The Hotel du Vin Cheltenham didn't have the luckiest of starts. Opening just three weeks before last year's flooding stopped water supplies to the spa town for over a week, the hotel had to close again for 12 long days, sending staff off to other parts of the group while it waited along with everyone else in Gloucestershire, for normal service to be resumed.

But despite this unforeseen hiccup, the hotel has gone from strength to strength in the past year. Conveniently located just minutes from the town's fantastic shopping centre, it has quickly become the place to go to for a long weekend, a delicious evening meal, or even for spa treatments.

Looking more modern than many of the older Hotel Du Vin hotels, it exudes glamour and really has something for everyone. The atmospheric restaurant serves a menu of classic and delicious dishes, while those looking to celebrate something special can make use of the private dining facilities, or even the hotel's very own ‘Chef's table' where at the click of a button, a frosted glass window clears to allow a sneak preview of your food being prepared in the kitchen.

The hotel also has a private wine tasting room, where you can sample the best of the wine list. And for those who still can't get used to the smoking ban, a super-cool ‘Cigar Shack' has been built on the outside terrace, with heating and lighting to get smokers through the long winter months.

Not forgetting Cheltenham's links to horse racing, the hotel also has what is called the ‘sinners' enclosure', a trendy Irish whiskey bar, where lovers of the drink can sample 44 different types of whiskey, ranging from just £3 to £150 a shot. A mural on the wall depicts the raucousness of a night after the races, with Jockeys and women enjoying a drink.

It is this attention to detail that makes the hotel a real five-star experience - from the chandelier in the main bar, holding upside-down wine glasses, rather than the usual drop crystals, to the attentive waiting staff and carefully considered pictures painted on to the walls, no detail has been missed.

For a weekend away, the larger bedrooms even have twin baths and showers, as well as the latest mod-cons, not to mention the standard fare of the Hotel Du Vin where guests are encouraged to take the bathroom products home to use. And while you are there, why not bliss out in the spa, where visitors are gently pummelled by top of the range, leather massage chairs before heading through to the treatment rooms for any of a variety of ESPA treatments.

Cheltenham has long been on the map as a must-visit part of the UK. Now it also has a must-visit hotel.

Rooms start from £145 per night, room only. Visit www.hotelduvin.com for more information.