Babington House

Hip London club meets Georgian house and super spa in Somerset countryside

First impressions arriving at the end of the long driveway: "We'll need to come back here again". This is a beautiful Georgian house with 32 well-designed and very comfy rooms, in rolling countryside with an award-winning spa. It's owned by London's Soho House; there's a vibrant media flavour in the restaurant and bars. You'll want for nothing - probably because many who stay expect it all: spa, lake, croquet, tennis, swimming pools, an immaculate walled herb garden; even a 45-seat cinema where you can see pre-release screenings.

Expect deep leather sofas, fireplaces, a relaxing library and study. Decor crosses traditional English with rustic chic - the sort that weathers well. This is a benchmark for how to balance old and new. Despite its more glitzy side (there's a glam bar, the odd crystal chandelier and occasional svelte customer) it's great for kids. There's a deliberate aversion to formality. Drink where you like, dress up, dress down, get on down. From the moment they whisk your bags away and park your car, you know it's a well-oiled machine. Service does not falter. Nobody does it better.

Highs

• Superbly styled bedrooms in a friendly country house setting
• 2009 Tatler Spa of the year with exceptional treatments and fabulous indoor and outdoor heated pools
• Acres of outside space to roam
• Pretty conservtory dining room with informal yet highly effective service
• Child friendly: kids have a 2-storey creche and there are child menus, but families are normally restricted to the Stable Block
• Mobile phones discouraged in communal rooms

Lows

• Can get busy at weekends: Soho House members often come for the day with their kids
• Gets booked up long in advance for weekends and holidays, especially in family Stable Block rooms
• Costs can mount up (breakfast not usually included in rate)
• Tricky to find first time as they avoid displaying roadside signs
• If you'd prefer not to bump into well-known faces, this may not be the place for you