A Georgian country house in Hertfordshire that once served as the private estate of the Earls of Clarendon, the building at the heart of The Grove carries three centuries of accumulation before a single guest checked in. The original red-brick mansion dates to the early eighteenth century, and its conversion into a 227-room hotel — completed in 2003 — required a substantial new wing addition that architect Peter Glynn Smith designed to extend the property without overwhelming it. The result holds the tension between heritage fabric and contemporary volume more gracefully than most country house conversions manage. Fox Linton Associates handled the interiors, and the approach they took threads a contemporary sensibility through rooms that could easily have defaulted to chintz and hunting prints. The guestrooms visible in the images work in warm neutrals — pale oatmeal carpet with a wave-weave pattern, brass swing-arm reading lamps, deep velvet armchairs in moss green or burgundy — anchored by large-format textile artworks above each bed, their abstracted figurative marks giving each room a gallery-adjacent quality that lifts the scheme well above country-house convention. The restaurant, flooded with light through full-height steel-framed glazing and animated by amber-tinted mirror panels and sculptural leaf-form pendant lights, shares that same instinct for restraint pushed just far enough toward character. Outside, the walled garden's steel-and-glass orangery and the Kyle Phillips-designed championship golf course spreading across the Hertfordshire countryside complete a property that earns its reputation as London's most convincing rural escape within the M25.

1hr 15min drive from London

Tucked away in 300 acres of Hertfordshire countryside, just 20 minutes from London, The Grove is a vibrant five-star resort with a difference. 214 stylish rooms and individually designed suites blend modern luxury with the charm and character of the estate’s 18th-century heritage. From the award-winning Sequoia Spa and championship golf course to distinctive restaurants and bars – including the renowned buffet restaurant, The Glasshouse – there’s plenty to discover. Step outside and you’ll find woodland trails to wander, alongside a host of activities for all ages, from archery and axe-throwing, to bike rides and musical trails for little ones. In the summer months, the Walled Garden lies at the heart of it all. Home to the newly-refurbished Ralph’s Beach, a heated outdoor pool, and a Kitchen Garden which provides fresh produce for the chefs.