The Country Living St George Hotel, Harrogate

A stone’s throw from the bustling Montpellier Quarter and the Stray – 200 acres of grassland, where crocuses flourish in the spring – this Edwardian hotel, which opens this month, is an elegant retreat in the heart of the town. As with the Lansdown, the rooms have been furnished in the Country Living style by interior designer Oliver Redfern, so you can glean decorating ideas and inspiration first hand. After a restful night’s sleep, pay a visit to the Royal Pump Rooms for a glimpse back into Harrogate’s affluent past or make the short trip to the RHS Garden Harlow Carr, to wander through woodland and a wild-flower meadow before recharging at the on-site Bettys tea room. Come the evening, treat yourself to a meal at one of the town’s many award-winning restaurants – Restaurant 92 and The Fat Badger Grill come highly recommended. But if finger sandwiches and petit-fours are more your style, head back to the hotel for afternoon tea. For those wanting to venture out into the countryside, the Yorkshire Dales National Park and North York Moors (which famously inspired Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights) lie to the east and west of the town. Prices from £125 per night (countrylivinghotels.com). For more information and a special reader offer, see page 68.