HOUSE STYLE

One of the most influential sources of interiors inspiration over the past two decades, country hotels have long set the decorating agenda – and their look is moving on again

There was a time when country house hotels were a humbler proposition. Often family run, they provided their guests with simple pleasures: newspapers by the fire, good food, a comfortable bed in a grand setting… They were predictable, homely and definitely not setting the style zeitgeist as they do today.

Their shift to modernity didn’t happen overnight, but it gained momentum when the doors opened to Babington House about 20 years ago. A Georgian property near Frome in Somerset, Babington ushered in a sense of cool that until that point had been alien to country hotels. In came the leather club chairs, velvets and ikat prints – influencing the way so many of us decorate today – and exciting interiors became a prerequisite to success. ‘English country houses, even smart ones, were rarely buzzy or glamorous, and they’ve had to reinvent themselves,’ says Fiona Duncan, hotel expert for Telegraph Travel. As the market for weekend breaks expanded and the clientele became younger and more metropolitan, the experience had to change to match.

Fast-forward two decades and the scene is unrecognisable. Gone are the mahogany-panelled temples to chintz that once dominated, with a new breed of sleek lifestyle destinations taking their place. Openings over the past few years have moved the look on further – greens, teals and geometrics now abound. This in turn has influenced decorating as a whole, as hotel guests take the trends back home, along with a couple of mini toiletries.