Where is it? This privately owned Hampshire hotel sits on the edge of England's New Forest. A 15-minute walk through the grounds, which sprawl over 54 hectares, brings you to the coast, from where there are views of the Solent and the Isle of Wight.
Luxurious or basic? Chewton Glen is the apogee of understated luxury. Want proof? The hotel was voted best in Britain in the 2005 Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards and the second-best hotel in the world. The staff are neither overfamiliar nor stuffy and the 25 suites and 35 rooms combine old-world taste with sleek gadgetry. The croquet lawn would make the groundsmen at Lord's Cricket Ground green with envy.
Who stays there? Britons predominate but the place is also a favourite of Swiss travellers, Americans and newly monied Russians, who sometimes drop in for up to a month. Weekend guests are youthful; the midweek crowd is older. Some visitors arrive in their own helicopter.
What's on the menu? The Marrayat restaurant's acclaimed dishes range from locally caught sea bass
to double-baked Emmental cheese souffle. A list of more than 500 wines includes several that would make even a hedge-fund manager blanche.
What else is there to do? Most guests don't want to leave the grounds. For those who do, there is shooting, trout fishing on the River Test and off-road motoring though the New Forest. The front desk can also organise a trip on a Sunseeker power boat or a yacht charter. The historic Beaulieu Estate and the National Motor Museum are a 30-minute drive away - perfect for those Ferrari-driving guests who want to learn more about their marque's pedigree.