The greeting we received at Whatley Manor country house hotel was refreshing. These were genuinely friendly, real people, not robots programmed to wish you a nice day.
Within the restored 19th-century manor, blending just as harmoniously into its Cotswold surroundings, that old-fashioned courtesy meets contemporary luxury seems to be part of Whatley's subtle mix of tradition and modernity. This was nicely captured in our suite when we opened the door of an antique, red-lacquered cabinet to find a Bang & Olufsen television inside.
With eight suites and 15 rooms, all including different levels of luxury, our views came through mullioned windows while the bathroom - the acid test for any hotel - was modern and gleaming.
Set in 12 acres of lush gardens, the grounds feature a butterfly garden and "hot garden" promising dark and sensual colours. And tucked away through the former stables courtyard, now redesigned with a trio of bronze donkeys, hides the Aquarias Spa. A large hydrotherapy pool bubbles at its heart, but there are many ways of being soothed or revitalised here, from a Dead Sea mud detox or a three-hour "Chakra Wellbeing" experience, complete with seven blends of essential oils.
For more indulgence, the restaurant is the domain of Michelin two-starred chef Martin Burge. There is also a brasserie, with a menu which draws inspiration from its Swiss owners, as well as cookery masterclasses which need to be booked well in advance.
Burge's pièce de résistance is a tasting menu of seven courses, each accompanied by a different sommelier-chosen wine (at a cool £116, plus £70 for wine). I confess I did baulk at cauliflower-flavoured ice cream, but this is undeniably fine dining and there is a vegetarian seven-course extravaganza.
And all this without considering the tempting location in the glorious Cotswolds, with the charms of Malmesbury and its seventh-century abbey and gardens up the road.
Of course, with such a magnificently appointed hotel, it is tempting not to venture far. The finishing touch? They even have space for your helicopter to land.
Rates: Rooms from £325, bed and breakfast. www.whatleymanor.com
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