Amberley Castle

The portcullis still works, which feels like the right detail to lead with at this family-owned castle hotel in the West Sussex countryside. Rooms inside the medieval walls mix old stone and timber with Vispring beds and proper modern bathrooms, and dinner is served in two of the grandest rooms the 14th-century structure has to offer. The Michelin Guide awarded it one Key. Guests who appreciate a moat tend to find the whole thing very agreeable.