There's nothing like a four poster bed to keep you snug and warm in the cold winter - that's what they were designed for, after all. So if you're looking to treat yourself with a bit of luxury, take a tip from lords, ladies and princesses long gone, and draw the curtains for an utterly relaxing break.
We've tracked down some of the best, from traditional UK hotels and a converted chapel to exotic boutique winter sun and camping the four-poster way.
Who could say no to a bedroom fit for a Queen? And the Queen's Suite at the Spread Eagle Hotel in Midhurst, West Sussex, is said to have been slept in by Queen Elizabeth I when she passed through Sussex in 1591 – although the mattress in the four poster bed isn't original, thankfully.
As well as its own sitting room and luxurious bathroom – well, if you're going to mimic royalty, why not do it properly – there's even your very own wig closet, thought to be the last in England... and surely essential for any aristocratic weekend away!
Some of the deluxe rooms and The White Room also have four poster beds. Rates start from £220 or from £340 for the Queen's suite.
Glamping has been getting ever more glam over the past few years – but it's tricky to think of a more luxurious camping experience than a tent with its own four poster bed. Yes, that right, under the canvas in the luxury tents at Jolly Days Luxury Camping in Yorkshire is your very own indulgent bed rather than a damp sleeping bag.
With their own gas stove and woodburner, the tents are 75metres square – which puts some hotel rooms to shame – as well as wool blankets to keep you snug. Plus it's eco friendly, as there's no permanent structures. Prices start from £120 per night in December.
Marooned in Mafia Island Marine Park, Chole Island is almost as far from civilisation as you can get – no cars, no electricity, no phones, and you're 30 miles off the coast of Tanzania. But being in the lush middle of nowhere doesn't mean giving up on civilisation altogether at Chole Mjini where the treehouses in the baobab trees come with four poster beds.
There's comfy sofas in the tropical gardens, looking out over mangroves to the sea, where you can dive or simply enjoy the peace. Too good to be true? It gets better, with around £6 of every night's stay going to fund local projects, such as building primary schools and adult education centres. A six-night stay costs from £1,504 per person including flights, transfers, full board in a treehouse and some activities with Expert Africa.
Now, size isn't everything. But if you're looking for the ultimate four poster bed, it's hard to beat the 20ft high version in Lumley Castle, County Durham which dates back more than 600 years. If you can drag yourself out of the four poster Queen Anne bed in the King James Suite, the room also has a Jacuzzi and view of the parklands surrounding the castle, as well as the River Wear.
Or if you'd like to start smaller, many of the feature bedrooms in the Courtyard and Castle rooms have four poster beds, as well as feature baths to ensure you're as relaxed as possible. Feature double rooms start from £254.
Praise the Lord – a B&B which stands out from the crowd, is heavenly to stay in and doesn't require you to sell your soul to the devil to be able to afford to stay there. St Curig's Church in Capel Curig, Gwynedd is a converted 19th century church, with stained glass windows and a pulpit in one of the rooms, while two of the six bedrooms have four poster beds to enjoy.
And once you've finished exploring the stunning countryside of Snowdonia National Park all around, there's even an outdoor hot tub to soothe your muscles. Prices start from £70.
Home of the Jaipur Royal Family until 1957, the Rambagh Palace captures all the extravagance of a lost world, with marble floors, beautiful Rajasthani artwork and luxurious fabrics in the historical and royal suites, some of which were the personal rooms of the Maharaja of Jaipur – plus four poster beds in the Palace Rooms as well as the suites.
As well as marvelling at the intricately carved pillars and green Udaipur stone arches, you can explore the Mughal gardens, looking out to Nahargarh Fort and the Aravali hills. Three nights costs from £555 per person in 2011, excluding flights and transfers. Contact Elegant Resorts for more information.
The gothic inspired suites at Witchery by the Castle seem to need a whole new set of superlatives and adjectives to describe their quirky opulence, from lavish theatrical decoration like velvet hangings and tapestries to mirror-clad walls – and, naturally, four poster beds in many of them, although each room has a feature or antique bed of some kind.
Try the newest suite, the Heriot, with its black and gold hallway, oak-panelled sitting room with tapestry covered walls and the inevitably dramatic bedroom, where the four poster bed has an oak headboard set against a mirrored wall. Suites currently cost £295 per night, including a bottle of champagne and breakfast served in your suite.
In the ancient medina of Fes, it seems life has barely changed for centuries – although you'll spot donkeys laden down with very modern white goods wandering the 9,000-plus alleys. So after enjoying the assault on the senses, from the traditional tanneries to the fast-talking salesmen in the souks, you need somewhere to relax. And in the converted Riad Maison Bleue, once a private house, you'll come across some very traditional Gnaoua musicians and mint tea, as well as some less classically Moroccan four poster beds.
Draped with Moroccan fabric, the bedrooms also have luxury rugs, huge sitting areas and lanterns to light it all – and that's just the standard rooms. A three-night stay costs from £599 per person, including flights with Travelzest's Best of Morocco.
It's worth making sure you're first to check in to Femlingham Hall, near Aylsham in Norfolk – the Grade II listed Elizabethan manor house sleeps 14, but there's only four poster beds in five of the seven bedrooms. The two most impressive at the original 17th century carved and panelled ones which have been a part of the property for over 300 years.
But whoever misses out on the chance to snaffle one of these can console themselves with the antiques scattered throughout the house, which was once home to the royal architect to the court of James I, William Talman. A three night stay starts from £3,001 or around £71.50 per person per night. Book with Rural Retreats.
Perthshire isn't the most obvious place to get a taste of the Far East in Scotland, but with the Four Seasons Hotel at St Fillans crammed with furniture brought back from its owner on his travels, that's exactly what you find. And that includes the four poster beds in many of the rooms looking out along Loch Earn and to the Perthshire hills.
There's even an ornate day bed in one of the public rooms, if you get so relaxed you're practically parallel. Bed and breakfast starts from £75 per person per night, based on two sharing a four poster room. Or bed and breakfast plus a four course dinner is from £105 per person per night in a four poster room.