Two hours from London: six country hotels for the weekend

WWe all need a break from London at some point. The city is brilliant and relentless, and a weekend in the country is the quickest way to reset. If you are visiting, it is also worth seeing what lies beyond it: forest, parkland and coast are all within two hours by car. The seven hotels below each have a spa and a serious restaurant, and we have organised them by the kind of weekend you have in mind.

CHEWTON GLEN
New Milton, Hampshire

Chewton Glen is the family option for those who want the sea as well: Barton-on-Sea beach is a 16-minute walk. The grounds hold 72 rooms and suites plus 14 treehouses, each with its own hot tub and sleeping between two and eight, set 200 to 400 metres from the main hotel. There are indoor and outdoor pools, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a cookery school, so a wet day is not a problem. At just under two hours by car it is the furthest on this list, and the treehouses are the reason to make the extra drive.

CLIVEDEN
Taplow, Berkshire

Cliveden is the couples' choice, and the closest to London. There are woodland walks, a pool and a spa, and two restaurants that suit different moods: the Cliveden Dining Room for the long dinner, the Astor Grill for something lighter. Some rooms have a private hot tub, which is the one to ask for in the colder months. At about an hour from central London, it is also the easiest to do as a single night.

ESTELLE MANOR
Oxfordshire

Estelle Manor is the spa weekend. The Roman-inspired spa is the reason most people book, and the 3,000-acre estate on the edge of the Cotswolds gives you plenty to walk off lunch on, with tennis courts for the more energetic. Couples take a room in the main house, and groups can take a private cottage. Book dinner when you book the room, since tables fill quickly. It is about an hour from London.

BEAVERBROOK
Leatherhead, Surrey Hills

Beaverbrook sits in 470 acres of the Surrey Hills and works for almost any kind of weekend. The Japanese Grill does sushi and wagyu, the Garden House is the casual option, and Sir Frank's is a 1920s-style bar with leather booths. The spa has indoor and outdoor pools, and the panelled cinema runs private screenings. It was named on Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 Gold List for Europe, and it is about an hour from London.

HECKFIELD PLACE
Hook, Hampshire

Heckfield Place is for guests who care about the food and the design. The restaurant, Marle, holds a green Michelin star and cooks with produce grown in the 400-acre grounds. The 67-seat screening room hosts film screenings, talks and workshops, which gives the hotel an evening programme most country houses lack, and there is a spa for the day after.

FOUR SEASONS HAMPSHIRE
Dogmersfield, Hampshire

Four Seasons Hampshire is the easiest place on this list to bring children. There is a free kids' club, two indoor pools, outdoor tennis courts and the Basingstoke Canal running alongside the grounds, so there is always something to do without leaving the estate, and parents get a spa with 15 treatment rooms for the hours the children are busy. The mood is calmer and more traditional than at the design-led houses further down this list, and the hotel holds a Michelin Key. The drive is about an hour and a quarter.