451 Best Hotels in England

With their eclectic design, rare prints, and antique furnishings, the two spacious guest rooms of this charming B&B in a Queen Anne building are full of character. The real draw, however, is their view of the Avebury stone circles, which the Lodge sits within. Generous vegan and vegetarian breakfasts use mostly organic ingredients and are cooked to order.

Steps away from the London Bridge rail and Tube stations, and handy for the South Bank, this thoroughly modern, stylish hotel is popular with business travelers, but leisure travelers find it just as appealing. The diminutive but sleek rooms have an understated contemporary look, and three spacious two-bedroom apartments come with a kitchen, living room, and dining room. An inviting lounge serves bar food, and there's a more formal restaurant as well.

Set in a row of white Georgian town houses, this excellent budget option in hit-or-miss Bayswater is friendly, well run, and spotlessly clean. The tone is set right from the gleaming white lobby and minimalist public areas. Guest rooms are modern and well maintained. Rooms in the basement, unsurprisingly, are the best bargain, but also the most cramped. A continental buffet breakfast is available for an extra £15.95 per person.

This grand hotel on the Thames enjoys some of the most landmark-loaded views in the city—right next door is the London Eye, and directly across the Thames are the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Until the 1980s this building was the seat of London's government, and the public areas are suitably imposing, full of pedimented archways, bronze doors, and acres of polished mahogany. All the business-friendly bells and whistles you could ever want are available, and many of the stylish but unfussy modernist rooms have that aforementioned amazing view.

A big favorite with the business crowd, this pleasant modern outpost of the Marriott megachain is just one of several big-name hotels on busy Cromwell Road. An enormous plexiglass frontage enlivens (and neatly soundproofs) the otherwise cookie-cutter exterior. It's so geared to business travelers that the breakfast room empties by 8:30, but it's also about as smooth and well-run as you could hope for. Guest rooms aren't huge, but they're quiet and comfortable. There's a good bar, but you'll probably want to eat out.

After spending centuries as a cozy, stone-walled inn with exposed oak beams, this historic building has been transformed into Bamburgh's most upmarket—and most expensive—hotel stay. Choose from seven recently refurbished, individually designed boutique bedrooms, with the best of the bunch (the premium Lord Crewe room) offering a four-poster bed and rolltop bath. Even if you don't stay, book a meal in the superb restaurant downstairs, known for its freshly caught seafood.

You'll find refinement and a warm welcome in this rambling 17th-century manor house with Victorian additions, tucked away in a quintessential Cotswold village. Public rooms and bedrooms, both in the main house and in the converted granary and barn, are decorated in a classic contemporary style with country-house floral patterns, a muted color scheme, and antiques. Within the grounds is a sunny, espaliered walled garden and terrace—perfect for relaxation. Also of note is the award-winning restaurant, The Atrium, offering creative contemporary fare and excellent wines on fixed-price menus; there's also a less expensive restaurant. 

Driving up Lucknam Park’s mile-long avenue of lime and beech trees toward the 18th-century Palladian mansion, you may feel like you’ve bagged an invitation to stay with Jane Austen’s demanding hostess, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, in Pride and Prejudice—though the mansion is now a traditional country-house hotel par excellence. Think Chesterfield sofas, wing chairs, and wood paneling in the public rooms, with swagged window treatments, rich fabrics, and rain-forest showers in the guest rooms. There’s a Michelin-starred formal restaurant, and the attentive service would meet even Lady Catherine’s exacting standards. There's also an equestrian center, which offers lessons for beginners and the more experienced across the hotel’s 500 acres of woods and parkland. 

It's worth the winding drive on some of Cornwall's narrowest roads to reach the tiny fishing village that's home to this waterfront hideaway, where three 17th-century cottages have been given eclectic modern style with bleached Portuguese wood and subdued hues in the small bedrooms. Self-catering lodgings are also available. Seafood is a good choice at the excellent restaurant overlooking the diminutive harbor. There's a terrace for drinks and sunbathing, and on either side of the hotel the rugged coastline tempts you with exhilarating walks. The Lugger is 8 miles east of St. Mawes and 12 miles southeast of Truro.

Used as a guesthouse by the abbots of Cleeve in the 14th century and named for the family that occupied Dunster Castle for some 600 years, this classic inn harmonizes perfectly in style and atmosphere with Dunster village and castle. Opt for a superior or four-poster room for more space and views over the Yarn Market or the small garden. Bar meals and good ales are served in the log-fire-warmed bar, and there's a more formal restaurant.

Tudoresque wood paneling, beamed ceilings, wattle-and-daub walls, and blazing fireplaces help define this as an archetypal English coaching inn. The guest rooms, overlooking either a quiet courtyard or the town square, have plenty of carved oak; some have four-poster or canopied beds. Legend has it that the Bear is where Richard Burton finally popped the question to Elizabeth Taylor. A spookier legend holds it to be one of the most haunted hotels in the United Kingdom. One story concerns the ghost of a little boy, who allegedly loves to play hide-and-seek with guests.

Housed in one of the city’s grand Victorian buildings, this traditional hotel is a surprisingly good value option in the center of Birmingham. Guest rooms are decorated either with conservative dark woods and print fabrics or, for a slightly higher rate, in a modern, minimalist style using warm, muted colors. The Berlioz restaurant has a contemporary British menu, or you can take afternoon tea in the Berlioz Bar.

Although fishing aficionados consider this luxurious, 17th-century, Thames-side inn ideal, the place is stylish enough to attract those with no interest in casting a line. The name comes from Izaak Walton's 1653 masterpiece of angling advice and philosophy, which he wrote in this area. Rooms, traditional in style, are subtly decorated in earth tones with purple touches, and many have views over the Thames. The hotel's Riverside Restaurant serves outstanding Modern British cooking with terrace and waterside views. A sunny conservatory serves afternoon tea.

Built as a getaway for a wealthy banker in 1812, this charming country estate surrounded by 450 acres of private grounds is wonderfully secluded; it's a full five minutes' drive off the nearest public road. The original building is well maintained, particularly the beautiful, spacious atrium and a wood-paneled bar. A modern wing has less character, and the guest rooms could do with a face-lift, but the beds are comfortable and the bathrooms modern. The Dobson Restaurant serves good Modern British cuisine, and the family-friendly Linden Tree pub is an option if you want something more relaxed. Part of the vast estate has been converted into an 18-hole golf course, which makes it a popular destination for sports enthusiasts. A spa and indoor swimming pool are on-site. The hotel is located just off the A1, roughly halfway between Morpeth and Alnwick.

Formerly a convent, this Georgian B&B sits directly opposite the abbey grounds, with views over the walls. The light and airy rooms are spotless and well equipped, and breakfast is served in a large kitchen, where you share one large table with other guests (choices include an energizing granola and yogurt compote). The three-story building has a chairlift for the mobility impaired; the house is a shoe-free environment (slippers are provided).

Former guests at this charming, eccentric, very old lodging with modern creature comforts included Elizabeth I and Catherine of Aragon. The lobby, bar, and restaurant retain more in the way of historic charm, although bedrooms in the eaves have exposed beams and sloping ceilings (which means watch your head). The Wine Press restaurant serves good, Modern British meals, made with plenty of East Anglian ingredients—Norfolk quail ballotine with dauphinoise, for instance, or beef marinated in treacle.

Luxury retail therapy is on your doorstep at this chic hotel in the Mailbox development with its Harvey Nichols store. Large windows make the guest rooms light and airy by day, and there’s subtle lighting by night. Furnishings are bright and funky, and bathrooms indulge you with tailor-made toiletries. There's also a spa and gym on-site.

The Leeds outpost of a boutique-hotel mini-chain is in an Edwardian building that once contained the headquarters of a local tram company and now contains guest rooms featuring striking wallpaper, crushed-velvet textiles in gray and yellow, and, sometimes, floor-to-ceiling windows. The intimate, below-ground brasserie serves Modern British gastropub favorites.

Converted from an old riverside warehouse, this glamorous, design-conscious hotel sits beside the iconic Millennium Bridge. Guest rooms, done in a modern style with clever rococo-esque touches of gilt and velvet, are spacious, and the huge beds are piled high with pillows. The discreet Mal restaurant presents modern French fare in a room overlooking the Tyne. Combined dinner, bed, and breakfast deals are available.

Housed in what was a 19th-century prison, this high-concept boutique hotel remains true to its unusual history by showing off the original metal doors and exposed-brick walls. In the main guest wing, past the chic reception area, it is undeniably an old prison, albeit a stylishly lit one. Truth be told, this does take some getting used to; you half expect guests to bang their spoons on the white metal railings if breakfast isn't served on time. But fear not, the accommodations in the old cell block are quite luxurious and have modern bathrooms. Guest rooms in converted outbuildings on the other side of the old exercise yard (ominously called "The House of Correction") are smaller and a little plainer, although still modern and perfectly pleasant.

The first London outpost of the fashionable French hotel brand, the rooms and public areas here have the feel of an upmarket design hotel—think marble-top tables, bold fabrics, and atmospheric designed lighting—but at a fraction of the cost.

Following an extensive renovation after a roof fire, the imposing Edwardian facade of this ultraluxe hotel on the edge of Hyde Park belies the modern and bright setting within that features spacious bedrooms filled with high-tech gadgets. The hotel's main, double-Michelin-starred restaurant has views over the park and is overseen by top-flight chef Heston Blumenthal. There's also a "Japanese izakaya experience" restaurant and a similarly Asian-influenced tea room. The large renovated spa is equally innovative and high-end. Service is exemplary (every floor has its own butler) and guests can use the outdoor terrace bordering Hyde Park.

Secret passageways and a priest hole testify to the age of this 16th-century building, where the mullioned windows, original stonework, and log fires in winter are tastefully balanced by smart, contemporary furnishings in the public areas. Bedrooms, displaying the same mix of modern and antique, come with good bathrooms with quality toiletries. The well-regarded Mulberry restaurant serves an updated English menu, while the Beagle Bar, in a bright, modern conservatory overlooking the lovely garden, has cheaper eats.

Built in 1847, this historic property was originally called "the Grecian Villa,” which gives you an idea of its architectural style, though the rooms and furnishings are more down-to-earth. Its centerpiece is an elegant wood-paneled spiral staircase. No two guest rooms are alike, and they incorporate many of the building's original architectural features as well as modern comforts.

A warm, informal welcome greets all who stay at this Victorian establishment not too far from the Royal Crescent, where each room charms with period furniture, fresh flowers, and antique beds. Air-conditioned rooms have a fridge and complimentary sherry for evening relaxation. Leisurely breakfasts are encouraged; choose from scones, yogurts, and savory omelets. All the food is organic and vegetarian, and vegans and those with special diets will find their needs amply supplied.

Capitalizing on its location in central London's most intimate, village-like neighborhood, The Marylebone features contemporary designer rooms and drinking and dining options that match the boutique elements of its surroundings. Rooms are styled in neutral tones and those on the higher floors offer the kind of quaint rooftop views that have become increasingly rare in a city intent on building bigger. The elegant 108 Brasserie is the perfect spot for people-watching, whether from inside or poised on its outdoor terrace flanked by cobblestone Marylebone Lane. 

Located across from St. Pancras International station, this colorful, snazzily designed hotel offers guests rooms with a chic contemporary vibe and all the latest amenities, from espresso machines to Bluetooth speakers. Rooms come in decent sizes, with the more spacious ones on the upper floors, having huge windows to view the cityscape. Magenta, the hotel restaurant, serves good modern European fare.

Set on a 200-acre working estate, surrounded by ancient woodlands and overlooking the moors, this elegant retreat has rooms in a Georgian mansion as well as in buildings throughout the grounds that once served as shepherds' huts, a dairy, and a coach house and that might feature exposed timber beams, freestanding baths, woodburning stoves, or hot tubs. The menu at the fine-dining Forge restaurant, which uses ingredients sourced from the estate or elsewhere in the area, changes daily, with dishes like duck with salsify and cavolo nero in an herb emulsion or trout with kohlrabi buttermilk and Douglas fir dressing. The Coach House gastropub is a less-formal choice. If you're exhausted from tromping across the moors, revive with a dip in the heated swimming pool fed by the estate's own spring or with a therapeutic massage in the Forest Spa.

If the rose garden, trout-filled pond, and sheep on the hill at this 18th-century golden-stone Queen Anne house aren't appealing enough, then the stone-flagged floors, leather sofas, and grandfather clocks of this plush B&B should satisfy. Booking ahead is essential to secure one of the three beautiful, traditional-style pastel bedrooms. Ask about discounted midweek and weekend packages. It's 1 mile from Broadway on Snowshill Road.

Located next to a conference center and opposite a Tube station, this is very much a business hotel. The lobby is sleek and minimalist with polished marble floors and soaring blonde-wood columns, while the guest rooms are similarly tasteful (though bordering on bland) with neutral creams and earth tones complemented by light-wood desks and leather chairs. There are two bars and several restaurants (plus an attached casino), which means that you don't have to go out if you'd prefer to stay in.