Fodor's Expert Review Liss Ard Estate

Editor's Note: This location is no longer in operation.

Offering stylish country-house luxury on a 200-acre estate, this is the perfect destination for a regenerating escape. Choose between one of six large rooms in the imposing Victorian main house or opt for cosier accommodations closer to nature in the adjacent Garden Mews. Decor is spare and contemporary, and there are two spacious sitting rooms where you can sip a glass of wine by the fire while perusing a great collection of books on art and the outdoors. Nature is a big attraction here, with woodland walks on the doorstep and kayaks available to explore the 50-acre lake. The grounds, including the amazing James Turrell Sky Garden, are open to the public, as is the pleasant basement restaurant which serves simply prepared fresh local produce. Larger parties can rent a 10-bedroom house in the grounds, six minutes' walk from the main house, where Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, and others stayed during a series of benefit concerts in the 1990s.