Like something from a Jane Austen novel both inside and out, Middlethorpe Hall is a pretty country mansion surrounded by 20 acres of rolling grounds, just a couple of miles from the city centre. Two Edwardian cottages house the destination spa and there’s a pool. Guests can stroll through the walled and rose gardens, dine in the two AA Rosette restaurant and attend a wine tasting in the 17th Century dovecote. 29 hotel rooms comprise main house suites, main house bedrooms, courtyard rooms and suites, garden suites and a cottage (the latter two are dog-friendly). The property is just one of three Historic House Hotels.