Fancy a romantic weekend away but you want or need to take the children? It's not as ridiculous as it may sound, says Juliet Kinsman, editor of Mr & Mrs Smith hotel guidebooks (www.mrandmrssmith.com)
Babington House
Relaxed retro country club in deepest Somerset
London media hangout Soho House kick-started the march of metropolitan cool into the countryside in 1998 with the opening of this sister hotel in the West Country. Booking a room here can be as difficult as getting a table at the Ivy, but it's worth the wait (for weekends try six months in advance). There are no stately-home airs and graces as you might expect at a manor house and chapel in rolling grounds, such as this. In fact, it is as relaxed as weekend escapes get, while all the time being super-chic. All the rooms are massive, and have a music system and huge TVs that will make you want to take advantage of the CD and DVD libraries. Best of all, while the kids are being entertained in the Little House, their onsite creche, parents can take advantage of the heavenly treatments on offer at the Cowshed spa.
Rates: £225-£425 Cowley Manor
Facilities: Indoor and outdoor pools, gym and Cowshed spa, billiards room, 45-seat cinema, croquet lawn, tennis courts, cricket pitch, wellies provided.
Children: The Little House is packed full of toys and they have lots of activities, with three members of staff throughout the day. Downstairs they look after one to seven year olds, and upstairs over sevens; open 9am-5am weekdays, 9am-6pm weekends. Babysitting can also be arranged.
Babington House, Babington near Frome, Somerset (01373 812266; www.babingtonhouse.co.uk)
Funked-up stately home set in spectacular Cotswolds countryside
The interior of this Italianate stone house is a world apart from the usual country-house hotels. Cowhide window seats, red laminate tables and comical papier-mache hunting trophies give Cowley its unique designer-look an added flamboyant aesthetic. And you won't find any antiques or chintz as might be expected from a building like this, only minimal lines and a Scandinavian colour scheme. The miles of surrounding gardens not only include a lake and a river, but also a state-of-the-art spa. And as you treat yourself to your chosen pummelling or pampering experience, the little ones can get busy in the playroom, or scamper in the grounds.
Rates: £230-£455, including continental breakfast.
Facilities: Billiards room, C-side Spa, indoor and outdoor pools, gym, sauna, 55 acres of land, wellies provided.
Children: There is an unsupervised playroom with a funky decor, which is full of toys, play areas; babysitting is available if booked a couple of weeks in advance. A children's supper is served at 5.30pm (the management likes the dining room child-free by 8.30pm).
Cowley Manor, Cowley, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (01242 870900; www.cowleymanor.com)
Driftwood
New England yacht club on a bracing Cornish cliff top
Striking the perfect balance between accessible and remote, the main house has an incredible setting high on a cliff with spectacular views over the bay and Driftwood's own private beach. From the exterior it may not appear anything out of the ordinary, but inside the furnishings have been given a great deal of thought; comfortable, homely, in blues and creams - all very tasteful. Whether you want a massage while the kids battle it out on the PlayStation in the games room or you fancy a picnic en famille, the owners will see to it that your every whim is catered to.
Rates: £190-£210.
Facilities: Private beach and seven acres of heritage coastline.
Children: There is no charge for children sharing parents' rooms, and breakfast is £5 a head. There is an early supper sitting, the chef will also adapt food on the acclaimed grown-up menu for children and kids are welcome in the dining room. There's a small games room with books and board games; babysitting can be arranged.
Driftwood, Rosevine, near Portscatho, Cornwall (01872 580644; www.driftwoodhotel.co.uk)
Ickworth
Georgian stately home from home in National Trust parkland
Set in the east wing of a National Trust property open to the public, when the tourists make their way home at the end of the day, no doubt guests can't help feeling a little smug. As well as enormous grounds with woods and lakes at their disposal, they get to enjoy the swimming pool, the wood-panelled restaurant (Frederick's for fine dining while the kids have Cafe Inferno), beautiful lounges decorated in an impressive collection of art deco furniture, and a bedroom which comes with all the mod cons you could wish for. The hotel is part of Luxury Family Hotels, which also has properties in Wiltshire, Conrwall and Dorset.
Rates £180-£595, including breakfast.
Facilities 1,800-acre parkland (quad-bike tours and horseriding available), tennis courts, indoor pool and spa.
Children: There's a creche and playroom supervised by a nanny from 10am-6pm. Club Blue, for older children who don't want someone watching over them, offers bikes, adventure playgrounds, sporting activities during the holidays, nature trails and also swimming and tennis lessons can be arranged. Many rooms are interconnecting or have special child-friendly features; baby-listening and babysitting also available.
The Ickworth Hotel, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (01284 735350; www.luxuryfamilyhotels.com)
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
Gourmet grandeur in a magnificent Chilterns manor house
Le Manoir, one of the most celebrated luxury hotels in England, provides a gold-plated experience for your family. Le Manoir is the biggest and oldest house in a very small quiet village. It sits regally among beautiful lawns, walled 17th-century and Japanese ponds and its own extensive organic herb and vegetable gardens - all of which feature on Raymond Blanc's incredible menu. His mission is to deliver the absolute best in cuisine and service in a friendly atmosphere. It's the perfect setting to celebrate a special occasion or better still, make the most of a weekend away and sign up for a cookery course. A day's tuition for children is also available thanks to La Petite Ecole de Cuisine; so while you relax, your little ones can be trained in how to make you the perfect lunch back home.
Rates: £380-£1,340 (for the two-bedroom suite), including breakfast
Facilities: Helipad, croquet lawn, bikes, 26 acres of grounds
Children: An extra bed can be provided for £45 (not available in deluxe or standard rooms). A special menu is provided for children; babysitting, listening and nanny services available by prior arrangement.
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford (01844 278881; www.manoir.com)
Mr & Mrs Smith hotel guidebooks give you the low-down on boutique hideaways. To order books or to book any of the hotels featured in this article, go to www.mrandmrssmith.com