De Vere Beaumont Estate, Windsor, Berkshire

The hotel nestles at the heart of a 40-acre estate, replete with rambling lawns, bespoke sculptures, ivy-clad walls and trickling fountains. Accommodation is spread quite widely across this area - bear in mind it might be a bit of a walk from the car park to your room. Location is certainly the trump card for this hotel: Windsor, Legoland, Thorpe Park and Ascot are all within a 15-minute drive. Depending on the traffic, it's a ten-minute drive to Heathrow Airport, too. If you're coming by public transport the nearest station is Egham, also a ten-minute cab ride away.

By car: the hotel is around one hour from London, 1 hour 15 mins from Oxford and and 2 hours 30 mins from Birmingham. There is free parking on-site.

By train: London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside takes 1 hour 5 mins. The hotel is a 10-minute drive from the station. Book trains to Windsor.

Architecturally the estate is a slightly awkward hotchpotch of styles: inside, however, the aesthetics are mostly classic with occasional offbeat twists - look out for stacked trunks and bookcases playing on the estate's heritage as a boarding school. The White House is the loveliest part of the hotel, with a sunny parlour and a swooping staircase.

A vast array of conference rooms can be found across the estate, including a 'Conference Village' near the entrance - admittedly the corporate feel here might put off some guests. The swimming pool is due to reopen after refurbishment in 2022: until then you'll find a gym as well as tennis courts in the grounds.

• Restaurant
• Bar
• Swimming pool
• Fitness centre
• Free parking
• Free Wi-Fi

There's a wide array of rooms to pick from - many refurbished in recent times with a muted grey colour scheme and plush fabrics. Guest Rooms are the humblest, Deluxe level up a notch with leather chairs and artworks centred on the stags of the Windsor Great Park. Suites are of course the grandest: expect Roberts Radios, Chesterfield sofas and freestanding baths.

Room types: Beaumont Place Guest Room, Mansion House Deluxe, Mansion House Suite

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom, free Wi-Fi

Dining options at the Beaumont Estate divide between the canteen-like Beaumont Restaurant (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner), and the smaller, more upmarket environs of the 1705 Restaurant and Bar; burgers, pizzas and brasserie staples form the mainstay of the menu in both spots. Be warned: service can be slow.

Beaumont Restaurant: buffet dining, open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mains from £14.

1705 Restaurant & Bar: brasserie-style, all-day dining. Mains from £14.