Brooklands Hotel

Celebrate the golden age of motor racing at this stylish hotel where you can kick back in the hot tub and watch cars racing around the historic Brooklands motor-racing circuit, now Mercedes-Benz World. The racing theme dominates inside, too, with quirky headlight-style lampshades, spark plug-filled vases and cocktails named after celebrity drivers. The circuit’s Solomon Straight, which actually runs under the hotel, is indicated by the quartz and granite floor tiles in reception.

The hotel is a blend of art-deco and contemporary styling, huge glass panoramic windows offering great views outside. Glossy art-deco furniture in the bedrooms celebrate the motor circuit’s 1920s heyday, as do black-and-white photographs and artworks on the walls and racing-car sculptures. Gigantic chrome propellors hanging in the 1907 bar, the year the race-track opened, are a reminder of Brooklands’ aerodrome past. Luxury executive-style rooms, named after former racing stars and decorated in smart blacks, reds and greys, feature king-sized beds, 100 percent cotton sheets, smart faux-leather headboards, 42-inch TVs and tiled bathrooms with speakers and powerful rain showers (executive rooms and suites also have baths).

The BSpa is a big draw for guests and day visitors, the sunlight therapy room just the place to relax on a deck chair in 30C degrees and listen to soothing ocean sounds. There are also relaxing water-beds in the meditation room, a sauna, steam room and range of pampering treatments on offer. Skid-pan action provides entertainment from the track-side hot tub. The two AA-rosette 1907 restaurant dishes up tartare and terrines galore plus fine-dining chicken and truffle ballotine and comforting cider and dill battered fish and chips. A decent vegan menu includes crispy tofu in a spicy Japanese teriyaki sauce and Moroccan cauliflower roulade.

Finally there are the added attractions of Mercedes Benz World, which offers driving experiences for all ages and showcases its latest vehicles in the showroom, and the next door Brooklands Motor Museum, which features vintage cars, motorbikes and bicycles – plus you can also tour the cabin of a Concorde, the world’s first supersonic jet airliner.