The Best Hotels to Book Near Winkworth Arboretum, UK

Neatly trimmed creepers frame the 17th-century brick frontage of the Stag on the River like a hipster moustache, but the interior is a more mature undertaking. Rooms with angles created by old wooden beams have been tastefully revamped with geometric drapes, piles of plump cushions and beautiful wallpaper. Framed by a curve of the River Wey, it’s close to the A3 but far enough away for a peaceful slumber.

Barnett Hill is effortlessly refined, like an English country gent who made it big in stocks and shares and took some city sophistication back to the countryside. Screened by a ring of mature woodland, this lavish country pad was once the home of the grandson of travel agent Thomas Cook, and its wings sprawl beneath a forest of chimneys. Inside, the rooms are opulent but understated, decorated in mixed tweeds and confident colour palettes, with free-standing tubs and large windows letting in natural light.

Named for a 17th-century politician, the Richard Onslow brings a flash of style to High Street in pretty Cranleigh village. The cosy dining room features tones of red and leather, while the bedrooms under the eaves have unique shapes from the old timbers, along with original fireplaces and free-standing tubs and brick-pattern tiling in the best bathrooms. The pub menu is great, too, with lots of local roasts, poultry and fish.

Hindhead was once a staging post for coaches to the coast, but the Devil’s Punchbowl is no village inn. This imposing house was built for Rollo Russell – the son of Britain’s first liberal prime minister – in the 1800s, and it faces the curious natural feature of the same name, reputedly scooped out by supernatural forces. Rest easy, though; rooms inside are homely and inviting, decorated in lovely colours and stripes, with prints of Victorian scenes on the walls.

Even the name of this sprawling country-house spa suggests extravagant living, and it’s certainly fabulous in the flesh. Fronted by a tranquil lake, the house emerges wing by wing from 160 acres (65ha) of verdant landscape. Accommodation is available in everything from lavish suites – tastefully decorated in modern themes – to cosy shepherd’s huts on the grounds, but the focal point for most is the spa, which has everything from saunas and spa baths to a mud chamber and a snow room.

Slotted in by the village church, the Spread Eagle is a pub with pedigree. The inn dates back to 1430 when it catered for stagecoach traffic bound for London or the coast. Today, its 39 rooms and suites are a flurry of wood beams, brick fireplaces and four-poster beds, with stylish modern bathrooms bringing the experience up to date. There’s fine food, too, and a swish spa in a Nordic annexe attached to the historic main building.

With front-row views of Frensham Great Pond (famed for its Green Flag-rated freshwater beaches), this country-house hotel feels a bit like an American country club teleported to the Surrey countryside. It’s grand but not a show-off; large, leather- and timber-lined rooms have giant beds and a mid-century tone. There’s fine dining indoors and afternoon teas on the waterfront outside, plus a spa with all the trimmings.

Four centuries have treated Wotton House kindly. It was once the home of an eccentric vegetarian botanist, and its lush gardens were the first Italianate gardens in the country. After wandering through endless acres of grounds or reading in the shade of a fantasy temple, you can dine on modern British cuisine in one of the loveliest dining rooms in Surrey, then retire to gasp-inspiring rooms full of old maps and contemporary design. The best of these are the suites, accessed via a sweeping, 17th-century staircase.

OK, we know there’s no harbour in Guildford, but the Guildford Harbour Hotel does the brand proud with sleek, silky rooms decorated in shades of black and burgundy, and a full hand of luxe hotel facilities. There’s a no-indulgence-spared spa with a stone sauna, a mud rasul and a crystal steam room. The guest rooms keep the luxury dialled up with 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton linen, 24-hour room service and the White Company toiletries – it’s a surprise find in the Surrey suburbs.