203 Best Hotels in England

The York outpost of a boutique-hotel mini-chain is in a converted 19th-century orphanage, with exposed-brick walls and arched doorways, as well as spacious, quiet rooms done up in English country–style florals and stripes. Some guest rooms are on two levels, and most have bathrooms with claw-foot tubs and showers big enough for two. The in-house restaurant specializes in bistro-style cooking with a British twist. Service is helpful and cheerful.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

This Victorian-era hotel combines an old-fashioned feel with a modern style that features pops of color and fabrics that have interesting patterns. The busy split-level restaurant specializes in updated versions of classic British fare, which you can enjoy at tables by the pond in the garden.

Formerly the supercool Curtain hotel, the Mondrian takeover has only raised the hipness stakes here, thanks to a glossy but subtle refurbishment that sees the industrial look of the place toned down to offer a more elegant feel. Book direct for all-day access to the rooftop pool, which is otherwise limited to 7 am to 11 am. 

This friendly, comfortable Georgian townhouse hotel is a proverbial stone's throw from the British Museum. All rooms have air-conditioning and are well-appointed and comfortable, with the quietest ones overlooking the peaceful gardens out back. There's live jazz in the bar most evenings as well as an excellent in-house bistro. In the summer months, one of the garden terraces transforms into a pop-up beach bar, complete with palm trees and cocktails served in coconuts.