The Mitre

Next door to Hampton Court Palace, this 36-room hotel was originally built to house the overflow from a royal court, which gives it a leg up on most places claiming historic character. Nicola Harding's maximalist interiors lean cheerful rather than stuffy, and every room, from the entry-level classics up to the Henry VIII suite, is done out differently. A boat on the Thames or a wander through the palace gardens fills the afternoon nicely.