THE FACTS ABOUT THE VINEYARD

England

The Vineyard at Stockcross is for Newbury ladies who lunch. Luckily, the scene changes at weekends when couples decamp here to enjoy the hotel's two-Michelin-star restaurant (sublime, using strong flavours in unlikely combinations), one of the best wine cellars outside London (the owner has his own vineyards in California), and the spa, which has a swimming pool and good range of pampering treatments (wraps, massage, reflexology). The 31 bedrooms are large and luxurious. There is a hint of chintz in some of the soft furnishings, but when set in the context of masses of natural light, marble-lined bathrooms and a cream and lily-stem-green restaurant, the overall effect is contemporary. The service is flawless. COST Doubles £220 CONTACT The Vineyard at Stockcross, Stockcross, Newbury (01635 528770; fax: 528398; e-mail: general@the-vineyard.co.uk; www.the-vineyard.co.uk)