326 Best Hotels in England

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.