451 Best Hotels in England

This former hospital has been reimagined as a modish hotel with a zippy, happening vibe and add-ons that include a heated indoor-outdoor pool and spa treatments. Any residual institutional feel has been dispelled by the contemporary decor of the guest rooms, the walled garden, and a pavilion-like bistro-restaurant that offers a superb range of Mediterranean-style dishes. The location isn't auspicious (it's on the edge of the old town by an intersection), but it's only a few minutes' walk from the center. Hotel parking should be booked ahead.

A sprawling brick brewery near the river has been transformed into a distinctive modern architectural showplace, where guest rooms have dark carpeting and whitewashed walls, and furnishings are tan, white, or black. The original brewery windows appear in strange places, and staircases are contorted to fit the space, but a feeling of warmth and comfort prevails. The bar and bistro is very good, and the wine list, unsurprisingly, is excellent.

The public rooms of this boutique hotel that sprawls through eight Georgian houses combine a contemporary, relaxed atmosphere with period charm, foregoing chintz for wooden floors, exposed brick, and clubby leather sofas. Bedrooms, some overlooking the Stray, are spacious and modern, and bathrooms have deep tubs and powerful showers. Further relaxation is available at the in-house spa. The bar has a serious wine list, and the popular bistro uses locally sourced meats and fish in French-influenced takes on classics like beef cheek Bourguignon or choucroute Alsacienne (a vegan menu is also available). Good value fixed-price deals are offered for both lunch and dinner.

An elegant sandstone house dating from 1762 has been transformed by this chain into a chic boutique hotel with luxurious furnishings; Oriental rugs give public rooms a warmth that is both intimate and grand, and guest rooms are minimalist and modern, with luxurious linens and pampering bathrooms. The Burgundy Bar stocks a fine selection of French wines, and the bistro's contemporary menu changes daily but is strong on creamy soups, crisp salads, grilled steaks, and fresh seafood. It's also a hot spot for afternoon tea and Sunday lunch.

In the Lanes area, this outpost of a snazzy boutique chain has chic, modern rooms. Pampering touches include Egyptian linens and large "monsoon" showers. The more expensive rooms have luxurious roll-top baths and wonderful sea views. The bistro restaurant offers classic fare that makes use of local seafood, and the wine list is excellent. Room prices fluctuate wildly day to day, and are significantly higher in summer than other times of year; check the website for the best rates.

Though this hotel is part of a chain, each Hotel du Vin has an individual feel, and this one in the heart of town offers a modern, perhaps even sexy, base for a Stratford-upon-Avon visit. With lots of low-slung armchairs and subdued lighting in the chic bar, it’s a relaxing place to unwind after a day’s sightseeing. The on-site restaurant is decent, and rooms are modern but individual in size and details, fitting in with the fabric of the 18th-century building and its elegant Georgian facade. Bathrooms are super plush, and the outdoor terrace is a nice addition. Parking is available.

Here the imaginations of designers have been given free rein, and the result is a vicarious romp through pop culture and rock and roll in guest rooms with wildly original themes. There's the leopard-print pinup parlor, a Muhammad Ali boxing ring room, and a Caribbean dub and reggae room. Some rooms are inspired by legendary singers, from David Bowie to Dolly Parton. This place is so over-the-top, you'll either love it or hate it with equal passion.

The emphasis here is on modest-size rooms elegantly appointed and decorated with a chic eye for detail. Expect crisp linens, comfortable beds, classic furniture and knickknacks, and bespoke wallpaper. Rooms range in size, but all come with the same focus on comfort and style, including signature touches of an old-style transistor radio and a local neighborhood guide in each room. There's also an excellent on-site restaurant and bar.

The low beams, stained glass, wood paneling, and patchwork cushions that greet you as you enter this Georgian inn set the tone for the whimsical guest rooms, fancifully named after herbs and flowers (the latter, of course, being the most colorful). Feel thoroughly cocooned by the antique beds, floral quilts, and lavender-scented sheets, and take a lulling sway on a velvet swing (many rooms have one). The excellent restaurant uses herbs and vegetables from the well-tended gardens. It’s 3 miles from both Ironbridge and Bridgnorth.

With its Instagram-friendly decor scheme (brightly painted walls, taxidermy on display, campy artwork, etc.), lobby-cum–cocktail lounge featuring live music and signature cocktails, and plentiful hanging plants, this boutique hotel with an enviable location on the edge of Kensington Gardens will appeal most to guests who like a party atmosphere. Nevertheless, rooms are clean and comfortable and some have views over the Gardens. There's no restaurant, but two of London's best, oldest-established bargain restaurants (Stick & Bowl and the Spaghetti House) are just outside the front door.

Even though it's one of London's largest hotels, The Churchill is always abuzz with guests smiling at the perfection they find here, including warmly personalized service and calmly alluring guest rooms. The shimmering lobby is in Robert Adam–esque 19th-century style, and there's a gorgeous cocktail bar inspired by Winston's wife, Clementine. There are two restaurants: Locanda Locatelli, one of the best Italian restaurants in London, and the more traditional Montagu, overlooking Portman Square. Guest rooms are lovely and modern, and suites are hung with cutting-edge art on loan from the Saatchi collection. No-nonsense business travelers and VIPs appreciate the highly convenient Portman Square location and the relaxed business lounge.

The interior of this enormous 1886 property, surrounded by gardens and perched above the sea, exudes slightly faded Victorian splendor, with chandeliers, marble floors, and traditionally furnished bedrooms that are large and comfortable. It's well worth paying a bit extra for front-facing ones that have balconies and entrancing views across the bay. Note, too, that there's a daily fee for on-site parking.

This 16th-century coaching inn provides simple but comfortable rooms and a warm welcome in its main building and the News Coach House. It's a better value than other options in Burford, and a popular spot for those with children and dogs. The restaurant is open to guests and non-guests alike and serves a short but well-considered menu of British favorites.

With some of the best lake views in the Lake District, this hotel is a large Victorian property right on the edge of Ullswater, with only its own terrace and lawns separating it from the water. It's an idyllic spot, understandably popular for weddings. Many guest rooms have views of Ullswater or Helvellyn. The Lake View Restaurant is open to guests and nonguests, and if you've come down off the mountain and are covered in mud, you'll still be welcome in the Ramblers Bar. In summer you might well want to use the hotel's 9-hole pitch-and-putt golf course and croquet lawn.

This large but stylish design hotel opened in 2021 on Newcastle's waterfront and has become one of the city's most in-demand stays. Each of its stylishly understated bedrooms, which range from cozy double rooms to large town house suites, offers floor-to-ceiling windows (most with river views), modern bathrooms with rainfall showers, good-size smart TVs, and extra touches like yoga mats. The hotel also has Gino D'Acampo Quayside, an excellent Italian restaurant with an appealing riverside terrace, as well as a fully equipped 24-hour gym. There's also a great selection of local artwork throughout.

Overlooking busy Hyde Park Corner and the grounds of Buckingham Palace, this hotel's luxurious rooms are aimed at high-end business travelers. Comfortable yet sophisticated, they incorporate big windows and grand views and rich curtains and bedspreads. You will really feel treated like a king if you take one of the suites, where special guest services range from free snacks and a dedicated butler to a spin in an Aston Martin, should you feel like it.

One of Windermere's tidiest bed-and-breakfasts, spotless Ivy Bank is in a quiet, leafy part of town. The guest rooms are furnished in traditional style and have views over the rooftops. The owner is a qualified masseuse and aromatherapist and offers treatments to guests. You can use the Old England Spa nearby for a discounted rate.

Delicious breakfasts, hospitable owners, and reasonable rates enhance a stay at this stone Victorian house, close to the center of town. The B&B's simple bedrooms are light and airy, with double-glazed windows to block out traffic noise. Cyclists and walkers are welcome.

Antiques fill the cozy bedrooms of this rambling 1689 house, where the snug, painted-and-paneled parlor has a wood-burning stove for cold days. The delicious breakfast menu includes smoked wild salmon with scrambled eggs, French cheese and croissants, and a Rye variant on Welsh rarebit (fancy cheese on toast). It's served in a galleried room formerly used for Quaker meetings. Check out the extraordinary inscription by the front door; it alludes to the date the foundation stone was laid by Samuel Jeake, a local Puritan with a powerful belief in astrology. One room does not have its own bath.

This friendly family-run bed-and-breakfast is a great value given the location: it's only a short walk from the British Museum, Soho, and Covent Garden. Guest rooms won't win any design awards, but they're comfortable and clean. Breakfasts are tasty and filling, even if there's not much choice past the traditional full English breakfast. There's a small guest lounge and a pretty little garden out back—a nice touch for a B&B right in the center of town.

A short drive from Tetbury in a small hamlet, this pub and inn is a paragon of rustic chic, with cozy modern rooms furnished with big, soft beds. The ethos here is good, plain British fare and comfort, and plenty of it. With two holiday cottages supplementing the rooms above the pub, an outdoor pizza oven for the summer, and a loyal local crowd, you may have to fight for the chairs nearest the fireplace.

Set beside a 20-acre tidal lake in the tiny town of Wootton Bridge, halfway between Cowes and Ryde, this hotel is perfectly situated for exploring the northern part of the island. Rooms are decorated in contemporary style, and many have lake views; bathrooms are clean and spacious. There's an indoor pool and small spa, and a restaurant and brasserie serve good Modern British cuisine.

A stone's throw from City Hall and just down the road from The Shard, this luxurious hotel (the first international expansion from the India-based Lalit chain) harks back to the building's former incarnation as a Victorian grammar school, designating bedrooms as different types of classrooms and meeting rooms as laboratories. In the public rooms, polished wood floors and baronial stone fireplaces combine with gold-threaded tapestries, Hyderabad-style glass chandeliers, and tea lamps to create a sort of Harry Potter-goes-East effect. The fusion of Indian opulence and English heritage continues in the individually designed bedrooms, which incorporate cream-and-orange Indian textiles, wood-paneling on the walls, and elaborate molding on the high ceilings. The piéce de résistance is undoubtedly the stunning great hall, which houses the Keralan fine-dining restaurant Baluchi and a tea parlor, but the complimentary stuffed elephant toys that sit on every bed almost threaten to steal the show.

Step through the door of this ancient coaching inn and be greeted by the sight of huge flagstones, gateleg tables, armchairs, and a roaring fire, then wind your way along the tartan carpet through creaking passages and stairways to the immaculate and cozy bedrooms that are furnished in updated country style. The sense of history (the building has been here since the 15th century) is matched with excellent service, top-notch food both in the bar and restaurant, and a sheltered courtyard and walled garden for sunny days.

A glass-covered, eight-story atrium sets the scene at this truly grand hotel, where the huge bedrooms are richly furnished and have marble bathrooms; odd-numbered rooms overlook the Winter Garden restaurant beneath the glass roof. Built by a wealthy industrialist to serve a planned channel tunnel rail link in 1899, The Landmark was the victim of atrocious timing twice in its life—first when the original tunnel was canceled, and again 40 years later when it was requisitioned by the army during World War II. Lavishly reborn in the late 1990s, it has been going strong ever since. 

Close your eyes and imagine an English castle: you're probably picturing Langley, a lavish 14th-century fortification with turrets and battlements that is now is a romantic hotel, offering large, well-appointed rooms—both in the castle and out in the grounds (with castle views)—as well as one of the region's best fine-dining experiences. The romantic baronial dining room, with little candlelit alcoves draped in rich fabric, offers an excellent three-course prix-fixe menu of traditional English dishes with Italian twists; think ravioli stuffed with ox cheek. There's also a lighter (and cheaper) snack menu, served in the equally attractive drawing room. Langley Castle is 6 miles west of Hexham. Stick around after breakfast for the free morning tour of the battlements.

In the tranquil hamlet of Stonethwaite, the welcoming Langstrath was originally built as a miner's cottage in the 16th century but has expanded into a spacious inn with spacious, unfussy rooms (some with wood beams) with stunning views out to the surrounding countryside and hills. Chunky wooden tables and logs burning on a slate open fire create a perfect base for returning walkers. It has modern touches, too, like music docking stations. Traditional pub food in the bar downstairs is sourced locally, and the menu includes British favorites such as roast lamb, steak-and-ale pie, and Cumberland sausage with whole-grain mustard mash. There are Cumbrian beers, a choice of wines by the glass, and a good selection of whisky.

While the vibe once skewed toward the financial crowd of the City, now tourists and weekend trippers are a valued clientele at the Leonardo Royal Hotel; guests likely appreciate the novelty of the great location a stone's throw from Tower Bridge. Drinking and dining options include Leo's, a restaurant and bar with a Mediterranean-inspired menu. The real highlight of the hotel (aside from the location) is its spa, a subterranean sanctuary where an opulent, columned swimming pool is the star.

At this contemporary country house hotel set in 14 acres of gardens and private woodlands, the luxurious guest rooms overlook the grounds and the lake, and many of the suites have their own hot tubs. Guests can also book on-site spa treatments. Chef Simon Rogan has opened his imaginative farm-to-table restaurant Henrock at the hotel, and there's also a lovely light bar and conservatory with an imaginative menu, including a particularly delicious afternoon tea.

Somewhere between hotel and serviced apartment, Locke at Broken Wharf offers the freedom of a personal home from which you can explore The City. Like all Locke properties, Broken Wharf places the emphasis on a combination of comfort and design, providing visitors with beautiful mint green–hued studios and suites that mimic the types of looks you might find on your favorite Instagram interior design account. Even the smallest rooms come with kitchenettes and the views of the Thames are a huge bonus.