203 Best Hotels in England

Filling a Victorian building in the heart of Grasmere, the chic and spacious Moss Grove Organic puts an emphasis on its environmental credentials. Private hot tubs, balconies, luxurious duck-down duvets, and flat-screen TVs appear along with reclaimed stained glass, old timbers, and organic clay paints. For a special treat, request the Champagne truffles on arrival.

This handsome Victorian mansion, a five-minute walk from all of Oxford's action, is a sprawling, friendly place on three floors. Decent-size rooms are decorated in contemporary style with large-pattern wallpaper; some have original Victorian flourishes. The breakfast is varied, with yogurt and croissants along with the usual eggs and bacon. This is one of the best deals in the city center, so book early.

A calm oasis in the heart of Brighton, this guesthouse is filled with contemporary art and designer accessories. The rooms are compact but smartly designed, with beds supported on platforms of glass bricks that filter an ocean-blue light. Splash out on the beautifully adorned Gin Room, which boasts sea and pier views.

An early-19th-century Regency town house now contains this comfortable boutique hotel, which offers an elegant and tasteful but fresh and unfussy take on traditional country house style. Guest rooms, some with fireplaces and four-posters, are light, bright, and have quirky touches like tea and coffee stations disguised as dollhouses and vinyl turntables (there's a free record-lending library on site). Other amenities include complimentary pantries in each hall, a cozy spa in what was the cellar, and an excellent restaurant that's open all day and emphasizes locally sourced ingredients. Dogs are welcome.

Nobu's first European hotel combines ravishing design (think soothing Japonism-inspired patterns and palettes alongside bold statements of industrial chic) with slick service, in a backstreet location in the heart of Shoreditch.

Dating to the 14th century, Chipping Campden's oldest inn was built to accommodate foreign wool traders, and even though it's been enlarged, the building retains its exposed beams and stonework. Guest rooms—some in the 14th-century portion—are full of warm colors and dark oak furniture, and fully equipped with modern amenities. The restaurant serves award-winning curries. Breakfast can be taken in the airy conservatory. A Deluxe Spa Break package includes a night's accommodation at the Noel Arms, access to the spa at Cotswold House (a sister property), and other amenities.

There's no more comforting stop after a day outdoors than the Hiker's Bar of this 300-year-old hotel at the head of the Great Langdale Valley. The stone floor and wooden beams echo to the clatter of boots, and the roaring, smoky fire rapidly dries out wet walking gear. Thick slabs of flapjack (dense bar cookies) from behind the bar will get you up the surrounding Langdale Pikes, as will the hearty, good-value house-made soup and pies. Guest rooms are decorated with traditional patterned carpets and flowered bed linens, and some have four-poster beds, though the hotel exudes a rougher version of Lakeland life far away from Beatrix Potter quaintness.

Perched on the cliffs above Port Isaac's minuscule harbor, this idiosyncratic lodging was a Victorian schoolhouse until the 1980s, and it nostalgically retains many of the features of its previous role. The hotel reverts to its former incarnation when it serves as the school in Doc Martin, a locally set TV series. Guest rooms are named after various school subjects—Geography, Chemistry, Latin—and vary considerably in size (so think about viewing the rooms before booking); most, however, have superb vistas, and some have small terraces. Bar snacks and full meals are offered in the restaurant, from baguettes to fresh seafood, Goan curry, and sirloin steaks. Limited parking is available—a rare find in Port Isaac.

Ideally located opposite the cathedral, this 18th-century inn, now a gastropub with rooms, has received a smart, modern makeover without losing any of its character. Each of the guest rooms is named for a noted fabric designer, such as Nina Campbell or Zoffany, with textiles that pay tribute to their style, and the furnishings include traditional touches like sleigh beds. Few rooms have actual cathedral views, though the top-floor Design House suite is an outstanding exception. A two-bedroom apartment in an annex uses Designers Guild fabrics, and another self-contained apartment is ideal for families. The gastropub below serves superb food and drink, with warming open fires in winter and tables on the terrace in summer. Permits are issued for street parking nearby. 

Right on the main drag, this 16th-century cottage has authentic period charm and is strewn with antique knickknacks like a brass wind-up gramophone. The best feature is the lovely flagstone lounge with its inglenook fireplace; breakfast (including fruit smoothies and homemade breads) is served here. Rooms are clean and comfortable, and the immaculate garden has a grill for the use of guests.

With a casual elegance that typifies Brighton, this Regency-era boutique hotel sits close to the seafront, with rooms that are cleverly fitted into the old building. Some rooms have slanted ceilings and tiny bathrooms, but they make up for those deficiencies by having lots of light and soothing decor in shades of taupe or dove gray. There's no restaurant, although breakfast is served and cooked fresh to order. The cool bar downstairs is popular with young locals and can get quite loud, so ask for a room well away from it if you're a light sleeper.

The hotel occupies a picturesque Palladian house in the center of Painswick but still has impressive valley views, which can be enjoyed from the soothing, chic guest rooms or the public terrace. The 17 bedrooms are individually designed, and the Palladian Rooms have luxurious rolltop baths. The Painswick Restaurant is one of the Cotswolds' best places to dine, with a sophisticated à la carte menu and a decadent tasting menu available daily. This hotel is part of the luxury Calcot Collection, which includes Tetbury's Calcot & Spa. 

The small but nicely decorated rooms at this budget choice are in the same County Hall complex as the fancier London Marriott Hotel County Hall, and, though it lacks the spectacular river views and facilities are more basic, it has the same convenient location at a fraction of the price. The friendly staff is an added bonus. Best of all for families on a budget, fold-out beds let you accommodate two kids at no extra charge.

Favored by visiting celebrities, this independently owned boutique hotel is full of elegant Victorian touches such as a sweeping oak-paneled staircase illuminated by tall stained-glass windows. Upstairs are handsome bedrooms decorated in tasteful shades of taupe, cream, green, or blue with more tall windows. The Porter's Lodge bar serves food throughout the day.

Out of the center of Grasmere toward Dunmail Raise (hence the name; it's a mountain pass), this B&B has some of Grasmere’s more stylish rooms and a reputation for hospitality. The cozy rooms feature pleasant views and a touch of old Lakeland chintz. In better weather, sit in the flower-filled gardens to admire the views of the fells.

Roaring fires, cozy rooms, and friendly locals give this 500-year-old inn its wonderful feeling of old-world authenticity. The bedrooms differ in size, shape, and style, but all are comfortable and bright with armchairs, flat-screen televisions, and modern bathrooms with rolltop tubs. You can enjoy a pint with the regulars downstairs, or dine in the good restaurant, which serves locally sourced, seasonal produce; the lamb and beef supply can be found grazing in nearby fields, while the fish are delivered by the local Shoreham fishermen who caught them. The Ram is 4½ miles southeast of Lewes, off the A27 just before Charleston.

You can soak up the tranquility of Clovelly after the day-trippers have gone at the 18th-century Red Lion, located right on the harbor in this coastal village. Guest rooms are decorated with a nautical theme; all have sea or harbor views and modern bathrooms. The climb up through Clovelly is perilously steep, but you can drive here via a back road. The restaurant specializes in seafood dishes.

A rare small hotel in central Cambridge, this handsome Georgian town house has wooden sash windows that look out over a tree-lined park called Parker's Piece. The cozy bar has an open fire, making it a great place to relax. Bedrooms are a little anonymous but decorated in soothing pale tones.

This Edwardian stucco town house close to bustling Earl's Court Road (but on a quiet street overlooking a garden square) offers a useful compromise between a full-service hotel and self-catering lodging in the form of clean comfortable rooms with well-designed modern looks. Basic double rooms are very small, but larger doubles offer more space and fold-out couches. All have tiny kitchenettes equipped with microwaves (reception will accept your delivery order from one of the many local restaurants and bring it to your room). Some rooms have bunk beds that are great for families.

Right on the River Kent, this family- and dog-friendly hotel has airy, modern rooms, many of which have river views. The Riverview Restaurant takes advantage of those views, and the casual Tanners, set in a 17th-century building formerly occupied by leather makers, has a riverside terrace that's ideal for a drink after a day outdoors. The on-site Sanctuary Health and Fitness Club, free to all guests (and available with day passes or memberships to nonguests), includes a hot tub, indoor pool, gym, and fitness classes.  

Located on charming Lamb's Conduit Street—a 10-minute walk from the British Museum—these serviced one- and two-bedroom apartments (some of the latter sleep up to six people) are spacious, modern, and well equipped, including kitchens with dishwashers and washing machines. Top-floor apartments have large terraces, ideal for alfresco drinks or dining. A maid cleans the apartments once a week, and there's a staffed reception area, but otherwise you're left on your own to live like a Londoner. There are plenty of good restaurants and bars in the neighborhood, and a grocery store is a block away.

At this boutique hotel in the popular Jewellery Quarter, the simply decorated, modern rooms come with luxury bedding and waterfall showers. A casual restaurant is on-site, and the drinks menu has plenty of cocktails. It's a great price for the quality and the location. Parking is available for a fee.

This is a classic example of what the British mean when they refer to an "inn"—a pub with bedrooms, albeit one of better-than-average quality for London. Guest rooms are air-conditioned and temperature-controlled, with decent-size beds and antique-style furnishings along with coffee-making facilities, fresh milk, and bottled water. The pub is open from 7 am, almost unheard of in central London, and offers a huge breakfast menu, which is free for hotel guests. It specializes in hearty British fare for lunch and dinner—think slow-braised beef and ale pie with roasted heritage carrots, beetroot, shallots, and red wine gravy. With a range of ales and a decent wine list, it draws the nearby Parliamentary and office crowds from 4 pm until late.

The achingly hip Sea Containers started life as a working warehouse in London's docklands and now incorporates stylish nods to the area's history. Once one of the world's busiest urban ports, bombing from World War II and a mid-20th-century decline saw it become virtually derelict by the 1970s. The site was earmarked for a hotel until another company snapped it up and built a modernist office complex called Sea Containers House instead. Fast-forward 30 years and it finally has a hotel, with a style that is definitely cool rather than cozy. The decor makes the most of the midcentury modern surroundings as interpreted by noted designer Tom Dixon, complete with bespoke furniture elevating the bedrooms. The standard bedrooms aren't very large, but it's worth spending extra on an upgrade for a river view, or, even better, a patio overlooking Blackfriars Bridge to St. Paul's. Failing that, head to the Rooftop Bar for the same vista. The public rooms are very scene-y, with the trendy Lyaness bar serving exotic cocktails by one of London's top mixologists found nowhere else. The restaurant specializes in seasonal, ingredient-led cooking, with a selection of small and large sharing plates. The spa is not just a spa but a "treatment destination" that encourages group visits. The hotel even has its own branch of the arthouse Curzon Cinema mini-chain.

The sense of history at this delightfully old-school hotel comes from more than just the magnificent Tudor architecture, as several pieces of furniture are castoffs from Buckingham Palace, and one of the beds was supposedly slept in by Elizabeth I. Rooms are large and comfortable, with modern bathrooms (some have whirlpool tubs). The restaurant, 1530, is a stylish but relaxed affair, serving dishes like British pork loin with kale and cider, and wild sea bass with garlic confit. The spa administers sumptuous relaxation treatments.

Overlooking Chatham Maritime Marina on the River Medway, the charming boutique bedrooms above this bar and restaurant offer comfy beds, modern bathrooms, and subtle seafaring-themed decor, from wooden oar headboards to vintage maritime maps. Some rooms also come with large balconies overlooking the harbor, perfect places to sit in the evening and watch the sun go down. Downstairs, the pub-restaurant serves a mix of good-value British pub staples (beef and ale pies, cod and chips, chicken burgers) and interesting international fare (lime and chili tiger prawns, vegan koftas, goat cheese tortellini) along with a good range of lagers, ales, and craft beers. Along with being convenient for the Historic Dockyard Chatham, the hotel is right by the Dockside Shopping Centre, but keep in mind it's a 45-minute walk (or 10-minute drive) into the center of Rochester.

An idyllic location—right on the water, steps from Eton Bridge, and a short walk from central Windsor—is one of the draws at this property, which was named after one of English history's most illustrious architects and which leans into its heritage with its traditionally styled rooms (though public spaces are a touch more contemporary). Enjoy drinks and dinner on the terrace overlooking the river and when booking, try to secure a room with a view of the water.

This 16th-century inn on the harbor front has low ceilings, exposed timbers, and steep staircases that lead to rooms with simple but stylish modern furnishings. Two rooms have small balconies where you can enjoy the breezes. The split-level restaurant, with oak beams and pillars, serves supremely fresh fish, scallops, and crab dishes.

You can't stay at Stourhead, but you can stay just inside the main entrance at this popular inn built at the beginning of the 19th century. Guests are admitted free to Stourhead's gardens at any time. The five bedrooms are elegant and tastefully understated, with some period features like uneven wood floors and Georgian sash windows. The restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients and specializes in small plates and simple, traditional pub classics like beer-battered fish-and-chips.

In the same family for three generations, this luxurious 16th-century manor house close to the center of St. Albans is set in 5 acres of sweeping grounds. Plush furniture helps make the antiques- and painting-filled public areas inviting, and the elegant, contemporary-style bedrooms are filled with thoughtful extras like complimentary bottled water, fruit, and cookies. The Lake restaurant, overlooking the garden, serves Modern British cuisine with European touches. You can take afternoon tea with or without champagne.