Hotel The Greyhound Inn (Chalfont St Peter, United Kingdom)

This place is so old ... and  to prove the point, many of the rooms still have the beamed ceilings. The inn has also attracted big name guests such as Winston Churchill and Oliver Cromwell. They say that Judge Jeffreys also used to ‘hang' around. So if you want to steep yourself in history, rather than stay in a clinical, characterless place; then this old coaching inn is the hotel for you.

The rooms and public areas are all very clean and lovingly kept in good condition. Staff members deserve a word, too. They are very friendly, helpful and efficient; a real feather in the hotel's cap.

It's so near to both London (*about 30 minutes drive) and to the ‘sleeping spires' of Oxford. It's a good stopover base too, if flying in to or out of Heathrow, 14 miles away.

It's a small price to pay for staying in such an historic building … but, yes, rooms are a bit on the cramped side and obviously created to meet the smaller sized folk of the 14th century. They didn't seem to need many electrical sockets in those days either!

Light sleepers should avoid rooms overlooking the main road as it can be very noisy. Also, you don't want to be near the kitchen and the extractor fan and other sources of noise. The bar can become quite ‘spirited' as well, …so not all the noise comes from outside.

The setting is just right for an enjoyable and relaxed meal. Restaurant members of staff, though, seem to be under- trained, so service can be a slow exercise and one that is prone to error.