The Swan Hotel - After a ?300,000 refurbishment, this traditional old coaching inn has a new look and new facilities, including free Wi-Fi, free parking, a new bar, renovated rooms and a brand new restaurant. With a real open fireplace at its heart, the Swan Hotel's large bar offers fine wines and an excellent selection of beers and traditional real ales. The interesting and varied menu features traditional home-cooked English food, combined with a wider range of meals, with something to suit everyone. The specials board changes on a regular basis. All of the hotel's 21 comfortable en suite rooms are well furnished. Dating back to before the Doomsday Book, Thaxted itself is a small, charming town with a rich history. This can be explored by visiting the town's impressive 13th century church, the 15th century guildhall and John Webb's windmill, which houses a museum of rural life. Stansted Airport is only a 15-minute drive away.

Bull Hotel - Originally built in 1398, the Bull is best described as a high street pub with bedrooms; offering warmth, character and individuality, the lively pub is the social centre of this Essex town. Halstead is a quaint, but often busy, north Essex town, particularly at weekends. Situated in the heart of the town, at the bottom of the High Street, the building has been a coaching inn for over 500 years. The Bull boasts a warm comfortable ambience, relaxed dining, an extensive menu and an inviting bar with a fantastic range of beers, wines and spirits. A hearty full English breakfast is served every morning. With a vibrant and lively atmosphere, the pub offers regular live music nights and karaoke at the weekends until late into the evenings. All major sporting events are shown on the big-screen plasma TVs in the bars. Please note that bedrooms are affected by noise from the bars at weekends.

Atlantis Guest House - Atlantis Guest House offers a quiet and comfortable stay in the centre of Southend's peaceful conservation area, minutes from the High Street, the pier, seafront, restaurants and entertainment. The Victorian house was built in 1888 and is 3 minutes from Essex University. Atlantis has a high standard of hospitality and cleanliness, free Wi-Fi and private parking for guests. The guest house is an easy walk from Adventure Island Theme Park, and just 100 metres from Southend Central train and bus stations. Southend Victoria Station is a 10-minute walk, and there is easy access to London Southend Airport.

Pheasant Lodge and Pheasant Suite - With a beautiful, peaceful countryside location, in the grounds of a non-working farm, this beautiful lodge and suite offer luxurious accommodation, free Wi-Fi and superb breakfasts. The Pheasant Lodge and Pheasant Suite are situated in the grounds of Balls Farm, a 17th-century farmhouse surrounded by fields and wildlife. Offering complete privacy and total independence, the lodge and the suite are both separate from the farm's main building and both have their own entrance and private parking. Each has their own stylish and luxurious bathroom with modern facilities. Both the lodge and the suite also feature flat-screen TVs with DVD players. The full English breakfast features fresh local produce wherever possible, including 19 different types of sausage. Smoked salmon, posh porridge and luxury muesli are also available. Beth Chatto Gardens and the heart of the village of Elmstead Market are less than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away.

Avalon - Minutes from London Stansted Airport, Avalon offers comfortable accommodation, free Wi-Fi, competitive prices and transfers to the airport and Elsenham Rail Station. Avalon provides free transfers to the airport between 04:00 and 11:00. Transfers from the airport are available from 16:00 until 22:00 (additional cost). Transfers to and from Elsenham station are free. Located in the lovely village of Elsenham, Avalon is about 2 miles (3.2 km) due north of the airport. Avalon has some rooms with en suite bathrooms, but rooms without en suite bathrooms are also available. A laundry facility is on-site. A self-service continental-style breakfast is included. Takeaway breakfasts are available if you need to leave early.

Stansted Airport Lodge - This modern and comfortable lodge is less than 5 minutes from the Stansted Airport terminal and offers 'park and fly' deals. Stansted Airport Lodge offers Wi-Fi access is in its public areas. Transfers from the airport (additional cost) are available from the short-stay orange car park. Transfers from the lodge to the airport run every 30 minutes from 03:30.

The Yew Tree Inn - This charming inn originally dates back to 1457 and is situated in the heart of the village of Manuden, approximately 3 miles from Stansted Airport. The inn has 14 individually decorated and appointed rooms, each with their own character and charm. There are 11 en suite rooms, 3 of which are situated in the inn itself, 4 run alongside the building and 4 that are housed in their own block within the grounds. There is a large and welcoming bar, full of attractive period features, as well as a restaurant with an award-winning chef. The chef and his team will cater for all your dining requirements and the restaurant offers everything from light lunches to ? la carte evening meals. There is ample on-site parking, with airport parking available at an additional cost, and the inn also offers a transfer service to and from the airport.

Homelye Farm - Homelye Farm is 15 minutes from Stansted Airport, Leez Priory and Maidens Barn. All the cosy guest rooms are on the ground floor, in converted farm stables. Homelye Farm is built around 2 courtyards and vehicles can be safely parked outside your room. It provides a peaceful, comfortable stay in a relaxed, friendly and safe atmosphere. The individually styled rooms have spacious en suite facilities, digital LCD TVs. The rural accommodation is also well-located for the M11 and Braintree.

Stansted Lodge Ltd. - Around 7 minutes from Stansted Airport, this accommodation offers quality rooms, competitive prices and transfers to/from the airport and Elsenham Rail Station. Stansted Lodge Ltd. offers transfers to the airport from 04:00 (free), and from the airport until 22:00 (additional cost). Elsenham Rail Station transfers are free. Located in the lovely village of Elsenham, Stansted Lodge is about one mile due north of the airport. Staff pride themselves on providing clean, secure and warm rooms, with an even warmer, friendly service. A laundry facility is available. The accommodation is walking distance from Elsenham train station which gives direct access to London Liverpool Street or Cambridge. Stansted Lodge is not located under a flight paths, so no planes fly overhead.

Pier View - In central Southend, with superb views of its pier and estuary, this 4-star (Silver Award), boutique, family-run Guest Accommodation is in a conservation area, next to the high street and a very short stroll from the beach. Within a charming Grade II Listed building, Pier View opened in March 2008 after an 8-month restoration of its original architecture. Pier View now offers Wi-Fi and LCD TVs in all bedrooms, with traditional Georgian fireplaces and beautiful ceiling cornices. In a central Southend location, Pier View is 5 minutes' walk from the Central Train Station (direct links to London) and the Central Bus Station, 10 minutes from Victoria Train Station. The A127 and M25 are also easily accessible.