451 Best Hotels in England

Artsy, laid-back, and genuinely friendly, this little gem occupies an 18th-century building in the village of Orford, 10 miles east of Woodbridge. Many rooms have bathrooms with sunflower-size showerheads, and the garden rooms are particularly spacious. The restaurant focuses on Modern British fare, including fresh fish and local Butley oysters. In warm weather, the outdoor terrace is a great place for grandstand views of nearby Orford Castle. No children under eight are allowed.

It's easy to miss the low-key sign for this elegant, modern hotel tucked away amid the frilly houses on Marine Parade, but it's worth the trouble of finding, because everything is cool, calm, and sleekly designed. The lobby is dark and sophisticated, while each guest room has its own style, with handmade wallpaper, firm beds covered in luxurious linens, and art everywhere. Some "feature" rooms have quirky touches, including claw-foot tubs looking out to sea. Rooms with sea views are much more expensive than the others, but what's the point of a seaside hotel without a sea view? The hotel's excellent fine dining restaurant Dilsk has a big local following for its Modern European cuisine. 

After four centuries, this friendly old coaching inn remains an outstanding place for both food and lodging, with bedrooms—bright and exceptionally comfortable—that have wonderful views of the Langdale Pikes. Newer rooms have rolltop tubs and underfloor heating. Slip into the cozy, dog-friendly bar with an open fire and oak settles, and order a tasty real ale from the Duck's Barngates Brewery. The dining space is light and airy.

This beautifully converted town house (home of the Duke of Gloucester when he was a student) is forever cropping up in British newspaper articles about the best bed-and-breakfasts in the country. The guest rooms sure look like they've been copied from the pages of a lifestyle magazine—swaths of white and ivory, offset by subtle blues or floral accents, envelop the large and comfortable beds like a swanky cocoon. Flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi are thoughtful extras, and impeccably chosen local art hangs on the walls in the public areas. The house is a 10-minute walk from King's College.

This lodging option stands out for its historic setting enhanced by elegant, contemporary decor in a building—the Free Trade Hall, constructed in 1853 on the site of the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 and used at one time as a concert venue that hosted the likes of Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, and the Sex Pistols—that retains many original features. In the heart of the city, the hotel offers up an atmospheric subterranean spa (with a swimming pool, sauna, steam rooms, and cutting-edge gym), and memorable dining including luxurious afternoon teas and contemporary Japanese and Mexican small plates in Peter Street Kitchen. 

Seven miles southwest of Greenhead on the edge of the North Pennines, this luxury country estate is an idyllic away-from-it-all escape. The rooms are beautifully appointed in warm grays, greens, and blues, with modern bathrooms and garden views, and larger groups can enjoy the extra spacious cottages on the grounds. The elegant Cedar Tree Restaurant offers fine dining using the best local and seasonal produce, with meals accompanied by stunning views across the manicured lawn to the ornamental lake. Take a stroll around the grounds, including the walled garden, and consider a short walk to the village's pretty St. Thomas a Becket Church, where the chief engineer of the Titanic is buried.

You can’t miss the striking black-and-white facade of this centrally located Tudor hotel, which dates from the 16th century. Its interior has a satisfyingly antique flavor, with wooden beams, creaking staircases, and ancient floorboards; some rooms have four-poster beds, and some have a teddy bear propped up on the pillow to welcome you. A bright and welcoming coffee shop is downstairs, or you can book a table in the colorful main restaurant for seasonal mains, such as grilled hake or slow-braised Herefordshire ox cheek. Afternoon tea is available.

What was once a crumbling Georgian mansion has been beautifully converted to a relaxing, contemporary hotel with good-size, well-designed guest rooms decorated in soothing color schemes. Rooms have Nespresso machines and minibars stocked with local goodies. Overlooking the serene Ludlow countryside, Forelles Fine Dining serves well-regarded Modern British cuisine, with most of the produce sourced from within a 30-mile radius; Sunday lunch is particularly good. Also on-site are a bistro-style restaurant for more relaxed dining and a gorgeous spa with an outdoor cedar hot tub.

As the only hotel in the United Kingdom with access to Bath's natural thermal waters, thanks to its location in a custom-designed Spa Village, the Gainsborough has a unique appeal. Add the opulent neo-Georgian rooms in a grand Georgian former hospital, perhaps the best staff in town, and a restaurant focused on the creative side of British cuisine, and you'd be hard put to find fault with this temple of luxury located in the very heart of the city's comings-and-goings.

Hidden among 22 acres of gorgeous grounds you'll find the main house, 16 garden and spa suites and lodges, and also the separate six-room Lake House, for a total of 36 bedrooms between the hotel and Lake House. There are two superb restaurants, Gilpin Spice and Michelin-starred SOURCE, where chef Ollie Bridgwater takes the helm. Check in for a treat, but beware: you won't ever want to leave.

With Buckingham Palace just around the corner, this hotel, built in 1910 and now run by third-generation Gorings, has always been a favorite among discreet VIPs—including Kate Middleton's family on the night before her marriage to Prince William in 2011. The vibe is quintessentially Belgravia: a luxurious and welcoming atmosphere, mixed with traditional Edwardian style including silk and embossed wallpapers, pearl-fringed curtains, patterned carpets, and brass and gilded fittings. If you can't stay the night here but still fancy a taste of the royally endorsed treatment, the Goring's traditional afternoon tea is excellent, and the glamorous bar serves surprisingly innovative cocktails. The beautifully uniformed and helpful concierge staff go above and beyond, with a knowledge of London that's second to none.

At this hotel tucked behind the Fitzwilliam Museum on the banks of the River Cam, punters drift by in a steady stream, restored punts adorn the walls of the lobby and staircase, and rooms conjure romantic notions of nostalgia (think wood paneling, writers' bureaus, and Voysey-esque headboards). The on-site Garden House restaurant is excellent.

Solid mahogany doors, handsome stairwell tilework, and Art Nouveau ironwork are among the original features at this luxurious but down-to-earth hotel near the train station and in a 1906 building that was formerly the headquarters of the regional railroad. Spacious bedrooms are sleek and contemporary, with king-size beds, good soundproofing, and well-equipped bathrooms with underfloor heating. The breakfast-and-dinner-only Rise restaurant serves favorites like pan-friend stone bass or shepherd's pie, while the more formal Legacy offers small-plate tasting menus of five, seven, or nine courses (from £90) Wednesday through Sunday. There's also a highly proficient spa with a pool.

Colorful, luxurious, playful, and riotously good fun, Ham Yard is another winner from the stable of London hotel designer extraordinaire Kit Kemp. As with her other sumptuous properties, guest rooms are individually designed, and the results here are splendid. Elegant, restrained color schemes are invigorated by cheeky, playful touches—designer wallpaper and furnishings in contrasting shades of gray offset by riotously colorful headboards, for example, or pieces of modern art that seem to burst from the walls like sunshine. Everything is designed with maximum comfort in mind—there's even a TV in the bathroom. Movies are shown in the state-of-the art basement cinema (which also hosts exclusive preview screenings with Hollywood A-listers) and there's even a 10-pin bowling alley—imported from Texas. The restaurant is excellent and the bar is as buzzing as you'd expect. To top it all, service is excellent.

Just a five-minute walk from the village of Hampton-in-Arden, this hotel (and its Michelin-star restaurant, Grace & Saviour’s) is proof that Birmingham lodging isn’t all about business travel. Here, the focus is very much on relaxing, and everything has been thought through carefully to ensure you feel at home. There are fresh coffee beans to grind and huge beds to dive into; some rooms even have record players. The house was built in 1855 by Frederick Peel on land purchased by his father, British prime minister Robert Peel. Paying homage to the house’s Arts and Crafts past, the rooms are individually designed and feature hand-printed wallpaper and luxurious fabrics.

Though this stately, carefully restored home retains original elements from its days as a grand Victorian country pile, its welcoming owners have invested in handsome local furniture, stripped away some of the chintz, and opened up inspiring views across the pristine lawns to the valley and the central Lakeland peaks beyond. Rooms have ornate beds, plenty of luxurious fabrics, patterned wallpaper, and stunning views. Communal areas are relaxed and welcoming and the whole place exudes a warm hospitality, exemplified by handmade complimentary truffles and sherry on arrival. Dinners in the restaurant focus on local ingredients prepared with Modern British flair.

This marvelously atmospheric lodging, full of historic personality and stately antiques, occupies three connected 18th-century town houses, one of which was the last home of the English critic and essayist William Hazlitt (1778–1830). Traditional English style and opulent Regency furnishings form a huge part of its appeal, but it's charmingly devoid of a few modern amenities—as the owners say, "In 1718, there were no elevators, and there still aren't." Rooms are named after infamous Soho denizens like the 1st Duke of Monmouth and nearby are more interesting restaurants than you could visit in a year.

Because this country-house hotel reflects the owner's precise vision and attention to detail, a stay here is like a stay at a friend's home, if your friend has an exquisitely tasteful but comfortable, eco-friendly Georgian house on a 400-acre estate an hour from London. The decor is all about stealth wealth, eschewing traditional marble and glitz for muted earth colors in rich fabrics and luxuries like underfloor bathroom heating and Bang & Olufsen televisions. The hotel is committed to being as self-sufficient as possible, with 60% of its produce sourced from its biodynamic farm, eggs from its 480 hens, and cheese from its dairy cows (who you can visit). There are two restaurants (which have won a Michelin Green Star for sustainability), a board games room, and a screening room that hosts showings of first-run films as well as lectures. Also on-site is a spa complex with airy pool, and outdoor activities include wild swimming in the lake as well as fishing, horse riding, and falconry.

Small but sumptuous, this lodging has a modern but distinctly feminine sensibility, with floral wallpaper, pastel decor, and painted woodwork. State-of-the-art contemporary touches such as TVs in the bathrooms and underfloor heating add extra luxury, and two rooms have private terraces. Dig into a generous and tasty breakfast downstairs in Heidi's Cafe.

As the name suggests, this luxury Victorian B&B in Lynton occupies a lofty position with spectacular vistas over the Bristol Channel. Each of the guest rooms has an individual design, but all feature comfortable beds—ranging from carved and ornate to Jacobean (one has a four-poster)—and benefit from the exquisite views. Breakfast is in the conservatory and includes choices like eggs royale (with smoked salmon on a toasted muffin) and pancakes with berries, as well as several gluten-free options. There are discounts for two or more nights, a two-night minimum stay on Friday and Saturday, and children (that's anyone under age 18) and pets are not allowed.

With faultless service, sumptuous designer furnishings, and a sense of fun to boot, this impeccable hotel breathes new life into the cliché "thinks of everything," yet the epithet is really quite apt. A "whatever, whenever" button on the bedroom telephone connects you with helpful, amiable staffers who provide exactly that. High-tech gadgets are everywhere in the beautifully decorated black-and-white rooms; some are split-level and all are gorgeously furnished with extraordinary pieces from every corner of the globe. Even the hotel entrance is unique: an elevator sweeps you up to the fifth-floor lobby, where you can relax on a buttery leather couch in front of the fire while you're checked in. Perhaps the most appealing thing of all about this place is how perfectly it balances real luxury with genuine warmth and hospitality.

This hip chain has brought high-tech flair to six former sugar-refining warehouses, built in 1728 when the River Frome ran outside the front door. Rooms are spacious and crisply contemporary, but retain many original industrial features, while the bathrooms have monsoon showers and roll-top baths. The bistro-restaurant specializes in modern but robust French fare. The hotel is close to the docklands and the city center. If you have a car, reserve parking when booking as spaces are limited.

A Victorian eye hospital got a makeover from this hip chain, but it retains such original details as the ironwork double stairway and marble columns. Beyond the imposing redbrick exterior is an inner courtyard with a retractable roof, which is a great summertime outdoor space and a lovely location for afternoon tea year-round. Bedrooms are sleek and contemporary, with leather-encased sleigh beds, slippers and robes, and a choice of drinking glasses to accompany the minibar. The bistro has a flavor of Paris, and in the Bubble Lounge you can sample a wide variety of sparkling wines.

Under the auspices of hotelier Olga Polizzi, the Endsleigh has become one of the country's best-loved hotels, nestled in a fold of the Tamar Valley with the river itself rolling serenely by at the bottom of the garden, which has been cited as one of the world's most romantic. Built as a hunting lodge, with grounds designed by Humphry Repton, the atmosphere is secluded and select, with log fires in winter and acres of grounds to explore in summer. Guest rooms are palatial but cozy, with none of the drafty windows or creaking floors that often go with the country-house experience, and some feature antique, hand-painted wallpaper. There's a two-night minimum stay at weekends. The paneled restaurant draws enthusiasts from far and wide for its traditional but inventive cuisine. It's located 8 miles from Tavistock.

This hotel in a black-and-white timber-frame building in the center of town has a great location opposite Shakespeare’s New Place and a gorgeous, stripped-back feel that works well within the confines of a historic building. Originally called the Falcon, it nods to this past in the wood-paneled tearoom, where it is said wood from Shakespeare's New Place was repurposed when the house was torn down. Far from a museum, though, this well-thought-out hotel has different areas to suit moods and tastes, from a cozy bar to a lovely courtyard garden to a light-filled lobby. Each room comes with a Hypnos bed dressed in Egyptian cotton, beautiful tiled bathroom, and charming splashes of color. Opt for one of the rooms in the 16th-century part of the building for more Tudor character (contemporary rooms are also lovely, and larger), and make sure you dine in the handsome Woodsman pub downstairs at least one night, where local deer, wild boar, and lamb are cooked in front of diners on a wood-fired oven and charcoal grill.

It's the Cornish Riviera, Italian style—this former yachtsman's club, owned by hotelier Olga Polizzi, makes for a luxuriously relaxed stay. Decorated in stately, muted tones, with terra-cotta pots on the terrace, the Tresanton is a meeting of classic English and warm Mediterranean styles, and the terraced Beach Club and the yacht available to guests in summer reinforces the jet-set spirit. In the restaurant, the Italian-inspired menu includes local oysters, lobster, gnocchi, and beef fillet.

This historic B&B, which dates back 600 years and was written about by Dickens, offers a unique and stylish stay not far from Canterbury West Station. Many of the rooms make use of the building's lovely original features; others, in the converted stable block, are more modern. Either way, they are decorated with a contemporary touch (ask for the Paris room with its lovely roll-top tub). Breakfasts are delicious, with plenty of local specialties and healthier options.

In a town that overflows with B&Bs, this comfortable town house stands out because of the contemporary flair and pampering touches in its pristinely redesigned and refurbished apartments. Nice features include cherry, elm, oak, or slate floors; natural carpets using local wool; and bespoke wooden furniture by local craftsman Danny Frost. The beds are top-notch, with pocket-sprung mattresses and goose-down pillows and duvets. A fabulous room at the top of the house has views of the mountains from the bath. Breakfasts might include housemade porridge (great preparation for a day on the fells), eggs Benedict, or a full Cumbrian fry-up.

With the amenities you'd expect from a five-star hotel, including crisp white sheets on huge beds and luxurious bathrooms, and impressive views of the Thames and Canary Wharf, the addition of this luxury hotel has been a boon for Greenwich Peninsula which has been under a huge development, creating a whole batch of riverside residences that hug the elevated walkway and linear park called the Tide. On-site dining options include the fabulous Kinaara restaurant while the Clipper bar echoes the region's maritime history in its decor and layout, overlooking the mighty Thames through floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. Take the elevator up to the rooftop Eighteen Sky Bar for after-dinner cocktails and views, and make sure you also use the spa—just be sure to book ahead to avoid disappointment as the hotel is popular with day visitors taking advantage of an afternoon tea and spa day program.

Occupying a sprawling 19th-century mansion in the northeastern part of the city, this attractive, independent boutique hotel is surrounded by manicured gardens overlooking a stream with a small waterfall and is filled with polished oak floors, huge windows, and wandering staircases. You can read the paper by the inglenook fireplace in the lounge or curl up on a firm bed in one of the chic and modern guest rooms. For ultimate comfort, book one of the two major suites; each offers quirky sloping ceilings, spacious seating areas, and appealing rooftop terraces. Downstairs, the elegant Fern Dining Room serves sophisticated yet unfussy dishes using the finest regional meat and produce; try the aromatic tandoori spiced monkfish or the indulgent cheddar cheese and spinach soufflé. Ask at reception for a quick peek inside The Great Hall, a grand, high-ceilinged room with oak paneling, huge Gothic windows, and an intricately carved fireplace, all overlooked by an ornate minstrels' gallery.