproofs to explore the stunning scenery.”
Abroad Ikos Olivia, Halkidiki
“The place that really stands out for me — and my son — is Ikos. It’s all-inclusive, but don’t shudder when you read that; this is one of a new breed of all-inclusives, with meals in the handful of different restaurants overseen by Michelin-starred chefs, a dine-around programme in the village, and even Taittinger on tap if you opt for the complimentary champagne.”
Details One night’s B&B at Brimstone (015394 38062, brimstonehotel.co.uk) costs from £320. One night all-inclusive for three people sharing one room at the Ikos Olivia (00 30 237 309 5100, ikosresorts.com) costs from £533

Mark Smith, editor, seat61.com
UK The Caledonian Sleeper, London to Fort William
“OK, it’s not a conventional hotel; you check-in in central London and check out in the glorious West Highlands of Scotland. You spend your time eating haggis, neeps and tatties, tasting some of the 13 whiskies on the menu, spending a night snug in bed in your own room — and then waking the next morning to mountains, moss-covered oak trees, bubbling burns and stags bounding away from the train . . .”
Abroad The Hermitage Hotel, Jakarta
“This hotel is wonderful. Converted from a Dutch colonial telephone office built in 1943, it has been renovated in art deco style, with acres of white marble and great, friendly staff.”
Details The Caledonian Sleeper cost from £75 an adult one way (0330 0600500, sleeper.scot). One night’s B&B at the Hermitage costs from £124 (starwoodhotels.com)

Tony Wheeler, co-founder, Lonely Planet
UK Covent Garden Hotel, London
“There’s no point saving money on a London hotel. Forget it, cheap is cheap. This one isn’t cheap, but it does have great rooms, a great bar, great restaurant, great service and the three most important words: location, location, location.”
Abroad Poppies hotel, Kuta, Bali
“Thirty years ago this seemed like an extravagant luxury deep in the heart of crazy Kuta. Amazingly, one recent night on a quick transit from Heathrow to Komodo Island it was the same story: absolutely magic.”
Details One night’s B&B at Covent Garden Hotel costs from £360 (020 7806 1000, firmdalehotels.com). One night’s B&B at Poppies costs from £105 (00 62 361 75 1059, poppiesbali.com)

Caitlin Moran, Times columnist
UK The Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall
“It gets everything right. The hotel is on a wide surfers’ beach with its own surfing school, has a beautiful indoor infinity pool overlooking the bay, spa, guests’ dogs padding around, a Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen next door, and that difficult-to-pull-off thing of it being like your own home, but much, much better. The one thing that would hugely improve my quality of holiday life would be if they opened branches in Wales, Scotland and Sussex. Then I’d never have to spend another second wondering where to go on holiday. I’d just rotate around those for ever.”
Abroad The So-en ryokan in the Japanese Alps
“It’s where John Lennon wrote Beautiful Boy, and it’s of such an exquisite and otherworldly beauty that your brainwaves change the minute you step into it. Snowy mountains, delicate maples, hot springs, wild monkeys, fish speared on sticks and cooked over tiny fires in your private wooden booth. They dress you in mountain clothes, feed you bad-ass food and watch with delight as you lose your mind in chilled wonder. It’s like falling into the fairytale book you love most. Total magic.”
Details One night’s B&B at Watergate Bay costs from £190 (watergatebay.co.uk). One night’s half-board at So-en is from £266 (soene.com)

Levison Wood, adventurer
UK Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire
“The hotel is best known for its spectacular food, for which it has two Michelin stars. It’s also housed in stunning 15th-century buildings in quintessential English countryside; last time I was there, there were guests playing croquet on the lawn. I can get there from London in an hour, and it’s so calm.”
Abroad Amankora, Bhutan
“Some of the most stunning views I’ve seen were from my room here. In one glance I got rolling hills with a thick blanket of pine trees, thundering rivers cutting into deep valleys and the far-off peaks of the highest mountains in the word. It has also been designed with the minimalism typical of the Buddhist tradition.”
Details One night at Le Manoir, room only, costs from £545 (manoir.com). One room-only night at Amankora costs from £1,418 (0330 100 3180, mrandmrssmith.com)

Ken McCulloch, Malmaison and Dakota hotels
UK The Beaumont, London
“I have followed and admired the accomplishments of Jeremy King and Chris Corbin for years. They know how to create timeless classics and the Beaumont is no exception. It is delightful, charming and we love staying there.”
Abroad La Réserve, Paris
“As we arrived at the hotel, just off the Champs-Élysées, for our second visit, the doorman gave us a big smile and said, ‘Welcome back to your home from home. Welcome back to La Réserve.’ The amazing thing is, that is exactly how it felt.”
Details One night room-only at the Beaumont costs from about £360 (020 7499 1001, thebeaumont.com). One night’s B&B at La Réserve costs from £1,545 (mrandmrssmith.com)

Victoria Mather, Vanity Fair travel
UK The Goring, London
“This is one of the oldest family-owned hotels in London: Jeremy Goring shimmers in the lobby; a lady can confidently go there on her own without being mistaken for another sort of ‘lady’. The Queen does, the Queen Mother and Lady Thatcher did.”
Abroad Les Airelles in Courchevel, France
“This is the Heidi fantasy of a ski hotel: carved wood, blazing log fire, fairy lights sparkling in the snow in the garden, the best lunch, a marvellous restaurant.”
Details One night’s room only at the Goring costs from £615 (020 7396 9000, thegoring.com). One night’s half-board costs from £750 (airelles.fr)

Claire Wills, Cool Stays
UK Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds
“This country manor hotel gets laid-back luxury just right. C-Side spa is there, with two pools to choose from, grounds to stroll around, picnic hampers , a quirky cocktail bar and a fabulous restaurant.”
Abroad Ion Adventure Hotel, Iceland
“The hotel building used to be staff quarters for a local power plant and has been converted into a boutique spa hotel with thermal springs. It is surrounded by lava fields and a dormant volcano.”
Details One night room only at Cowley Manor costs from £195 (01242 870900, cowleymanor.com). One night room-only at Ion costs from £360 (ioniceland.is)

Pete Brown, beer expert and author
UK The Olive Branch pub, Rutland
“Hidden round a corner on the outskirts of Clipsham, a tiny village in Rutland, this pub with rooms — and an amazing restaurant — is the perfect hideaway when you need to de-stress.”
Abroad Fässla, Bamberg, Germany
“A brew pub with rooms. Bamberg is chock-full of the best brew pubs, and this one has great rooms above the cosy bars.”
Details One night’s B&B at the Olive Branch costs from £135 (01780 410355, theolivebranchpub.com). One night room-only at the Fässla costs from about £70 (faessla.de)

Francisca Kellett, Tatler travel editor
UK The Ham Yard Hotel, London
“The capital’s most joyful hotel, the Ham Yard has colourful rooms, funky art, a fragrant rooftop garden — with optional morning yoga — a sceney restaurant, and a vintage bowling alley in the basement.”
Abroad Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa
“A stylish lodge in a wild corner of the Western Cape, the Grootbos overlooks the vast, salt-washed arch of Walker Bay. You can whale-watch from your terrace, ride through fynbos-covered hills, drink awesome wines.”
Details One night room-only at the Ham Yard Hotel costs from £350 (020 3642 2000, firmdalehotels.com). One night room-only at Grootbos costs from about £530 (grootbos.com)