We're going on a family holiday to Dorset but my parents want to peel off for a couple of days to go to London. We were thinking Winchester is a good half way point as not being too far to drive after a day out in Dorset, and then only an hour by train to London. The trouble is finding a nice hotel. I really wanted to splash out on a special one for my mum as it'll be her birthday, and just love the sound of Lainston house but it's fully booked! It would have ticked all the boxes though: set in acres of gorgeous grounds, tasteful traditional decor, very posh, all of that. Can anyone recommend somewhere similar? It's ok if it's a little way out of Winchester (lets say 20 minutes drive from the train station) but the Dorset side would make sense. I'd really like it to have grounds/gardens, and be rated 4 or 5 stars with a restaurant.