The Gosbeck Rectory

Mr & Mrs Smith have just returned from a stay at this Suffolk boutique hotel, and just as soon as they've unpacked their Penguin Classics and Wellington boots, a full account of their UK luxury country break will be with you. In the meantime, just to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Gosbeck Rectory near Ipswich…

A sweeping gravel drive leads up to this milky-white walled country house hotel, flanked by the watery remains of an old moat and six acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. The building was built in 1835 by Pembroke College, Cambridge, and the Gosbeck Rectory is a seductive blend of old and new. When you first enter the hotel, you’ll be enchanted by the heavy scent of fresh lilies or wildflowers in their ornate vase, then you’ll notice the chiming of the ancient grandfather clock. Despite Gosbeck’s age, there’s nothing fusty or dusty about its elegantly restored glamour; gleaming parquet floors, antique furnishings, princely beds, roll-top baths and the crackling log fire are all testament to the hotel’s winning combination of modern elegance and traditional luxe.