ITS celebrity guests are said to have included supermodel Kate Moss and actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Now a luxury Hampshire hotel celebrating its 50th anniversary has been named best in the country in a ceremony at which it collected a trio of top awards.

Chewton Glen finished ahead of all its rivals, including Claridge's and The Dorchester, in the first ever Hoteliers' Hotel Top 100 list.

At the same event the lavish five-star establishment in Christchurch Road, New Milton, was also crowned Countryside Hotel of the Year and the Spa Hotel of the Year.

They are the latest in a long list of accolades secured by Chewton Glen, which boasts a Roman-themed pool and individually-decorated rooms.

Managing director Andrew Stembridge said: “I'm truly humbled that so many of the good and the great of the hospitality industry chose to vote for Chewton Glen as their favourite hotel, especially knowing how many amazing properties there are to choose from.

"It's particularly special to the whole team at Chewton Glen that we have received this accolade in 2016 as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary."

Another New Forest hotel, Lime Wood, near Lyndhurst, finished in sixth place.

The judges cited recent improvements at Chewton Glen, including the addition of luxury treehouse suites and the opening later this year of The Kitchen, a £2.6 million cookery school that will be overseen by TV chef James Martin.

The Hoteliers’ Hotel Top 100 was compiled by leading hoteliers and verified by industry experts, including AA hotel inspectors, and senior editors at The Caterer.

Hoteliers were not permitted to vote for their own hotel or hotels within their group or collection.

Amanda Afiya, editor of The Caterer, said: “Hoteliers know their industry, its pitfalls and opportunities best, so who better to ask when compiling a list of the top hotels in the UK?

"We’re lucky to have so many wonderful hotels across UK and excited to be launching this list. There are, of course, many ways of ranking and evaluating hotels, but there’s nothing quite as special as peer-group recognition.”

In 2014 Chewton Glen was named the No1 UK holiday hotel by readers of the Conde Nast Traveller magazine.