Thirty Two

Rooms

The 4 bedrooms, all named after National Trust properties, are that perfect mix of gorgeous to look at yet comfy to live in. Hidcote faces the garden square in front; the others look out over neighbouring houses. All have kingsize or super-kingsize beds clad in 400-count Egyptian cotton (Hidcote and Stanway can be made up as twins), with plump goose-down duvets and pillows, squashy sofas or chairs, plasma TVs and DVD players. There are antique wardrobes, writing desks and lots of thoughtful details: coffee table books, free WiFi, iPod docks, a cafetière with ground coffee and fresh milk, tea, and good cookies.

Bathrooms are lovely, too: all have rain showers, and Hidcote, Stanway and The Suite have tubs. There are thick robes, piles of white towels and Penhaligon toiletries. Stanway's is an internal one (no window); Hidcote's is the nicest.

We stayed in Hidcote, to our mind the most beautiful room. Decorated in greys and pinks, it was feminine and classy. Oyster-coloured silk cushions adorned the bed and the wall was papered in a Cole & Son magnolia tree print. A dusky-rose sofa and chair faced the window and the glass coffee table complemented the bubble-glass bedside lamps. Everything was just so. Perhaps the best thing about this room was the bathroom. Double doors led into a sunny room with underfloor heating and a fireplace - very luxurious. A standalone tub sat at one end, and the big mirror was mist-free. There was also a large walk-in rain shower.

Stanway, next door to Hidcote on the top floor, has a much more exuberant colour scheme: oranges, burnt sienna, bronze and chocolate brown. It's striking and attractive, with nice touches including a stone Buddha, a pair of ceramic urns, and cream and orange striped cushions. A floor below is Snowshill, which has Cole & Son's “Hick’s Hexagon” wallpaper, a palette of subtle greens, golds and blacks, and a sunny ensuite bathroom with a big rain shower. It's the smallest room, but is still larger than most hotel rooms.

On the ground floor is masculine-chic The Suite, with a burgundy, brown and cream colour scheme, a marble wet room, a freestanding copper bathtub at the foot of the bed, and a sitting room with mid-century furniture.