Hart’s Hotel

Purpose-built 20 years ago, Hart's has long been a bit of a jewel on the Nottingham accommodation scene, which remains rather dominated by characterless chains.  It's a privately owned, medium-sized boutique hotel in a great location, perched on high next door to the ramparts of the castle but just a couple of minutes’ walk from the city's central reference point of Market Square.

Designed by the city’s premier architect, Julian Marsh, whose inventive use of space is his particular hallmark, it's a strikingly contemporary building, with 32 well-designed rooms that enjoy views over the city and the countryside beyond. Striking modern paintings are a feature of the hotel as are the top-quality furnishings and fittings, but perhaps the rooms at the back, with their garden views, are the most appealing.  All the rooms have good wifi, flatscreen TVs, tea-and coffee-making facilities with fresh milk and complimentary mineral water, and good-sized en-suite bathrooms with toiletries.

The hotel also has parking and a 24-hour reception, as well as a a delightful bar with outdoor terrace – a relaxing and comfortable spot that rarely gets over-crowded – and an excellent 2-AA-rosette restaurant that gets some of the culinary smarts from its sister restaurant at Michelin-starred Hambleton Hall in nearby Rutland.