Gidleigh Park

Though the typical English country house hotel is certainly nothing to complain about, Gidleigh Park is something a little bit different. Not many houses can boast of a location in the heart of Devon’s Dartmoor National Park. Even the style is a departure — the exterior is Tudor, the interior Arts and Crafts, and so carefully has the building been restored that it’s nearly impossible to tell where the original house ends and where the contemporary addition begins. The twenty-four bedrooms were rebuilt from the inside out, and now seamlessly marry classic style with modern functionality — extravagant marble bathrooms, high-definition televisions. It’s got all the positive character of a proper old house with none of the faulty wiring, overtaxed plumbing, or chaotic climate control. The grounds offer croquet, tennis, a putting green and plenty of gardens, and beyond is Dartmoor, home to some of the South’s wildest landscapes. How to get there: Gidleigh Park is approximately a 30-40 minute drive from either Exeter St. David train station or Exeter International Airport (EXT).