Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Great Milton, United Kingdom

On entering Le Manoir, a vine-clad manor house turned boutique hotel just north of Oxford, the welcoming nature of the staff immediately sets you at ease. Renowned chef and owner of Le Manoir, Raymond Blanc’s brief to his premier designer, Emily Toddhunter, was to create an atmosphere which would send a clear message “Enjoy life and celebrate” and that is exactly what has been achieved. The term “boutique hotel” seems inadequate; it’s like you’re entering a home, luxurious and yet warm, where each and every detail has been lovingly looked after and where your every need is catered for by the discreet but unfailingly helpful staff.

The facilities

Needless to say the dining experience is integral to your stay at Le Manoir. Aperitifs are served in one of the sitting rooms beside a roaring fire amongst the hum of conversation from fellow diners. Impeccably informed sommeliers advise your choice of beverage, served with delicately produced hors d’oeuvres. The cellar is a veritable treasure trove for wine connoisseurs. There are two dining areas, a traditional dining room which was the original entrance to the Manoir building and a more contemporary, lighter conservatory. Raymond Blanc himself works the tables with effortless charm.

Unusually, Le Manoir is one of the few Michelin starred restaurants to accept children. A reflection, perhaps, of the more relaxed continental attitude which Blanc has succeeded in integrating into the haute cuisine experience. Such a dining experience can only be fully appreciated by a tour of the kitchens, which must be every chef’s dream: £40 0000 worth of kitchen in a space that comprises one whole wing of the Manoir. Here, 40-50 hand-picked chefs work under the expertise of head chef Gary Jones. There are 22 working in the kitchen at any one time. With eight years’ organic certification and only the finest, largely local produce, nothing is skimped on…as is reflected in the prices you pay. Even bread is baked twice a day.

Despite the obvious dedication to perfect cuisine the chefs at Le Manoir are, unusually, also very much on hand to give guests a few handy hints in the haute-cuisine trade - I was invited in to learn how to make soufflé. Next door, a cookery course runs for those with greater aspirations. Local school children, too, have the opportunity to learn. The two-acre garden works in harmony with the kitchens, so that seasonal dishes are encouraged.

The rooms

Raymond Blanc’s philosophy with food - “Simplicity is never that simple” - spills over into the design of the Manoir’s 38 rooms. We were in Manon, a charming attic-style open plan room with alcove walls and wooden beams, a delicate mix of traditional rustic Provencal simplicity and more contemporary touches. Curled up on the sofa beside the woodburning stove, dipping into one of Blanc’s exquisite chocolates, sets the scene for the evening ahead. Bathrooms are indulgent with baths and showers oversized, more than comfortable for two. Rosemary twigs and chunky candles rest aside the marble bath; romance is clearly in mind in the design.

Each room at the boutique hotel has its own individual decoration and character. There are ten in the main house; the ones in the new wing are more contemporary and three are more masculine in nature.

Go for the boutique hotel’s Opium Suite for a seductive oriental infusion. The sitting area is light and chic with bamboo ornaments resting on Japanese style furnishings. It opens out onto a private walled garden and there is an open wood-burning fireplace. In contrast, the bedroom is a feast of opulence, panelled in dark wood with a low-level oriental bed draped in rich red materials and surrounded by original stone carvings from the Ming dynasty. Buddhist chants play softly in the background.

The Dovecote, located in a freestanding original 15th-century Dovecote, is designed by Trevellion and is equally unique - split level with a Victorian clawed bath tub dominating the lower level. Michael Priest’s Hydrangea is more traditional in style with a double Jacuzzi bath.