Nothing quite puts a dent into the sheen of a honeymoon adventure than the trip to the airport. No matter how you look at it, there’s nothing remotely romantic about sitting in traffic.

So why not start as you mean to go on by staying at a hotel that’s under 30 minutes from Heathrow, one of the worlds busiest airports. Instead of sitting in a car for two hours, enjoy an extra hour and a half of bliss and relaxation at The Grove, an exquisite manor house, that’s removed from the hustle and bustle of London life.

Set in 300 acres of private parkland in Hertfordshire, it’s the perfect balance between city and country, classic and contemporary. A former estate of the Earls of Clarendon, this Grade II Listed mansion has been restored to reflect its current incarnation of urban chic meets country charm. So if you want to spend your first night together as a married couple in a grand manor that’s got sumptuous modern design with a heritage twist, then you’ve struck gold.

As have they after winning the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller award for the UK’s Best Leisure Hotel this year. They beat off stiff competition from some of the country’s leading hotels such as Babington House and the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.

The glamorous Grove deserves its accolade and you can join the reverie by staying in suite 25, simply known as ‘Seventh Heaven.’ It is in the French Chateau style with a few twists. Inspired by 1940’s silk stockings, the central feature has to be the decadent bed. Towering 3 meters high, it’s a glorious plexiglas four-poster with sheer silk drapes and ostrich feathers at the top of each column.

The suite is filled with furnishings that have come from all over the world, everything from body jewellery worn by Kylie and Madonna to parquet flooring from an apartment in Paris. The bathroom is just as lavish, with a square glass bath overlooking the garden below. Just don’t get too relaxed or you might miss your plane.