Where is it? Cowley Manor is in the Cotswolds, a range of hills close to Cheltenham and Gloucester, 90 minutes' drive west of London. In the two years since opening, the property has established itself as a modern countryside retreat popular with celebrities and media and advertising types. Model Kate Moss is a big fan.
Classic or contemporary? An intriguing marriage of the two. From the outside, Cowley is an imposing manor house. Built about 1850, it bears a striking resemblance to Cliveden: celebrated architect Charles Barry's creation, which hosted the saucy goings-on in the hit 1989 film, Scandal. Inside, Cowley is all brightly coloured walls and up-to-the-minute designer furniture.
Tell us more: the house is set above a series of lakes, ponds and waterfalls. The surrounding 20-hectare gardens are protected by law and are said to have been where Lewis Carroll met the young Alice Liddell, around whom he based his story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Standing here, looking up at the majestic house, gives one the impression of having wandered onto a Merchant Ivory film set.
What are the rooms like? Strictly no chintz, antiques or faded portraits. The interior is like a contemporary furnishings store or gallery. Some of the bathrooms are cantilevered out of the walls and over the beds below. Others feature walk-through showers. All are decorated with modern, commissioned artworks and feature purple, red or green chaise longues. All rooms are equipped with Loewe televisions, Marantz DVD players and Nakamichi wall-mounted CD players.
What do we do there ... apart from stroll the grounds? If you don't have a group of mates dressed in whites, forget about Cowley's private cricket pitch and head to C-Side, the hotel's spa and pool enclosure. The spa's four treatment rooms use Michelle Roques-O'Neil products and complement the gym, sauna and steam room.
What's on the menu? The dining room and bar feature traditional wood-panelled walls decorated with quirky stuffed animals - more cartoon than Out of Africa. The unfussy modern British menu uses locally sourced seasonal ingredients and patrons are not looked down upon if they favour a mojito over a malbec with dinner.