The Elms Hotel & Spa

A taxidermied badger under a glass dome watches guests climb the winding staircase, which sets the tone for this Grade II-listed Queen Anne country house hotel in rural Worcestershire. Ten acres of grounds come with tennis courts and croquet lawns, rooms carry names like Duchess and Black Worcester, and the oak-framed spa building runs to a cedar-scented sauna and a rainforest shower with sound effects. Dogs are welcome in most rooms.