CrazyBear Hotel, Beaconsfield

I was on a business trip, god knows how we got booked in here! But if you’re looking for a very unique experience with your other half this place is well suited indeed. I had a lovely time, friendly staff, food was great and I assume at weekends it’s kicking, not so much on a Tuesday! Still the rooms were decadently fabulous and it was a great experience.

I found myself in a former 15th-century coaching inn that had been transformed into a lavish hotel in the town centre. It sat about a mile from the M40 and involved a 17-minute walk from the train station.

The rooms were something else: individually designed so no two felt alike, each boasting free Wi-Fi (that actually behaved) and flat-screen TV. I ended up in a room where a freestanding bathtub filled dramatically from the ceiling, felt like I was starring in some Guy Ritchie movie. It was decadently fabulous, a little OTT for a business trip but it was clearly never designed for that role!

Mornings kicked off with an à la carte breakfast in a cosy English restaurant, no buffets fighting for the last croissant here, just thoughtful dishes that felt worth the calories before a day of meetings. Dinner options had me torn between a luxe English dining room (white tablecloths, polite nods from staff, the works) and a cosy restaurant that injected a cheeky twist into my palate after back-to-back presentations. We wrapped up the evening at the dramatic bar, where low lighting and creative cocktails whispered “linger a bit longer,” and I quietly slipped out to the terrace for a nightcap by the pool.

Other perks included an outdoor plunge-style pool and a Jacuzzi. All told, it was a uniquely memorable stay, historical bones meets modern flair, with just enough theatrics to keep a business trip from feeling like, well, just another business trip.