OK hotel porn addicts, what's the sexiest hotel in the UK then? And has anyone actually been?

[WideWebWitch]

Dh is 30 in July and I want to take him away for a night (maybe 2, depends on babysitter availability) as a surprise. We will be living in Bucks/Northants somewhere so London would be ok as would anywhere within a couple/few hours.
If we found somewhere in Scotland or Cornwall then we could pos fly from Heathrow or Luton to Newquay or Edinburgh for somewhere amazing. So, has anyone actually been to any of the following and if so, what did you think?

The Grove, Herts, is very expensive, is it worth it?
The Sanderson, London, looks a bit clinical in the quicktime movies on their site is it?
The Halcyon, had its day or wonderful?
One Aldywch, looks fab but no room pictures, I really want a gorgeous room, anyone been?
Stowe Park, looks a bit chintzy

I don't want to do Babington or Hotel Du Vin but I do want boutique and cool/sexy not chintzy ir country house. In Cornwall I could go for
Driftwood
Tresanton

but would like to know if they're as fab as they look on the internet? We'd have to fly, it would be a long drive otherwise.

Any other coastal recommendations easily reachable from the South East? TIA for any comments. His birthday is in July so I've got loads of time but want to start thinking about it now (plus it's pleasurable, I like droolign over these sites!)

God, loads of typos, GranD suite and 50 red roses, not 5, that would be a bit underwhelming!

oooh WWW I'm getting so jealous! So we have to wait until July for an update do we?!

It does sound lovely and as they are new they will be so eager to please.

PS: we went to sanderson, and were disappointed, very clinical, and obviously a landscape watercolour painting stuck to the ceiling at an angle is obviously "trendy"?

Do love both Driftwood and Tresanton. Driftwood with kids, Tresanton without. Food great at both. Driftwood has its own beach, Tresanton you see lots more boats in harbour etc. But if at Driftwood you can be in St Mawes in 5 mins, enjoy lunch at Tresanton and then go back to the peace and quiet at Driftwood. (Plus driftwood do afternoon tea and CAKE as part of the price - heaven!)

Blakes in Kensington (i think), London is lovely

ooh very exciting

let us know if you book the Forbury - you must tell dh you're taking him to Reading as a treat (would love to see his face)! He'll probably wonder what on earth you're up to until he sees the hotel (it does look lovely).

Definitely take a look at Mr & Mrs Smith - i think the website is mrandmrssmith.co.uk they have great boutique hotels...

I vote for Babbington house as well, Dh and I are there in a couple of weeks without the kids and can't wait...each room is individual and I am particularly intrigued by the write up I read of the room with the bath large enough for two next to the bed! ... if you can't get away they can accomodate kids and have on site care for them up to 2 hours at a time if over 1, complimentary early dinner for kids, private cinema etc etc. website is babbingtonhouse.co.uk (I think)

maybe a bit late but \link{http://www.drakesofbrighton.com\Drakes} in brighton is fab, baths in the window overlooking the sea/pier

I used to work for the company that owns The Bonham in Edinburgh - Room 1 and Room 101 are probably the best. The Town House Company also owns The Howard, 5 star hotel with Butler service!(townhousecompany.com)

My other fave hotels are Seaham Hall, County Durham and The Samling in the Lake District.

Another place to look is skchase.com, they do hotel gift vouchers for a selection of the UK's most desirable hotels. Hope you find somewhere!

The Prestonfield Hotel in Edinburgh is rated as the "The most romantic hotel in Scotland" My pal went with her new fella and she says it's true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

had a terrible time at seaham hall family crisis thing and they were most unhelpful - would not recomend it The Hempel is decadent and romantic though and my fav is |Claridges just sooo beautiful and central

I know it's not on the coast but we just had a great weekend at Whatley Manor in the Cotswolds which was fantastic as regards location, room, food and service. It's the place to go to be pampered!

Chilston Park is rather lovely - lit by candlelight at night (or was when we stayed there) we stayed in the Tudor attic suite which was fab. But was a while ago - lord, ten years actually.

Sorry to resurrect this but if anyone's got anything to add, please do! We can't go to The Forbury - they're full the night I want because of Wimbledon.

The Grove has availabilty but I want to see the room before I spend nearly £1k on 2 nights so I think prob not because ideally I want a hotel where I can look on their website to see the room before I book. I could go to have a look next time I drop ds in London and see if I think it's worth it but I don't know if I can be arsed. Ditto one Aldwych, can't see the rooms clearly enough online, plus jmg said it wasn't that great.

So, I'm wondering about Brighton. Drakes, Countess, was it fab? Good room pictures online but is it noisy? What about HDV in Brighton? Anyone been? The suite at HDV (but AGAIN, there's only ONE picture on the website, WHY do hotels do this? I want to SEE the room before I book!) looks nice, is it?

Has anyone stayed at Cotswold House? It looks lovely and shows rooms on the site, is also v expensive, is it worth it?

I don't want to go as far as Devon so have ruled out Burgh Island and anywhere that far down, like Tresanton, Driftwood etc. I don't want to go to Malmaison in Oxford because it's an old jail and I just read a review which said one is constantly reminded of the fact.

Any other suggestions or comments welcome! And I'm enjoying drooling over (some, the ones with pictures!) these sites anyway.

And btw the Forbury DIDN'T send me pictures when I asked for them so I didn't book it, although they had availability.

Just about to look at Cowley Manor too. Desphw, was their best room amazing? Describe please!

I was going to recommend Pennyhill Park in Bagshot but it is a bit chintzy. Gorgeous wet room in the bathroom though and the food is wonderful. The Spa is the best I've ever been to and I've been to quite a few! We stayed 1 night, 2 days and we felt so relaxed after spending 2 days in the SPa

Thanks Galaxy, I stayed there on a work do, long ago! So I think it will remind me of team building events tbh, but thank you :)

\link}http://www.exclusivehotels.co.uk/home.asp?hotel=pennyhillpark&Lang=EN\here}

Ok! Link didn't work anyway!

Have you looked at \link{http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/\Mr and Mrs Smith}

Cowley is fully booked. Oh no, have I left it too late? I may just crack and book one Aldwych tomorrow, when dh isn't listening.

We've just got back so I thought I'd update this thread.

We went to One Aldwych in the end (for 2 nights) and it was superb. From the moment we pulled up in a cab the service was faultless, which was what I was looking for. If anyone's read about Moments of Truth there were lots of positive ones from arrival to departure. Our suite was quiet, despite the location, the linen was crisp and white, the bed enormous, oh it was just fab. Great location, great hotel and overall I think it was a suitably swanky 30th Birthday experience. Dh was very pleased!

A complimentary bottle of Champagne and slice of birthday cake turned up at our room in the early evening on Saturday, just after we'd got back from seeing Pirates of the Caribbean, which was excellent timing and just the two of us watched a film in the private screening room (which I'd booked) on Sunday before going out for dinner. And we saw the Angus McBean exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on Sunday morning before spending the rest of the afternoon in bed and then the evening split between going out for dinner and drinking peach bellinis and vanilla martinis in the lobby bar. I want to go back, it was bliss, bliss, bliss.

So I'd thoroughly recommend it Thanks for all the advice here.

what private film did you watch..

lovely to hear you had a superb weekend celebration

PS. was it expensive?

OOOh, WWW, I might tempt DP away...

Zippi, we watched Pulp Fiction, dh's choice, neither of us had seen it for a while, really enjoyed it and enjoyed being able to talk and leave our mobile phones on and drink Champagne in the cinema because it was just us. The total cost was £1.4k on the hotel and another couple of hundred on cabs/cinema/dinner/coffees/etc so probably about £1.7k altogether Oh well, he's only 30 once.