The Ashton

Rooms

Dramatic, huge and utterly comfortable: it’s hard to fault the 5 rooms that are spread over the hotels 3 floors. Colours are bold but natural – think moss, slate and silt – giving the rooms a cocoon-like feel, and beds have a sensuous mix of materials from silk bedspreads to suede bedheads and immaculately starched duvet and pillow covers. James admits that chairs are his obsession and funky chairs he’s unearthed over the years have been refurbished with fabrics that inject youthful colour and panache into the rooms. Look out for the quaint "conversation chair" in the vast Attic room, one of our favourites. The 3 Grand rooms are larger than the 2 Classics, but the latter are just as sumptuous and have views over the garden.

But it’s the bathrooms that take the prize. Tiled in black porcelain, with underfloor heating, no expense has been spared to achieve a look that’s downright upmarket. Classy REN toiletries and whiter than white bathrobes complete the picture. Choose the bathroom that suits your needs: the ground floor room, Chocolate, has both a shower and a roll top bath; while Plum upstairs, has a double shower. Some have no door between bedrooms and bathroom/loo, so if this is a problem ask for a room where bedroom and bathroom are clearly separated.