34 Best Hotels in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England, England

Four miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon, this grand country-house hotel offers a lovely, pampering dose of escapism away from the busy town. Glorious gardens that include topiary, a fountain, and lots of hidden nooks are a delight to wander. Inside the hotel, the original wood paneling and period character in the bar and lounge are complemented by modern bedrooms and a serene spa. The dinner menu is a revelation with some Asian additions to British classics.

These conjoined Georgian villas next to the moat (all that remains of Hereford Castle) offer luxurious lodgings, a warm welcome, and good food. Delicate plasterwork graces the public areas. Spacious guest rooms vary in style, with light hues and floral wallpaper; each bedroom contains a decanter of sherry and other local snacks as a welcome gift, and bathrooms have L'Occitane toiletries. The restaurant uses lots of regional produce—much of which comes from the owner‘s farm—such as Hereford beef and Gloucester Old Spot pork, along with fresh fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden. Though the hotel has been a fixture in the city for many years, it's the light-filled restaurant, using local stone and wood in its design, that's a game-changer.

Situated on Ludford Bridge, this food-focused pub with rooms has lovely river views, especially from the Riverside Suite and the Othello Suite; the latter has its own terrace with hot tub. Rooms are smart and comfortable, with lots of heritage fabrics. Breakfast, including locally made sausages, is a real treat. In fact, all the food is very good. This is a bit of a destination restaurant, and even dishes that sound run-of-the-mill, such as a duck spring roll or dressed crab, are anything but. Views from the restaurant are fabulous, too.

Handmade Italian furniture and swaths of French silk fill this luxury downtown hotel in a Tudor-style building, dating to 1865. Marble bathrooms, high-definition TVs, and a first-class spa are among the luxurious amenities. There are two restaurants: the fine-dining Arkle restaurant and the more relaxed La Brasserie, with an indoor barbecue. The intimate library is a perfect spot for afternoon tea.

Amid shady grounds, this family-run hotel sits high up the side of the Malvern Hills, with splendid views of the landscape. The bright and contemporary rooms come with snowy-white bedspreads and tasteful pops of color; rooms with a view are equipped with binoculars. The 1919 Restaurant has the best panorama, with views over the Cotswolds and the Severn Valley; it serves excellent Modern British fare influenced by the forest and the sea. Cocktails are served on the Terrace in season, or in the Lounge Bar. The hotel is 3 miles south of Great Malvern in Malvern Wells.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Built in 1740 and at one time the village’s library, this small guesthouse, tucked away on an old lane, is a very short walk from the Iron Bridge. The house has been beautifully restored, with plenty of original and Victorian features brought to the fore. In a nice nod to its former life, its old library shelves still line the guest room walls. Rooms are furnished with elegance—the Chaucer Room even has its own private terrace—and service is warm without being obtrusive; they’ll even furnish you with a hot water bottle on cool nights.

This delightful, elegant townhouse in the popular Wyle Cop area of Shrewsbury is stylish and modern where it counts—in the chic bar area and adjoining restaurant—but nevertheless has plenty of character in its wonky floors and oak beams. The bright, light-hued rooms come with crisp linens, wrought-iron bedsteads, and pocket-sprung mattresses, and have decent bathrooms. The town's main attractions are within walking distance, as long as you can manage some hills.

This elegant country-house hotel 3 miles southeast of Warwick makes for a quiet, luxurious getaway; it has more than 40 rooms in two buildings but still manages to make you feel like you're visiting friends, albeit very wealthy ones. The more traditional country-chic rooms are in the original manor house, while the spa and more contemporary rooms are in a newer, separate building called the Orchard House (it's a bit like the main house's younger sibling).  One of the biggest attractions is the oak-paneled Dining Room at the Manor House restaurant, acclaimed for its sophisticated cuisine. The Asian-inspired Sencha restaurant offers cuisine not often found in an English country hotel. You can book a treatment in the spa, hidden among the trees in the lovely grounds, or just kick back in the outdoor vitality pool and take in the view.

This beautiful vineyard, just a 15-minute drive from Ledbury, comes with a choice of guest rooms or lodges (the latter have rolltop baths) that overlook the vines or are set within them. The modern rooms are spacious and comfortable but not overly fussy. Three Choirs Vineyard (named after a famous choral festival that rotates between Hereford, Worcester, and Gloucester) kickstarted the English wine industry back in the 1970s and has never looked back. There are no tours, but guests can enjoy tapas-style dishes in the restaurant or charcuterie boards alongside a self-guided wine tasting.

Located in the center of Great Malvern, the Abbey enjoys beautiful views over the Malvern Hills and the Vale of Evesham. Rooms are smart and clean, if not overly exciting, and there is a decent restaurant on-site.

Perched at a busy traffic intersection on the edge of Chester’s old town, this gleaming, modern hotel from the trendy ABode chain may not occupy the city’s most romantic spot, but it’s well run and comfortable. Guest rooms are spacious and quiet, with comfortable beds. The top-floor bar has sweeping views of the city; come up here for a drink as you gaze over Chester Racecourse and the Welsh hills. There’s also a lounge bar on the ground floor. The city center is a pleasant, 10-minute stroll down winding backstreets.

Lovely gardens surround this moated Tudor manor house, originally the home of the Hussey family, which dates back to 1524; black-and-white half-timbering combines with a later redbrick-and-stone extension. Beams, oak paneling, four-poster beds, and antiques enhance rooms in the original building, for which you should book well ahead (though they may be too old-fashioned for some); those in the extension are plainer. The hotel is a few miles north of Shrewsbury on the A528.

Bedrooms are spacious and discreet with splashes of green, violet, and dark crimson in this redbrick boutique hotel across the road from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Choose a room at the front for a view of the river and theater. The beds are all king-size, and marble bathrooms have huge mirrors and walk-in showers. Guests can take advantage of the Champagne bar and terrace during theater intermissions (there's a quieter, more hidden garden behind it), take afternoon tea in the Lounge, or pop into the stylish Club Bar for something a little stronger. There are limited accessible rooms, so ask when you book.

Just a few miles south of Stratford, this pub with rooms oozes imagination and individuality. Rooms remain true to the 18th-century building’s heritage but retain some of the quirky contemporary style for which the pub is known. Foodies beat a regular path to the door of the pub, where the chef is mindful of the seasons and locality—expect to see the likes of seasonal vegetables or Warwickshire lamb on the menu.

This budget hotel in the Jewellery Quarter has pod-style bedrooms and a selection of mini-apartments for those who want to use their hotel as little more than somewhere to sleep between exploring. The rooms are updated with smart controls and decorated in cool tones of autumnal brown, green, and gray, and have amenities such as pocket-sprung mattresses, monsoon showers, and high-definition LED TVs. You can order a rather basic "breakfast bag" for the morning or just try one of the many local cafés. Guests can also make use of many local discounts, including free entry to the nearby Jam House live music venue.

This spick-and-span, good-value hotel’s selling points are its excellent location near the center of the historic district and views across the river. It also has plenty of modern amenities and large, light-filled rooms, but the bathrooms are a bit of a squeeze. Ask for rooms away from the elevators, as they can be a bit noisy. Staff are friendly, and children are welcomed enthusiastically. The hotel is often full of businesspeople and conferences, though there are some nice touches, such as the Terrace Bar, where you can enjoy drinks or dinner, and the bright Riverside Restaurant.

Although this modern hotel may lack the period charm of older hotels, its up-to-date facilities, spacious rooms, and ample grounds make it a good option if Tudor beamed ceilings aren't a must or you prefer the consistency of a chain. Rooms, all with well-designed furniture and tasteful color schemes, come in several shapes; some even have four-poster beds. There's a mini-gym on-site. 

This Victorian Gothic mansion, featuring arched windows and romantic turrets, is approached along a private avenue and is a soothing retreat for theatergoers who want to escape Stratford’s crowds. If you like four-poster beds and antiques, book a room in the main house, while the modern wing is perfect for those who prefer more contemporary elegance. The oak-paneled restaurant offers great Modern British cuisine, or you can take afternoon tea in the beautiful Great Drawing Room. There's also a spa with a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, and spa pool. In summer, borrow a picnic blanket and take your tea outside to the 40-acre grounds, which contain the ruins of a 12th-century church. The hotel is 6 miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon.

An excellent central location near the waterside nightlife scene is just one perk of staying at this smoothly run chain hotel. The crisp, modern bedrooms and bathrooms, though on the small side, are beautifully equipped and furnished in calm, neutral tones. Downstairs, the trendy bar and neighboring Recess restaurant have a very Mad Men feel. Cooked-to-order breakfasts are included in the good weekend deals and even in high-season, bargains can be had.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A tree-lined drive leads through 26 acres of gardens and open fields to this moated manor house dating to the 13th century, where public rooms reflect the hotel’s long history with period touches such as 16th-century oak paneling and Flemish glass, 18th-century chandeliers, and a 17th-century stone fireplace. Guest rooms include elements of classic character as well as modern bathrooms; some have four-poster beds, and most preserve original features such as cornices and fireplaces. Sophisticated British cuisine is served in the very grand Bridge Restaurant, while coffee and digestifs can be taken in the Terrace Lounge and Bar. There is also a decent spa and pretty grounds to wander. The hotel is 7 miles northeast of the city center.

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.