THE RETREAT AT ELCOT PARK, BERKSHIRE

Many hotels have more than one life; The Retreat at Elcot Park has had plenty. Originally built in the 1700s, Lady Elizabeth Shelley, mother of the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, took up residence here with her daughters in the 1800s. During the Second World War, the stately home accommodated American soldiers, then finally morphed into a hotel in the 1960s. While its grandeur faded slightly over the decades, it was gifted a new beginning when The Signet Collection poured love back into its bones just last year.

Now the West Berkshire property has 55 stylish rooms and suites, reimagined in Fermoie fabrics and Pierre Frey wallpapers with Rosi de Ruig lamps and lots of beautiful antiques by interior designers Taylor & Turner. It’s the kind of place you can bring a family and all of you feel spoilt. The grown-up Bushby Bacon Suite has an adjoining tomato red bunk room, while the Sutton Suite – where we stay – has a deep copper bathtub in its bay window and enough room for impromptu camp beds (with Egyptian cotton linen sheets) to be snuggled alongside the opulent kingsize. Each corridor also has a tuck room with complimentary jars of cookies and fruit, and a movie den tucked discreetly round the corner from the bar means everyone is equally well entertained.

Summer is the best time to enjoy Elcot Park – in its manicured grounds you’ll find tennis courts, croquet and an elegant Gatsby-esque pool lined with vintage loungers. The Courtyard, situated within the centre of the property, attracts residents and discerning locals to its live music and farmers markets, as well as TV chef Clodagh Mckenna’s homeware store, a wine shop and a nail and hair salon. All season long there are events here, too – from creative writing courses to cocktail masterclasses. The adults-only spa is another welcome escape. We only stay for one night, but all wish it could be longer. I have a massage, we eat as a family in the stylish 1772 brasserie (sans kids, we’d have opted for the jewel-box hued Yu for pan-asian fine dining), sleep blissfully and devour breakfast in the sun-filled orangery. It’s not easy to reimagine a majestic space for a modern crowd, but The Retreat is a triumph, we all agree.

SARAH TOMCZAK

ROOMS FROM £150 A NIGHT. RETREATELCOTPARK.COM

You’ ll want to stay at this majestic retreat for more than one night Above and below: mixing the old with the new, each bedroom has its own unique charm. Left: the 1772 brasserie