Raffles Lakeshore Manor – Non Island Suite

Soft blue panelling, gilt consoles, blue velvet at the windows and on the chaise, a scatter of framed prints, and a wide cased opening rather than a door between the bedroom and the lounge — so the whole 120 square metres reads as one long room with the lake down one side.

It is worth taking for the same reason the Lakeshore rooms are — space, privacy and an unhurried stay — and it suits a long visit rather than a short one. The balcony has a table and two chairs on it, and the water runs flat to the hills. There are 4 restaurants and bars in the same building, the island is a boat ride away, and the butler is the same butler. Two guests and a child.