The 20 best hotels in the UK, from city stays to country escapes

💎 Verdict: Our favourite stay in the UK

Gleneagles Townhouse is the Edinburgh little sister to Gleneagles, the five-star luxury hotel in Scotland’s Ochi Hills. Think of her as Gleneagles’ cooler, sexier city sibling. The Edinburgh outpost has an arty, pastel-hued look, a stylish crowd and a cracking rooftop bar, but still maintains all the things we love about the original, from its razor-sharp service to its glorious Scottishness – just without the clay pigeon shooting and the horses. Rooms are gorgeously furnished with canopy beds and floor-to-ceiling sash windows, and the restaurant, The Spence, is one of our favourites in Edinburgh. Plus location-wise, it doesn’t get more central than this – you’re minutes from Princes Street and Edinburgh Waverley station, with the rest of the city at your fingertips. Are you catching our drift? Gleneagles Townhouse is, by all accounts, a perfect hotel. 

Time Out tip: Book in for The Spence’s afternoon tea if you swing that way – it’s our favourite in Edinburgh year after year. 

➡️ Find more of our favourite hotels in Edinburgh

Address: No. 39 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AD 

Expect to pay: Rooms from £340 per night

Closest transport: St Andrew Square tram stop, located opposite the hotel

💎 Verdict: Best boutique

The Newt is like nowhere else. Part country estate, part working farm, part cider orchard, part deluxe hotel and spa. And best of all, it does everything brilliantly, thanks to a mega investment from owners Karen Roos and Koos Bekker. Centered on the Georgian Hadspen House, its 300-hectare Somerset grounds feature a sustainable farm, spa with indoor/outdoor pool, croquet lawn, and quirky lounges. Guests stay in the manor, The Farmhouse, or converted Stable Yards, while the Botanical Rooms serves elegant, estate-grown dinners.

Time Out tip: Want to squeeze every last drop of value out of your stay? Head to Hadspen House at around four in the afternoon for complimentary cream tea, served every day.

Address: Hadspen, A359, Bruton BA7 7NG

Price: From £570 per night

Closest transport: Castle Cary train station

💎 Verdict: Best in the capital

Claridge’s is grand, historic and woven into London’s cultural DNA. Inarguably one of Europe’s finest hotels, Claridge’s has a top-to-bottom vibe that exudes art-deco glamour, historical significance and smoky old-world naughtiness. The 269 rooms are as comfy and as elegant as you’d imagine, the service is seamless and the restaurants are excellent – but the fun bit? It’s still fun. It’s true: unlike a lot of expensive hotels, Claridge’s pulls off high-end luxury with an alarmingly easy-going, joyful expression. A lot of the staff have been there for decades, and the sense of communal affection for the hotel is infectious. Yes it’s expensive. But it’s not a rip off.

Time Out tip: The Claridge’s Bar is famous, but you’d be a mug to miss out on the Fumoir, the hotel’s 1930s cocktail room. A dark and moody bar that’s several leagues more credible than all of the city’s immersive ‘speakeasies’ combined.

➡️ Our full guide to the best hotels in London

Address: Brook St, London W1K 4HR

Price: From £930 per night

Closest transport: Bond Street tube station

💎 Verdict: Best seaside break

Staying at Margate House is like crashing at an old friend’s – if that friend had seriously good taste and a thing for pop art. With just nine rooms, each has its own personality: blush pink walls, colourful art, and big squidgy beds you’ll happily dive into. Bathrooms are luxe, with rainfall showers and toiletries from local favourite Dulcie. The vibe is wonderfully laid back, with hosts that felt like our best pals. Breakfast is either downstairs or they’ll deliver it to your room – no bother – and thoughtful touches abound; stripey tablecloths, bespoke book covers, and a cabinet of Vyrao perfumes. You can spray as much as you like, so you’ll definitely leave smelling heavenly if nothing else.

Time Out tip: Obviously, opt for breakfast served in your room. You’ll be hand delivered a beautiful package of some impressively massive pastries, berries, yoghurt and fresh coffee to be devoured without leaving your bed. 

➡️ Discover the best Airbnbs in Margate

Address: 6 Dalby Square, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2ER

Price: From £150 per night

Closest transport: Margate train station

💎 Verdict: Best for couples

Forget sleepy Cotswolds: The Bull is cool, sexy, and all about the food. Reopened in 2023 by James Gummer and Phil Winser (of The Pelican fame), it glows with candlelight, open fires, wooden beams and all things countryside cosy. But really, you’re here for the restaurant, which celebrates seasonal British produce and wine, guided by expert waitstaff. After dinner, head up the spiralling staircase to one of 10 lovely rooms or the boutique cottage. Here soft whites, oak features, freestanding tubs and king-size beds look out over the high street or the pub garden – it’s Cotswolds chic, at its absolute best. 

Time Out tip: If the Costworlds look is your thing, borrow the Barbour wellies on offer from the boot room and set out for a scenic walk to Cornbury Park Estate nearby. 

➡️ The best Airbnbs in the Cotswolds

Address: Sheep St, Charlbury, OX7 3RR, Chipping Norton

Price: From £180 per night

Closest transport: Charlbury train station

💎 Verdict: Best lakeside stay

Langdale Hotel is a variety of things – but first and foremost, it’s an ideal base for a perfect Lake District weekend. This brilliant hotel has smart self-catering chalets, cottages and lodges, but we’re focusing on Brimstone, set in the wider Langdale Hotel development. Built with locally sourced timber, glass and the all-important black slate (Brimstone), the entire grounds do feel of the area, blending seamlessly with its heaven-sent natural surroundings. With a totally open balcony that looks out into the woodland, a free-standing bath and a ridiculously large comfortable bed, the room was hard to leave, but it’s most definitely worth it to visit the very posh spa, built on the edge of a large, tranquil pond. Quite the tonic after whole days spent schlepping up and down Pike of Blisco.

Time Out tip: Brimstone’s sizeable spa really is impressive, and you’d be absolutely kicking yourself if you somehow missed it. Do yourself a favour and book yourself a slot in advance, people.

➡️ Find the best Airbnbs in the Lake District

Address: Great Langdale, LA22 9JD, Ambleside

Price: From £400 per night

Closest transport: Windermere train station

💎 Verdict: Best hiking escape

💎 Verdict: Best foodie escape

All that’s great about Somerset (and there is a lot) can be found at Number One Bruton. Its 12 uniquely decorated rooms range from cheerful, colourful spaces with dramatic beams, original fireplaces, antiquities, artworks and playful architectural flurries to more sedate options housed in dog-friendly cottages and a twelfth-century forge. Wherever you stay, you’ll have everything you could want from a boutique hotel. The restaurant, Briar by chef Sam Lomas, is excellent too, serving Somerset-led small-to-medium plates – Westcombe Cheddar gougères, braised beef and rich apple cake. Breakfast is just as good, from the to-order soft-boiled eggs to the oversized croissants from nearby The Newt. 

Time Out tip: If you’re staying a few days, be sure to book a table at The Three Horseshoes in nearby Batcombe. This delightful country pub has a restaurant helmed by Rochelle Canteen’s Margot Henderson, and the food is next-level.

Address: 1 High St, Bruton, BA10 0AB

Price: From £200 per night

Closest transport: Bruton train station

💎 Verdict: Best literary escape

Getting to Burgh Island Hotel is half the adventure: if the tide is out then a Land Rover will ferry you across sand or, when it comes in and cuts all access its all aboard the iconic ‘sea tractor’. Built in 1929, this 1930s Hollywood-on-Sea gem is full of art deco glamour, from the twinkly Palm Court lounge to the majestic Grand Ballroom with live jazz and mandatory black tie. This hotel is for going back in time; there are no TVs, no speakers, and often no signal whatsoever, which gives you the perfect excuse to curl up on a velvet pouffe at the bar with a dry martini instead. Burgh Island was also often home to our late Agatha Christie, and if you’re truly obsessed, you can book Agathe’s Beach House – a seperate suite where she wrote some of her most famous novels. 

Time Out tip: Even if you’re not a swimmer, head down the wooden steps to the Mermaid Pool and find a hidden terrace stacked with deck chairs. 

Address: Bigbury-on-Sea, TQ7 4BG, Kingsbridge

Price: From £450 per night

Closest transport: Plymouth train station

💎 Verdict: Best spa hotel

Lime Wood is a dreamy spa hotel with a truly bucolic setting in the New Forest, where wild horses greet you as you arrive. The grand 19th-century main house (once taught in by T.S. Eliot) houses spacious rooms, the atrium bar, library, and Angela Hartnett’s cosy restaurant. Luxury here is relaxed. The staff are endlessly helpful without fuss, rooms are decadent yet comfortable, and kids are thoughtfully catered for. Dining is a delight, from ricotta ravioli to duck ragu gnocchi. The Herb House spa has everything from an outdoor jacuzzi to woodland-view pools. It might not be the newest or the coolest hotel out there, but it is a top-notch serence escape. What else could you wish for? 

Time Out tip: Borrow a pair of Hunter wellies for a pleasant stomp through the woods behind the hotel.

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Address: Beaulieu Road, Lyndhurst, SO43 7FZ

Price: From £450 per night

Closest transport: Brockenhurst train station

💎 Verdict: Best city break

Leven (which fittingly means ‘to live’ in Dutch) is found only a few minutes’ walk from Manchester Victoria station, and it’s a pretty unique proposition, offering all the perks of a fancy hotel in homely, apartment-style rooms. Each is equipped with full kitchens, wall-mounted TVs and comfy sofas, as well as exceedingly soft beds and bathrooms with rainfall showers. For when you’re not cooking, its restaurant Maya is well worth it, serving up brasserie classics with a sweeping, glamorous bar area. After that, you’re perfectly placed for a night out in Manchester’s Gay Village, or a late one at The White Hotel. For a proper, affordable, fun Manchester weekend, it’s a great place to lay your head. 

Time Out tip: Make time for a cocktail in the downstairs bar – we loved the Rebel with a Cause, made with smoky mezcal and topped off with a Tajin rim. 

Address: 40 Chorlton St., Manchester M1 3HW

Price: From £126 per night

Closest transport: Manchester Piccadilly train station

💎 Verdict: Best for a quick break from London

A ‘wellness destination’ can mean anything, really – but Crafted more than lives up to its wellness manifesto (and then some).  Set within a beautifully restored 17th-century powder mill in Battle, this hotel, restaurant and members’ club is a place where even one night leaves you feeling like a brand new person. There are acres of nature to ramble through, a glimmering lake for wild swimming, plus a sauna, hot tub and cold plunge overlooking the water. The rooms are gorgeous: warm, organic spaces in cream and terracotta tones, with huge beds, thoughtful extras and, in our junior suite, floor-to-ceiling windows opening straight onto the lakeside. The cosy pub serves elevated British comfort food, and craft workshops, padel courts and fitness classes complete one of the UK’s most convincing wellness escapes.

Time Out tip: Admission to the sauna and swimming area is free for guests, but you have to book in advance. Make sure you do – there are private sessions available for the socially awkward amongst us. 

Address: Powdermill Lane, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0SP

Price: Cosy Rooms start from £304 per night

Closest transport: Battle station is a 5 minute drive, with Crafted operating a free pick-up service 

💎 Verdict: Best historic country house

With crackling fires, good food and amiable staff, Bodysgallen Hall is primed for a properly restful weekend. The hotel is set on Pydew Mountain (great for hiking), and feels more like visiting an impossibly wealthy relative than a high-end hotel. It brags all the traditional quirks that a proper country estate should, with low ground-floor ceilings, dark wood-panelled walls, heartily-stoked fires, and bedroom furnishings that are (almost entirely) covered in roses and adorned with flouncy ruffles. As for food, the hotel’s three AA Rosette restaurant, The Dining Room, offers a rotating menu and fabulous afternoon tea, and the spa comes complete with a large indoor pool, sauna, steam room, gym and more. 

Time Out tip: Llandudno is a beach town that’s well worth a day spent, with a Victorian-era pier, cracking fish and chips and great seafront curry houses (check out the Blue Elephant). 

Address: The Royal Welsh Way, Bodysgallen Lane, LL30 1RS, Llandudno 

Price: From £264 per night

Closest transport: Llandudno Junction train station

💎 Verdict: Most unique

The Witchery isn’t so much a hotel as it is a gothic fever dream. Nestled on Edinburgh’s cobbled Royal Mile, steps from the castle, it takes its name from the witches once burned on Castlehill. Housed in a sixteenth-century building, it’s unapologetically over the top: dark wood panelling, ruby-and-gold velvet drapes, and candlelit corners that feel like a fairytale where kings, queens, devils and sprites mingle. Yet somehow, it’s extremely cosy, with exquisite craftsmanship everywhere – even the loos are adorned with baroque wallpaper and gold frames. Expensive? Yes. But utterly unforgettable, and one of Scotland’s most unique stays.

Time Out Tip: Book early, I beg you. With only nine suites and a high-flying reputation, the Witchery fills up fast. If you can, pick a room with a view of the Royal Mile. 

Address: 352 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NF

Price: From £440 per night

Closest transport: Edinburgh Waverley train station

💎 Verdict: best off-grid retreat

From the rhododendron-framed driveway to the treetop cabins, The Tawny is pure bliss – even if it’s not really a hotel. Instead, they call it a ‘deconstructed hotel’, spreading across 55 huts, boathouses, and treehouses on a 70-acre rewilded estate, complete with five lakes, quirky follies, and untamed woodland. But yes, it still counts as a hotel – you get a hotel reception, a restaurant, daily turndown service, pool, spa, and all the rest of it. Stroll to the heated, sunken outdoor pool, framed by stone arches and valley views, or dine at the glass-fronted Plumicorn on seasonal, foraged produce, before heading back to your cabin or treehouse for a restorative evening under the stars.

Time Out tip: Make the absolute most of the gorgeous grounds by pre-ordering a picnic. Staff will set you up with a hamper full of charcuterie, cheeses, crisps and sweet treats. 

Address: Consall Lane, ST9 0AG, Stoke-on-Trent

Price: From £250 per night

Closest transport: Consall train station

💎 Verdict: Best for value in London

A stone’s throw from the Young V&A and Victoria Park, in the actual former town hall of Bethnal Green (built around 1920), the Town Hall Hotel is almost dizzyingly unique. It’s a fabulous mixture of Edwardian architecture, art deco interiors, beguiling baroque corridors and memories of bygone bureaucracy. Rooms are spacious with enourmous beds, and there are three separate venues for food and drink, including Da Terra with two Michelin stars. There’s a heated, 14-metre-long pool, a poolside gym and treatment rooms, but what could easily tilt into pretentiousness never even risks getting there – staff are warm, human and professionally unstuffy. High-end service with a loosened swing.

Address: Patriot Square, Bethnal Green, E2 9NF, London 

Price: From £160 per night

Closest transport: Bethnal Green underground station 

💎 Verdict: Best for beach access

Watergate Bay Hotel is a special place: sleek, modern and perched directly above a spectacular two-mile sweep of rolling waves. It’s luxurious without pretence, offering both plush beach loft suites with great views, self-catered rooms and family-friendly (plus dog-friendly) beachfront apartments. Step outside to three great dining spots, a surf shop and No.1 Cubs for coffee and cakes. Look out over the beach and saunter down first thing in the morning for a brisk seaside swim, or take advantage of the hotel’s partnership with Wavehunters surf school to ride the waves. Need a break from all the fun? The swim club also has an ocean-view pool, treatments, sauna and hot tub. 

Time Out tip: The Beach Hut’s orange hot chocolate with whipped cream is a very good way to warm up after a morning in the sea. 

Address: On The Beach, Trevarrian Hill, Newquay, TR8 4AA

Price: From £196 per night

Closest transport: Newquay train station

💎 Verdict: Best on a budget 

Second Nature Belfast (formerly Room2) claims to be the UK’s first ‘hometel’ brand, blurring the line between luxe apartment and city hotel, with apartment-style rooms complete with kitchenettes, sofas and stylish bathrooms. The vibe is a bit like staying at your pal’s studio, with tropical plants, warm lighting and relaxed living room-style spaces centred around Winnie’s bar. They’re also big on sustainability, with 100 percent renewable electricity and a zero-waste-to-landfill policy. Breakfast is impressive for the price, rooms are pet-friendly and the bar is lively late into the night. Plus, you’re mere minutes from St George’s Market and Cathedral Quarter. It ain’t fancy, but it’s a really great way to do a budget break without resorting to a hostel – and just as social. 

Time Out tip: Feeling worse-for-wear after a night on the town? Breakfast here is served until 2pm, and you can check out until then too. A solid perk which is almost never seen in the UK.

➡️ Our full guide to the best hotels in Ireland

Address: 32-36 Queen Street, Belfast, BT1 6EE

Price: Starting from around £100 per night

Closest transport: Great Victoria Street Station is eight minutes’ walk away

💎 Verdict: Best dog-friendly

Let’s get it out of the way up front: this place is posh. How posh? ‘Owned by the husband of Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy’ posh. You might expect that to come with some baggage: standoffish staff, ‘keep off the furniture’ vibes. But no – staff are laidback and welcoming, and the vibe is boutique and cosy, built around a converted barn with bare brick walls and a fairy-lit courtyard for (excellent) dining. Our favourite perk? You book a slot at reception for exclusive use of the pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room, a system which I loved: who wants to share when you can have the place to yourself? 

Time Out tip: Bring your furry friend – The Harper is particularly dog-friendly. There’s a dog bath outside (with shampoo and towels) to use after muddy walks, free dog biscuits at reception, and comfy-looking dog beds available in the rooms.

Address: North St, Langham, Holt, NR25 7DH

Price: From £280 per night

Closest transport: King’s Lynn train station

💎 Verdict: Most quintessentially English

Cambridge has no shortage of tourists (and so, no shortage of overpriced hotels). But the University Arms is different. Perched on Parker’s Piece, it’s a copper-topped, 1800s Wes Anderson time capsule: big, beautiful, and entirely without gimmicks. Rooms are comfy, some with freestanding tubs and green views, while the décor is gloriously chaotic; Georgian classicism rubbing up against mid-century modernism with plenty of neo-deco theatrics. Every detail is fussed over, from furniture to lobby umbrella holders, with staff who clearly love what they do – plus a cracking restaurant, Parker’s Tavern, serving high-end modern British classics. 

Time Out tip: Up the street from the hotel is one of the city’s best cinemas: Arts Picturehouse. Expect new releases, talks from industry names and (best of all) classics and cult favourites. 

Address: 52-42 Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1AD

Price: From £299 per night

Closest transport: Cambridge train station