Base camp: England's luxury five-star World Cup hotel

England's team base in Kansas City is nothing like any we have seen before.

The FA has always been the envy of every other nation at major tournaments, with the very best accommodation, facilities and vibe.

The truth is, England had slim pickings this time round, because FIFA decided to give priority to those nations who are playing group matches in their chosen area. Remember, England's group games are in Dallas (500 miles away), Boston (1,300 miles) and New Jersey (1,200 miles).

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As soon as England decided they were going to stay in Kansas City - so as to limit any flight time to matches in the US to no more than 3.5 hours - they were always going to have to compromise when it came to the choice of hotels and training bases. And here, they got third dibs after Netherlands and world champions Argentina, both of whom have group games in Missouri.

That is not to say England are lacking in luxury - far from it. Their boutique hotel is an immaculate five-star, stunningly American flat-board building set in idyllic gardens and parkland, with relaxing fountains and ample lavish, dark green grass. But those gardens are not exclusive, off-limits to the public.

And the hotel itself is also very, very small. Just 54 luxury rooms to be precise, with very little in the way of secluded outside space.

Surrounding the hotel, which occupies the centre of the park, is some of the most expensive real estate for miles. Think manicured lawns, immaculate gardens and armies of tradesmen and women dead-heading flowers and washing windows.

For the next few weeks, the wealthy locals will live within a few hundred metres of some of the most famous footballers in the world.

The FA has made the hotel its own, as it always does, with no stone unturned. A short 15-minute stroll around the entire perimeter reveals views of the basketball hoop looming above the fencing, the newly-planted trees to offer shade and some privacy for the seating areas that the players can relax in, and - for when they're not relaxing - the huge white tent swallowed by a forest of air-conditioning ducts, which contains all the gym equipment for the squad to work out in.

As is always the case, the players' rooms will be a special surprise for each of them, personalised in terms of bedding, pillows and photos of loved ones back home.

They also have all the Sky Sports channels in every bedroom. And you can bet there will be a steady stream of famous guests and celebrities booked to entertain the players inside the hotel in their downtime.

In West Palm Beach last week, for example, Brooks Koepka played a round with England's golf-lovers, and at the Euros in Germany two summers ago, Ed Sheeran did an in-camp gig.

The truth is this time, England have put travel logistics ahead of the perfect accommodation. If the heat and transport times are their biggest enemy to wining this World Cup, they've tried incredibly hard to minimise journey times and the resultant player fatigue.

But, as a result, the FA has had to compromise in terms of hotel privacy and space.