23 Best Hotels in The Southeast, England

Enter under the portcullis of this genuine medieval castle, where present-day luxury dominates. Antiques and rich draperies furnish the individually designed bedrooms, and many have lattice windows, beamed ceilings, and curtained four-posters. The hallways, lounges, and dining areas are adorned with suits of armor, mounted weapons, and historic portraits. You can dine beneath a 12th-century barrel-vaulted ceiling in the excellent Queen's Room restaurant; the prix fixe menu includes three courses, and you can add three paired wines for an additional cost. Alternatively, consider the superb afternoon tea (£50 per person), which is served until 5:30 pm and can be enjoyed in the Great Room, in one of the charming lounges, or out on the beautiful garden terrace surrounded by ruined castle walls. If you're staying the night, take a stroll around the lush grounds—stop for a game of croquet or tennis, or play a round on the 18-hole putting course along the way—or wander along the country path into the village of Amberley, via the impossibly pretty thatched-roof houses on Church Street.

There is no more peaceful place to stay in Canterbury then at this small and modern hotel tucked away within the grounds of the famous cathedral. Each of its quiet, soothingly decorated rooms with creamy white walls and exposed oak trim has cathedral views, as does the serene Campanile Garden. All guests have free access to the cathedral (a substantial savings for two people) as well as an even more precious extra: they get to stay inside the cathedral grounds when the gates close at night. There's limited free parking available for guests; ask when you book. Most rooms have U.K. double beds, which are surprisingly small. For a king-size experience, opt for a twin room and zip the beds together.

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. 

Steeped in a history of smuggling—look for Rudyard Kipling's atmospheric poem "A Smuggler's Song" on the wall outside—the 600-year-old Mermaid is Rye's most historic inn; its sloping floors, oak beams, low ceilings, and huge open hearth look like a film set, but it's all totally authentic. Bedrooms are quite small, but some have four-poster beds and stone fireplaces. The restaurant, warmed by a roaring fire in winter, serves good Modern British cuisine.

Perched on a hill overlooking the town below, this charming, family-run boutique hotel has spacious, individually designed rooms that combine home comforts like Hypnos beds, walk-in showers, and roll-top baths with quirky touches like bold print cushions, pineapple-shaped lamps, and antique chairs. The hotel's restaurant and bar, set inside an 8th-century cavern below the hotel, is one of the town's best; the all-day menu changes seasonally but might include chilli salted squid, mixed beans risotto, and venison and beef stew. Walk past rooms 7 and 8 and you may find yourself doing a double-take; they are suspended halfway up the wall and don't go anywhere.

In the heart of Tunbridge Wells, this stylish boutique hotel perfectly situated between the café-filled Pantiles and the shop-lined High Street is a luxurious and intimate place to stay, with spacious and contemporary guest rooms. Expect chic design in muted colors and natural woods, exceptionally comfortable king or super-king beds, and modern bathrooms with rainfall showers (and, in larger rooms, baths). The brasserie restaurant is excellent—try the incredible garlic and chilli king prawns flambé —and a bright, art-filled bar and snug serves traditional afternoon teas and evening drinks. Everything else you could possibly need is right on your doorstep. Larger groups should consider booking the self-catering townhouse, while sleeps up to eight in four double bedrooms.

Located 15 miles southwest of East Grinstead (and within east reach of Arundel, Brighton, and Lewes), this spectacular country estate is the region's most luxurious stay, set within 92 acres of Sussex countryside and including a small vineyard, woodland walk, kitchen garden, and rockery. Still, it's what inside the hotel that counts. The beautifully appointed bedrooms, suites, and lakeside lodges are individually designed to combine heritage features with modern comfort, and there are wide-ranging dining options in the three excellent restaurants—including the Michelin-starred Ben Wilkinson at The Pass—along with the billiard bar and garden terrace. Perhaps the highlight, however, is the state-of-the-art spa, with an indoor pool and a natural outdoor swimming lake, as well as a scented sauna and salt steam room. Breakfast is served in the elegant Camellia, or you can eat in the spa restaurant Botanica, which has many vegetarian and vegan options. South Lodge is also an excellent family retreat, with extras for young children including a tent and books in the room, activity trails through the gardens (with prizes), and designated swimming times.

This glossy boutique hotel inside the old city walls offers up-to-date style in traditional Canterbury, with good-size rooms—modern but not minimal—classed as Comfortable, Desirable, Enviable, and Most Enviable. The latter have the most space and extras like wood floors, sitting areas, and freestanding roll-top baths, but even Comfortable rooms are nicely designed with soft bedding in neutral colors (although most have no view). There's also a Fabulous suite, with a sun-trap terrace offering sweeping cathedral vistas. Back downstairs, the superb brasserie serves Modern European cuisine, while the beam-ceilinged bar offers afternoon tea every day. The hotel can also arrange private "chef's table" dining events (including a view of the action inside the kitchen).

Guildford was once famous for its coaching inns, and this handsome, 500-year-old hotel is the last to survive. Guest rooms have marble-lined bathrooms and reproductions of antiques; about half are in the original stone building, while the rest are in a modern annex. The courtyard, where coaches and horses clattered to a stop, is open to the sky. There's a salon with a fireplace and minstrels' gallery, and the 14th-century stone-vaulted crypt serves as the backdrop for an elegant bar. There is no in-house restaurant, but there is a branch of the excellent casual dining chain, Bill's, on the same site.

Situated a few miles south of Arundel, this charmingly out-of-the-way country escape offers lovely period features, expansive private gardens, and one of the region's finest spas; sleeping options are spread out across a series of houses, cottages, and courtyards. Most of the buildings are (despite appearances) less than a century old, and the rooms vary from highly decorative, medieval-style suites with four-poster beds to bright and breezy bedrooms with modern furnishings. Ask for a peek inside the 13th century chapel, one of the truly historic buildings in the grounds.

If you're looking for a hotel with history, you're in the right place: Cathedral Gate's ancient beamed ceilings, low doorways, and sloping floors reveal origins dating back to 1438 (that's 75 years earlier than Christchurch Gate next door). Due to the constrictions of the historic building, rooms vary dramatically—some are poky with shared bathroom facilities, others have bathrooms and four-poster beds and cathedral views—but they're all clean, cozy, and comfortable. Public areas, including the small library, lounges, and a bar, are great for unwinding after a busy day of sightseeing. Continental breakfast is served in the dining room, with beautiful views over the Buttermarket.

At this attractive hotel on Rye's main road, rooms take a boutique approach and cleverly mix modern pieces with antiques in the sprawling Georgian building. Guest rooms are individually decorated, but many combine muted colors with bold-print feature wallpaper, colorful cushions, quirky artwork, and fresh flowers. The standard "cozy" rooms are quite compact, but the classic, superior, luxury, and deluxe rooms—as well as the elegantly minimalist Junior Suite—give you more space, as well as extras like four-poster Vi-Spring beds and free-standing roll-top baths. The George Grill restaurant and bar downstairs are popular with locals as well as visitors.

The city's most famous hotel and a seafront landmark, the Grand Brighton is a huge, Victorian wedding cake of a building dating from 1864. It's both imposing and elegant, with high-ceilinged public rooms richly decorated with enormous chandeliers and plenty of marble. Having afternoon tea here is a Brighton tradition, and highly recommended. The spacious bedrooms are light-filled and traditional, with luxurious fabrics, white linens, and large bathrooms. Prices vary significantly depending on season and even day of the week (a weekend stay in summer often costs twice as much as a weekday one), so search the website for deals.

This handsome 18th-century house, known for its flying (partially freestanding) staircase and colonnade, is now an elegant boutique hotel but was once the residence of Admiral George Murray, one of Admiral Nelson's right-hand men. The public areas have been restored to their full, Regency-era glory, while the guest rooms have a cooler, more contemporary design. Some rooms have lovely views over the city's old rooftops. The Ship restaurant is flooded with light from the rows of big windows. There's also a basement-level spa to help soothe away those travel-weary aches and pains.

Part of a small boutique chain, the Harbour Hotel is one of the more contemporary offerings in this part of Surrey, with its modern and well-designed rooms attracting mostly business travelers—although the spa brings in plenty of people who want a pampering getaway. The spa has a long list of stress-busting treatments, and at pretty reasonable prices, like £135 for a 90-minute full-body massage including facial treatments. The hotel also has two good in-house dining options, but since it's right in the center of Guildford there are plenty of other options within a few minutes' walk.

Set within 1,100 acres of parkland, this luxurious Victorian manor house was built as a private home in 1850; it was owned by a friend of the late Queen Elizabeth until the 1980s, and she was a regular visitor. Today it continues to exude English country-house style, with a magnificent Victorian staircase, elegantly traditional guest rooms, and special touches like the secret door in the Gothic library, which leads to a private courtyard. The dining room serves elegant fare using fresh, local ingredients. The house is 6½ miles northeast of Lewes.

An elegant sandstone house dating from 1762 has been transformed by this chain into a chic boutique hotel with luxurious furnishings; Oriental rugs give public rooms a warmth that is both intimate and grand, and guest rooms are minimalist and modern, with luxurious linens and pampering bathrooms. The Burgundy Bar stocks a fine selection of French wines, and the bistro's contemporary menu changes daily but is strong on creamy soups, crisp salads, grilled steaks, and fresh seafood. It's also a hot spot for afternoon tea and Sunday lunch.

In the Lanes area, this outpost of a snazzy boutique chain has chic, modern rooms. Pampering touches include Egyptian linens and large "monsoon" showers. The more expensive rooms have luxurious roll-top baths and wonderful sea views. The bistro restaurant offers classic fare that makes use of local seafood, and the wine list is excellent. Room prices fluctuate wildly day to day, and are significantly higher in summer than other times of year; check the website for the best rates.

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 best accommodation option in Arundel town center, this 18th-century coaching inn on the main street was, like Arundel's cathedral and castle, built by one of the dukes of Norfolk (during the Napoleonic Wars, it was used to house soldiers). The comfortable rooms are decorated in a simple, country-house style, and range from small singles to spacious "feature" doubles; those in the annex are generally larger and more modern. Downstairs, the Norfolk Tap pub serves good food and craft beer until late.

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.

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.

The country-house flavor of this 1766 Georgian mansion has been beautifully maintained by luxurious furnishings and preserved period details. There are superb views from the 14-acre grounds across the town and into the area of surrounding countryside. The unfussy Modern British fare in the crisply chic Orangery Restaurant is popular with locals, and there's a terrace with a pizza oven during the summer.