Presenting the crown jewel of country house hotels. Chewton Glen lords over a beauteous coastal region of open heaths about an hour and a half from London. Traditionally decorated rooms in the 18th-century brick manor house feature modern concessions like Bang & Olufsen cd players and wifi. Leisure options include strolling the park, striking a pose on the croquet lawn, golf, tennis and a Michelin-starred restaurant. At the sumptuous Spa at Chewton Glen, guests loll about an indoor pool decorated with Roman-style paintings and get pampered like nobles of yore.
Rates $600-$1083/day
For more information: Chewton Glen
When the Astor family owned this Italian-style stunner just a half hour from London, they threw lavish parties for guests like Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill. Upon arrival, a uniformed footman leads you into a Great Hall decorated with suits of armor. Cliveden offers 376 acres of National Trust gardens, a luxurious spa, golf on a championship course at Lambourne Club, scenic horseback rides and champagne cruises on the Thames. The hotel has its own fleet of helicopters available for guests who require, say, a night on the town in Paris.
Rates $600 - $1083
For more information: Cliveden House
English heritage at its most resplendent. Once the seat of a son of William the Conqueror, Hartwell House is fit for a king—literally. The exiled Louis XVIII of France lived here in the early 1800s, raising chickens, somewhat inexplicably, on the second floor. The restored 17th-century mansion boasts dramatic ceiling murals in the Georgian Morning Room and a magnificent Jacobean staircase lined by forbidding statues of the Knights of Europe. At once elegant and unpretentious, Hartwell House is surrounded by ancient trees and parkland teeming with wildlife. The location is an ideal base for exploring Oxford, the Cotswolds and the Chiltern Hills.
Rates $401 - $983
For more information: Hartwell House
Delightfully quirky and definitely English, Fawsley Hall is a rambling hodgepodge of Tudor, Georgian and Victorian sections that sprouted during its 500-year history. Queen Elizabeth I once nearly bankrupted the owners when she swept in with her high-living entourage. The serene parkland features quiet lakes, hedgerows and grazing sheep. Guests enjoy sublime meals in the Elizabethan Great Hall and relax in a spa set in a former Georgian cellar. A new spa facility with a pool and south-facing gardens opens in 2009.
Rates $351 - $652
For more information: Fawsley Hall
Falconry, anyone? Aristocratic amusements abound at Stapleford Park, located an hour from London in the unspoiled East Midlands region. Founded by the ancient Earls of Harborough, the Park is set among rolling fields dotted with sheep. Rooms in the magnificent 17th-century house are plush and airy, and staff are warm yet unobtrusive. Whether you're setting out on a shooting expedition or sipping brandy by the library fire, you'll feel like a character in a Jane Austen novel. A charming spa is housed in a Victorian stable block.
Rates $592 - $1103
For more information: Stapleford Park
On the outskirts of Oxford in the Thames Valley lies a hotel whose hallowed name evokes respect in the most jaded jetsetter. Expect sterling service, magnificent gardens and fantastical décor at Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. Outstanding cuisine is the trademark of this 15th-century manor-house-turned-hotel, which prides itself on a two-Michelin-starred restaurant. Gourmands can study haute cuisine in an on-site cooking school. Oxford University is nearby, whose magical medieval buildings often doubled for Hogwarts Academy in the Harry Potter films.
Rates $792 - $1183
For more information: Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
What could be more poetic than a 17th-century stone mansion where Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley once lived? Nothing, we submit. A mere nine miles from Gatwick Airport, Alexander House charms with its gothic corridors and domed ceilings. Spacious, sophisticated rooms are adorned with Art Deco wallpaper and Italian linens. The state-of-the-art Utopia Spa features three pools, steam rooms, saunas, shimmering waterfalls and a lovely outdoor hot tub. Wander a magical 170-acre garden and dine at the lovely Brasserie overlooking a courtyard with a log fire pit. Outdoor fun includes horseback riding, archery, mountain biking on a trekking trail.
Rates $371 - $642
For more information: Alexander House Hotel
The smart media set that favors London's Soho Club takes the party countryside at this sister property. The BBC's Sense and Sensibility was filmed at the splendid stone Georgian manor house, where trendy bubble chairs and a purple billiard table lend historic halls hipster flair. Individually designed rooms in the main house and outbuildings come with plasma screens and DVD players. After your cricket match, duck into the Cowshed Spa for a full range of indulgences. Next door, there's even a private cinema for movie buffs.
Rates $492 - $882
For more information: Babington House
This Georgian manor house in the Cotswolds draws a stylish crowd of A-list vacationers. New money? Yes guv'ner, and plenty of it. Elegant rooms in the main house and converted stable-blend glass, oak and leather elements and come with walk-in rain showers and iPod docking stations. An ultra-cool modernist building houses the gym, pool, steam rooms and spa treatment rooms. Grounds include a medieval church and a Victorian cascade. Harry Potter fans can explore nearby Gloucester Cathedral, whose stunning cloisters were featured extensively in the third film.
Rates $492 - $942
For more information: Cowley Manor
Queen Victoria liked to spend her weekends at this country estate when it was owned by the Earl of Clarendon. Just a 40-minute hop from London, the Grove was turned in to a luxury hotel in 2003. The interior of the 18th-century house gives the traditional an irreverent, modern spin, complete with Lucite furniture and surrealist art. Dine in a rustic stable, enjoy championship golf, chill at the fabulous Sequoia Spa, and play volleyball on the Grove's beach. A superb kids club keeps the ankle-biters smiling.
Rates $592 - $1163
For more information: The Grove