For this trip, Kathryn Drysdale wanted more than just a place to stay, she was after hotels with character, history, and a touch of indulgence. Over three properties, she finds rooms that tell stories, gardens that invite exploration, and spa spaces perfect for unwinding, proving that modern luxury can sit comfortably alongside centuries of heritage.

Start your break at Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa near Warminster. Whilst it shares Bath’s honeyed stone, Georgian grace and architectural links, it feels a world away; blending period poise with playful, contemporary details. Expect bold wallpaper, rainbow-bright spa tiles and striking art.

Among the 36 rooms, the finest, feature private outdoor hot tubs, while the family suites offer a distinguished base for visiting nearby Stourhead, whose romantic vistas are famously immortalised in Pride and Prejudice. There’s even a loft room with two king-size beds, completing Bishopstrow’s offering, exquisitely designed for an indulgent stay in refined company.

There is plenty to discover on the estate, from a secret tunnel that leads to the kitchen gardens by the banks of the River Wylye, to an elegant 18th-century Doric templeand a scattering of historic outbuildings. The grounds themselves are a spectacle, dotted with majestic Lebanese cedars and towering giant Wellingtonias.

Up next, head just 20 miles north to the heart of Georgian Bath, a city whose colonnades and chandeliers formed the backdrop to parts of Jane Austen’s novels Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, as well as scenes from the Netflix series Bridgerton. Austen lived in several houses here in the early 1800s, including one near the Holburne Museum, whose elegant façade doubles as Lady Danbury’s home in Bridgerton.

Your own address is just as storied: The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, set behind part of the city’s most famous architectural curve. “It’s so grand, it really does feel like stepping into a Bridgerton set,” admits Kathryn. Inside, palatial rooms showcase ornate ceilings, intricate cornicing and grand mantelpieces. Bedrooms, some with four posters, look out either onto the Crescent itself or over the secluded gardens tucked behind the terrace. “Prince Frederick, the Duke of York [the favourite son of King George III] lived here so, it feels like you could be staying with the duke.”

Beyond the period splendour lies a serene sanctuary of a spa, complete with exposed stone walls, arched windows and a Taittinger Spa Garden. As evening falls, the focus shifts to contemporary dining at Montagu’s Mews restaurant.

Country air calling? Opt for an even grander roll call of trees and shrubs, with a trip to Westonbirt, the National Arboretum. It’s easy to visit while staying at the nearby 220-acre rewilded Cotswolds estate of Calcot & Spa, which is a little over a 40-minute drive north of The Royal Crescent. Just beyond the estate lies the picture-perfect village of Tetbury, and nearby, you can wander the grounds of the King’s renowned Highgrove estate: a perfect blend of natural beauty and royal charm.

Mind you, you could easily while away the hours in Calcot’s two-storey Grain Store gym, which houses a spin shed, holistic studio, class area, alongside extensive equipment, a 16-metre pool, and an outdoor hot tub beside a crackling fireplace.

Families will love this Cotswolds playground, complete with an Ofsted-registered kids’ club, activities ranging from disc golf to cycling, and rooms stocked with all the baby essentials.

Yet there’s plenty of room for couples seeking peace in this retreat, which Kathryn describes as a place that “holds you like a hug” with its quintessential country-house charm. As she puts it, “All the PoB Hotels have unique personalities that reveal themselves gradually during your stay—that’s what makes them so wonderful.”