Short stay: Macdonald Ansty Hall, Ansty, near Coventry, UK

Ansty Hall lies in the village of Ansty, which despite being just 300 feet above sea level, is one of the highest points in Warwickshire. It was built in the 17th Century for Richard Taylor, a supporter of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, and passed to the Adams family in the late 18th Century. Descendants of the Adams family remained in residence until 1965 but today this Grade II Listed building, situated close to Coventry and Rugby, is one of almost 50 Macdonald Hotels & Resorts. The welcome We arrived quite late in the evening to a warm welcome and were given keys to our room (Room 1) on the first floor. The whole process was quick and efficient which is always appreciated with a late arrival! The room Stylishly furnished and in keeping with the property, our room was spacious enough to accommodate not only a large double bed, but also two singles for our children. Historical pictures on the walls included prints of Queen Victoria’s visit to Warwickshire (and more specifically, Warwick Castle) in 1885, as well as the Pilgrims Rest and other buildings in Coventry. There was a desk area so that I could work, comfortable seating, a wardrobe with built-in safe, trouser press and so on. We didn’t spend a great deal of time at the room as we were in the area for a sailing event but, had we done so, there was a large flat-screen Samsung TV also. The bathroom The bathroom consisted of a standalone bath, separate shower, single basin, heated towel rail and WC. Bathrobes were provided, as were toiletries from Arran Aromatics. The facilities The hotel is popular for meetings and events (with the ability to host events for 2-150 guests), and lies within 8 acres of grounds and woodlands which are tranquil and ideal for a relaxing, short walk. And behind the gardens you will find St. James’ Ansty church, making this also a popular wedding venue since it’s an easy stroll from the church to the hotel. We dined at the hotel’s Shilton Restaurant where we were looked after in the capable hands of Elio. The restaurant deservedly holds a prestigious AA rosette. To give you an idea of the food to expect, here are just some of the dishes we enjoyed: Rosti black pudding, poached egg, crisp prosciutto ham, rocket Goat’s cheese, red onion and pear tart with watercress, fennel, radish and walnut salad Pave of Scottish beef ‘Rossini’ 58degrees with rosti potato, calves’ liver pate, Madeira and oyster mushroom jus (the hotel uses grass fed Scotch beef matured for a minimum of 21 days) Breast of free range chicken, pan fried gnocchi, courgette, tomato and saffron sauce Desserts on offer included Belgian dark chocolate truffle, salted caramel ice cream and caramel popcorn, a cherry Bakewell with white chocolate mousse and Morello cherry sorbet, and a Crabbie’s ginger ale and pear jelly, toasted oat ice cream and warm ginger parkin, but we were too content to be tempted! Instead, we took a short walk outside and the boys had some ‘Halloween fun’ making shadows on the flood-lit manor house! Other nice touches Staff were friendly throughout and there was fresh fruit and complimentary water in our room on our arrival. Cost Advance purchase rates start from £111 per room including breakfast. The best bit It would have to be a toss-up between our bed (which was so comfortable!) and dinner in the restaurant, with the latter perhaps just shading it. The final verdict A conveniently located hotel, close to a number of central locations, including Rugby, Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace). We were actually there to attend a sailing event at Draycote Water that our children were taking part in. Draycote is a lovely spot and only about half an hour’s drive from the hotel. Unfortunately, there was very little wind for sailing but it didn’t stop them trying to have a little fun on their boats! Disclosure: Our stay was courtesy of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts.