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British holidays are where it’s at, okay? From the incredible mountains of the Scottish Highlands to the shimmering waters of Devon and Cornwall, the UK has so many spots that give destinations abroad a very good run for their money.
Naturally, your place of stay can either make or break the trip. There are some hotels that provide you with only the bare essentials and there are others that take such good care of every possible want and need that you could quite easily never leave.
If it’s the latter you’re after, look no further, as the Times has just announced its list of the UK’s 100 finest places to stay. The paper’s experts worked tirelessly to rest their heads in hotel rooms up and down the country, judging stuff like accommodation’s personality, cleanliness, sustainability, accessibility, food menu and value for money.
And so, the very best hotel in the land (according to the Times) is… Gleneagles in Perth and Kinross, Scotland (just an hour outside of Edinburgh). No shocks there – the luxury countryside hotel has had an entire century’s worth of experience providing five-star service. Plus, its restaurant was named the UK’s best last year and its hospitality was also crowned the best in the world. In other words, Gleneagles is no stranger to big prizes.
The Times said of Gleaneagles: ‘The lobby shimmers in mossy tones, contemporary art graces the walls and service is friendly and always efficient. In the nicest possible sense, the staff are always encouraging you to take it outside where the Ochil Hills put the “ahhh” into R&R.’
Here are all the other big winners from the Times list of best hotels for 2024:
- Gleneagles, Perth and Kinross — Hotel of the year, Scotland hotel of the year and countryside hotel of the year
- Estelle Manor, Oxfordshire — Central hotel of the year
- Langdale Chase, Cumbria — North hotel of the year
- Slieve Donard, Co Down — Beach hotel of the year
- Fowey Hall, Cornwall — Family-friendly hotel of the year
- Bike & Boot, Derbyshire — Cheap and chic hotel of the year
- The Gin Trap Inn, Norfolk — Pubs with rooms hotel of the year
- The Bath Arms, Wiltshire — Southwest hotel of the year
- The Rectory, Wiltshire — Boutique hotel of the year
- Boys Hall, Kent — Southeast hotel of the year
- The Rabbit, Co Antrim — Northern Ireland hotel of the year
- Farlam Hall, Cumbria — Foodie hotel of the year
- Broadwick Soho — London hotel of the year and city hotel of the year
- The Suffolk, Suffolk — East hotel of the year
- Babington House, Somerset — Romantic hotel of the year
- Penally Abbey, Pembrokeshire — Welsh hotel of the year
You can see all 100 on the Times’ official website here.
Time Out and hotels
If you’re after the best of the best when it comes to places to stay in the UK, we at Time Out naturally have much more where that came from. From spas (plenty of which you can stay at) and wellness retreats to cosy cabins, we have plenty of rankings of the best places to stay across the country. Plus, of course, our definitive list of the finest hotels in London.
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