Coworth Park

Coworth House was built in 1776 for William Shepheard, an East India merchant, and later belonged to Lord Stanley, the 17th Earl of Derby, who lived here for fifty years. After a full restoration it opened as a Dorchester Collection hotel in September 2010. The estate runs to 240 acres on the edge of Windsor Great Park, with an equestrian centre and the only hotel polo fields in the country, managed by Guards Polo Club.

The event rooms sit in and around the Mansion House. The Oval Room is the largest, on the lower ground floor behind its own reception area, with a private patio and a staircase up to the terraced gardens; it takes 100 for dinner or 70 for a dinner dance. The Garden Room beside it opens onto the croquet lawn under a porcelain chandelier. The Oak Room has its own entrance and ante-room, and The Tower House, set apart from the main house, has a double-height ceiling, exposed brick, an open fireplace and a balcony over the polo fields and lake.

Food is a serious part of the offer. Woven by Adam Smith holds a Michelin star, and The Barn's first-floor dining room, with its own bar and fire, suits a relaxed private party. In summer the grounds come into play, from the rose garden and the lime grove to a ten-acre wildflower meadow set for long-table dinners. The whole estate can be taken for exclusive use.