Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire

_Location: The hotel is in the beautiful village of Great Milton in Oxfordshire.

_{First impressions:}We arrived in the dark, which actually made the approach to the 15th-century manor house a little more exciting. From the moment we walked in, everyone was extremely helpful and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The room was as beautiful as one would expect from a hotel with such a fine reputation. We expected the beds to be incredible, the decor exquisite and the bathrooms beautiful, and they were. But oddly enough, it was an old-fashioned touch that most impressed us in our deluxe junior suite: a ready-laid fire.

This is not something you see in modern hotels, and lighting it minutes after arrival felt like serious luxury.

_{The facts:}Raymond Blanc created Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in 1984, and it’s the only hotel restaurant to have held two Michelin stars for more than30 years. There are 32 rooms and suites, all different. Four rooms in particular are quite extraordinary: Blanc de Blanc, Lace, L’Orangerie and Jade.If your celebrating a special occasion, these rooms are a perfect excuse tosplash out, and they’re certainly worth it.

_{A good base for:}Once you arrive in this beautiful corner of Oxfordshire, there’s little reasonto leave the grounds. Lawns, flowers, a water garden and orchards (there are 11garden spaces to explore) provide plenty of scope for great walks. The hoteloffers daily tours if you’d like to learn more about the flora. You can alsowalk around the vegetable and herb gardens, which is where the incredibly fresh produce served in the restaurant is grown. It supplies an astonishing 90 types of vegetables to the kitchen from late spring to autumn. For thosekeen to pick up a few culinary tricks, there is the on-site Raymond Blanc Cookery School. But if the trip is all about relaxation, then head to the spa.The hotel is well set up for families too, with outdoor games such as boulesand croquet, children’s bathrobes, bicycles and babysitting services, plus delicious child-friendly menus.

_Wow: The food wastruly incredible and the service the best we had ever had. The knowledge levels of the restaurant staff added to ourenjoyment. Whether you choose a five-course lunch or dinner, seven- courselunch or dinner, à la carte or the vegetarian menu, a true treat is in store.

EMMA BLACK