Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa

If you've ever bought a bottle of Copella apple juice from the supermarket, then you will have contributed to the four-star Stoke-by-Nayland resort hotel on the Suffolk-Essex border. It was founded two decades ago by the Peake family, who created the popular juice brand, and whose orchards surround the hotel's grounds and still provide the fruit for Copella juices.

The Peakes' original dream was to have their own golf course, and the hotel to some extent revolves around its two championship courses, which host top PGA events. But golf doesn't dominate by any means and the hotel is packed full of facilities, with plenty for non-golfers to enjoy. Above all it enjoys a lovely location at the heart of Dedham Vale AONB and within a stone's through of the delights of Constable Country; plus it is still owned and run by the second generation of the Peake family, and is all the better for still being a proper family business, with high levels of service throughout.

The buildings make the most of the hotel's beautiful surroundings, with large terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows that really invite the outside in. The public spaces have been updated with taste and style, and the hotel's 80 guest rooms range from standard Doubles rooms to Deluxe twins and Junior suites. All have Smart TVs, coffee-and tea-making facilities, biscuits and mineral water, and Wi-Fi; some rooms have a/c and robes and slippers, Deluxe rooms and suites have robes and slippers and many have two double beds – and most importantly great vistas over one of the hotel’s lakes and golf courses. They also have a number of beautiful self-catering lodges deep in the grounds.

Wherever you stay, the hotel is the perfect spot for an indolent weekend break in the country. Along with the two golf courses, it has a state-of-the-art gym, a spa with lovely indoor pool and hot tub and a range of blissful treatments on offer, and a well-equipped shop selling food and drink, clothes and gifts. The hotel also boasts arguably some of the biggest and best wedding facilities in the county.

The Orchard Lounge bar has a busy vibe, and is a cosy spot with an open log fire that leads through to the next-door Lakes restaurant, where floor-to-ceiling windows open onto a large terrace. The menu here is short and to the point, offering half a dozen starters, steaks and burgers and half a dozen other mains and desserts at fixed prices for two or three courses. The Sports Bar next door is a more casual place for a drink and serves a simpler grill menu (pizzas, jackets, burgers) from an open kitchen, and there's also a menu of small plates and sharing platters on offer in the Orchard Lounge.

Finally, the hotel is a real eco-trailblazer and is totally-self-sufficient in energy, with much of their electricity provided by solar panels while the rest coming from an anaerobic digester on the surrounding farm which ingests fruit by-products to create power. They have also planted 60,000 trees on the estate, where the four man-made lakes help to keep the golf courses and orchards watered.