This fabulous West Norfolk hotel is a real rural idyll, combining traditional elegance with up-to-date luxury. An irresistible combination, if you ask us!

Based in a Georgian manor house, the hotel nestles inside 50 rolling acres of beautiful countryside and locally-famous gardens. And these glorious gardens are at the heart of everything Congham Hall does, providing homegrown produce for the AA Rosette restaurant and pretty cut flowers for all the rooms.

After a fantastic recent expansion the hotel now has 31 rooms, all uniquely (and stylishly) decorated and named after one of the 400 – yes, 400 – varieties of herb in the renowned Herb Garden. Fifteen rooms are located in the Georgian House, 11 are dotted around the Spa Garden and there are five plush Orchard Cabins in the Apple Orchard.

All rooms come with flat screen TVs, cosy bathrobes, posh Nepresso machines and (a cute touch) a larder with homemade cookies and fresh milk. Some of the rooms also interconnect, which can be really useful if you’re bringing kids – or going on a big girls weekend!

Put off by bland, characterless hotel decor? Well, rejoice, because the boutique interiors here are packed with vibrant paintings and sculptures (often by local artists) which come with helpful information cards so you can find out more about a piece you love.

Dogs are also very welcome in certain rooms, and the hotel can provide all doggy mums with a list of dog-friendly nearby walks – plus, your furry friends will get their own water bowl and a special treat.

The food here is seriously special, with an inventive and tempting menu focusing on seasonality, locality and the freshest possible ingredients. We positively yearn for the seared bavette with glazed shallots and thyme – especially if it can be followed by the Pimm’s Jelly with Mascarpone Sorbet!

All meals are served in The Samphire Kitchen, an airy conservatory with wonderful views out over the terrace and gardens. There’s also a cosy lounge, which is perfect for curling up in front of a roaring fire in the colder months.

All guests get access to the Secret Garden Spa, a blissful spot with a 12 metre indoor pool, sauna, steam room, bio-sauna, experience showers, foot baths and an Insta-tastic outdoor hot tub. We love that some of the treatments use herbs from the garden, too – an Elemental Herbal Facial sounds like just what the face doctor ordered!

You may never want to leave, but Congham Hall is a great base for exploring the region. The stunning coast at Brancaster is about half an hour’s drive away, while an abundance of excellent Halls – Holkham, Oxburgh, Houghton and The Sandringham Estate –  are all really near. The hotel really want to help you make the most of the local area, and can provide you with everything from birdwatching tips to a Congham Crab Crawl guide.

If there are wedding bells in your future, look no further than Congham’s spectacular grounds. For a more bijou celebration you can hire the plush, compact Writing Room, and you can also book the Samphire Kitchen.

It all sounds utterly blissful, doesn’t it? Don’t mind us, just booking ourselves in – pronto!