Nothing can quite prepare you for Cowley Manor. Firstly, if you didn’t know it was there, you could quite easily drive on by, none the wiser. And, second, once you have taken in the astonishing grandeur of the Italianate stone house, you may think yourself convinced that whatever is within cannot match it (just you wait). We were met on arrival at this Gloucestershire hotel by very lovely, very welcoming staff members in purple jumpers (I felt sorry for them sweltering away in wool, but I guess the ‘uniform’ is more in keeping with the Cowley ethos than full livery), and entered with an open mind.

The reception hallway is dominated by a spectacular crystal chandelier, composed of hundreds of prisms that catch the light: so far, little to indicate the stately’s past life. I set off to explore, entering the connected bar and lounge area; these are large, high-ceilinged spaces, with a decor that comes as a complete shock to me.

To call the look ‘designer’ doesn’t do justice to Cowley’s funky, flamboyant aesthetic; the effect of cowhide window seats, red laminate tables and comical papier-mâché ‘hunting trophies’ is certainly a world away from the usual country-house hotels. It was, however, clever to leave the dining room intact to give guests a hint of the house’s former glory: the floor-to-ceiling wood panelling is all original, the views of the gardens are wonderful, and the sheer scale of the room is extremely impressive. Giant, modern cone-shaped lights, suspended from the ceiling, create a cool contrast with the 1850s architecture.

Continuing on my tour, I came across a rather rock ’n’ roll leather-walled room housing a blue-baize pool table. I am not a big pool man, alas, and was far more interested in some outdoor activity. The 55-acre estate is simply beautiful; I took a six-mile run, cross-country, without coming anywhere close to retracing my steps. The gardens are a superbly cultivated ‘wild’ expanse, with a lake, and a river flowing under bridges and over a cascade.

My next move was towards a massage; Cowley’s grounds also contain a no-expense-spared modern spa, all dark-green slate and glass walls, with wonderful views of the great outdoors, and a range of treatments to rival the best: relaxing, energising, pampering… With its palatial indoor and outdoor pools, this spot was, for me and my girlfriend, the high point of the whole place, and we didn’t emerge for some hours.

On a higher plane, post-spa, I was, I must admit, happy to return to the comparative calm of our bedroom; there’s only so much cutting-edge design I can take. It was more comfortable than it looked in the brochure and, in true Cowley style, there wasn’t an antique in sight: the minimal lines and block colours gave it something of a Swedish feel. The bathroom was the best bit. With its blond woods, limestone double basins and walk-through shower with huge drench head, it was like a mini spa in itself, spacious and luxurious.

Cowley couldn’t be more different from my personal vision of comfort and luxury. But it is setting its own agenda, and is very much a place to be discovered. Clearly, the iconoclastic interiors and cocktail-bar atmosphere are aimed at a younger generation raised on a diet of TV design shows; traditionalists may well find themselves slightly bemused by the experience. The staff are unpretentious; the food is good – the chef wisely serves traditional dishes alongside more contemporary cuisine; and the decor has to be seen to be believed. The most enjoyable moment of our stay was the simple pleasure of sitting out on the terrace with a glass of viognier, just taking in our surroundings. Papier-mâché baboons are fun, lime-green armchairs are eye-catching, but I am just as impressed by what a privilege it is to be one of only a handful of people sharing this majestic property in such a beautiful landscape.