1 INTERCONTINENTAL, Cologne

Central Germany is an unlikely place to find one of the best mojitos I’ve sipped, served by a slick young bartender with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of this drink, but that’s precisely what happened to me at Harry’s New York Bar at the InterContinental hotel in Cologne. The bar itself is a reason to visit this five-star hotel: cosy yet airy, big and sleek but intimate, perfectly lit, lively, and with the hint of mystique that’s the preserve of the world’s best watering holes.

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS: My Club Suite seemed honed to the requirements of the business road warrior: large desk area in its sitting room, excellent bed, modern décor, superb soundproofing, plus a striking view of Cologne’s cathedral.
LIKE: The well-trained staff, access to the 20m pool at Holmes Place through an internal corridor, prompt room service – and that bar.
DIDN’T LIKE: It’s more for business than romance, and some rooms face a noisy street.

www.ichotelsgroup.com

LUX RATING: 18/20

2 STON EASTON PARK, Somerset

A temple of Palladian stone, Ston Easton rises up from the woods and hills that surround it like a Midwestern tourist’s pipe dream. This 260-year-old manor imbues you with dreaminess as you approach; I spent an hour simply walking around the house’s perimeter, lost in the trees, past a stream, and gazing in wonder at the building as it changed colour with sunset. Its gardens, created by Humphry Repton, are as awe-inspiring as the architecture.

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS: I had a large corner room with a four-poster and views onto gardens and trees on two sides: you couldn’t get more quintessentially English.
LIKE: The setting, building, laid-back lounge areas (like being in a friend’s country house) and those gardens. The locally sourced food was delicious.
DIDN’T LIKE: The service from the young staff was a bit hit-and-miss, and after the grandeur of the bedroom, my bathroom seemed a bit of a letdown.

www.stoneaston.co.uk

LUX RATING: 17/20

3 THE CLUBHOUSE, Chamonix

You’re sitting in a lounge, listening to jazz. Outside a chef is stoking up a steak and lobster BBQ; your cool young server is showing another guest around a vast selection of bourbons in a rosewood cabinet. This is the Deep South, right? Wrong: this is The Clubhouse, the coolest hotel to hit the Alpine ski scene, in the heart of Chamonix, the centre for serious skiers and boarders. Brought to you by the owners of the legendary Milk & Honey private members’ clubs in London and New York, it’s the most stylish place in the mountains: the Alps without the pine.

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS: Frette linen on a delicious bed, HDTV, DVD, rainforest shower, imaginative minibar (organic chocolate, Ren skincare, sex toys) and rosewood everywhere in the boutique-chic bedrooms.
LIKE: The excellent, hearty food; top-rank cocktails; helpful staff; lounge vibe; lack of French snottiness. Great skiing.
DIDN’T LIKE: Breakfast was a sorry, threadbare self-service event with motel-style coffee. Too many English people.

www.clubhouse.fr

LUX RATING: 17.5/20