HAMPSHIRE & THE ISLE OF WIGHT
THE MONTAGU ARMS BEAULIEU, HAMPSHIRE
Combining all the attributes of a traditional country-house hotel – roaring log fires, oak panelling, pretty gardens and warm, comfortable bedrooms – with the pleasures of its picturesque village setting, The Montagu Arms makes an ideal base for a weekend away. Browse Beaulieu’s pretty high street, visit the National Motor Museum, take a riverside walk to Bucklers Hard or explore the surrounding New Forest. Back in the hotel, you’ll find a dark oak hall that contrasts with a light and bright cream-panelled sitting room, leading in turn to a sunny conservatory and flower-filled gardens. Upstairs, the bedrooms are either stylishly contemporary or charmingly traditional, some with four-posters. In the elegantly decorated Terrace restaurant, a treat is in store: the cuisine – sophisticated and unusual yet unpretentious – of chef Matthew Tomkinson. The excellent sommelier recommends imaginative and delicious wines. Matthew’s delicious pub grub is also served next door in convivial Monty’s Inn. CLAIM TO FAME... Eminent former guests include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Henry Irving and General Charles de Gaulle. Doubles from £149 +44 (0)1590 624467; montaguarmshotel.co.uk
NEW PARK MANOR BROCKENHURST, HAMPSHIRE
The 17th and 21st centuries fuse impeccably at this New Forest hotel, part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection. The manor was Charles II’s favourite hunting lodge and still has its original fireplaces, panelling and oak leaf-patterned doors, alongside all the contemporary comforts that you – or your children – could possibly need. The 25 bedrooms are divided between the manor and a modern wing, which also houses an indoor pool and award-winning spa. While you unwind here, babies and toddlers can be cared for in the crèche (two free hours are offered daily), and older children might watch a movie at the on-site cinema or play games in the extensive gardens. For active families, there’s an outdoor pool and plenty of walks and cycle trails through the surrounding forest. Take a picnic and make a day of it. The hotel provides all sorts of equipment, from bed guards to bottle warmers, and a listening service so that parents can enjoy a stress-free, grown-up dinner in the sophisticated Stag Restaurant. CLAIM TO FAME... New Park Manor is one of the only New Forest hotels to be set in the heart of the forest, at the end of a long private drive, with direct access to the surrounding woodland. Doubles from £115 +44 (0)1590 623467; newparkmanorhotel.co.uk 2018/19 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/GREAT-BRITISH-AND-IRISH-HOTELS | 81
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