Hand & Spear

Just a few minutes' walk from Weybridge station, this boutique Surrey gastropub is about as cosy and attractive as they come. Its 12 bedrooms celebrate the building’s Victorian heritage with attractive plant-filled terrariums, fringed bell lampshades, vintage radios and retro rotary-dial telephones, and leafy Secret Garden wallpaper, inspired by the extravagant gardens of Victorian Britain, hangs alongside framed pictures of flowers, butterflies and nature. It’s like staying in a country house hotel, albeit one that's just 40 minutes by train or car from central London. Dogs are welcome too.

There’s nothing old-school about the facilities either:  rooms come with handy USB sockets, Bramley natural toiletries, a hairdryer, honesty basket, fridge and a Nespresso coffee machine. Comfortable en-suite bathrooms have speakers so you can listen to your favourite show while getting ready for the day, and one room (12), tucked away in the tower and and looks out over swaying tree tops, has a gorgeous freestanding copper bath – ideal for a romantic break.

Downstairs, the bar is lively, particularly at weekends, and there’s fascinating memorabilia, retro artefacts and books to browse on the shelves of the homely lounge and parlour areas. Check out Treasure Island, which author Robert Louis Stevenson worked on while staying here in 1882. The restaurant services tasty pub grub that covers all bases – burgers, pies, seafood sharers – while breakfast consists of pastries, fruit, delicious yoghurt, buttermilk pancakes and eggs served all ways.

And the location? Weybridge is a pleasant riverside town, with lots of independent shops and cafés to explore, plus it's near to all sorts of visitor attractions; Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands Motor Museum, Thorpe Park and Legoland Windsor are all just a short drive away. There are also several lovely, circular riverside walks you can do from the doorstep of the hotel, making you feel like you are much further from London than you actually are!