21 Best Hotels in The Southeast, England

Chic and sleek, this hotel a little off the seafront (three minutes' walk from Brighton Pier) is all about relaxation. The stylish rooms are painted in restful, pale shades of blue and white, and the spacious beds are swaddled in soft white linens. Breakfast offers a mix of continental options—muesli, fresh fruit, pancakes—to accompany the (meaty or vegetarian) "full English." The look is minimal without being cold, and the service hits just the right note of friendliness and helpfulness.

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.

Located in Boxgrove, a village just northeast of Chichester, this charming B&B offers space, comfort, and personalized service within a gorgeous, 17th-century thatched cottage. The two suites here are large and characterful, with traditional features like bowed timber beams, squat-to-enter doorways, and antique furniture complemented by modern luxuries like rainfall showers, large and comfy beds, and fast Wi-Fi. Guests are welcomed by the owners with a spot of tea and cake in the garden, while hearty breakfasts are served every morning in the historic dining room.

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.

One of the Southeast's most unusual B&Bs, this 450-year-old whitewashed windmill overlooking the River Tillingham is home to lovely bedrooms with large bathrooms, including walk-in showers. If it's available, opt for the extraordinary two-floor Windmill Suite, which has a balcony with panoramic views of the town and surrounding countryside. There's no restaurant, but guests can enjoy the comfy lounge—complete with a roaring fire and an honesty bar—in the evenings, and hearty and delicious breakfasts are served in the beam-roofed breakfast room. Enthusiastic and well-informed hosts Toby and Kathryn are on hand to help with everything from sightseeing recommendations to restaurant reservations.

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.

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.

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.

In Warrior Square at the edge of Hastings, this boutique guesthouse brings a funky, modern style to a grand Victorian building. Its individually styled guest rooms are chic and stylish, with big, comfortable beds and bright splashes of color. Marble bathrooms are small, but just big enough. Rooms 3, 5, and 7 have sea views but are also the priciest in the house. Dinner is available if you let the owners know in advance, as is afternoon tea.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.