Best Luxury 4 Star Hotels in England

A member of The Doyle Collection, The Bristol offers high standards of service in a thriving location, with 187 guest rooms. It’s a modern hotel, overlooking the activity of the city harbour in this stylish, arts-centred district. Picture windows make up the frontage of The River Grille Restaurant, providing diners with front-seat waterside views as they feast on steak and seafood. While The River Lounge serves drinks and afternoon teas with a relaxing ambience. Previously named as the best city break hotel in the South West by The Sunday Times 100 best British Hotels, this is a great base for soaking up the city’s many delights.

Set in a Grade-II listed building that once housed the Lloyds and Midland Bank, the interior of this grand hotel was inspired by Jacopo Sansovino’s High Renaissance library on St Mark’s Square, Venice. Rooms and public spaces have pops of bright colours, fashionable patterned wallpapers and lashings of vintage-esque glamour. Venture below ground to the ‘vaults’ and the hotel’s HarSPA for some hydrotherapy and treatments featuring TEMPLESPA products. Dine on seafood and British classics at Harbour Kitchen and take a seat at the art deco style marble countertop of The Gold Bar speakeasy, for some magical mixes and live tunes from DJs.

Taking its cue from the original Artist Residence in Brighton, this hip, creative hot spot is found in the up-and-coming St Paul’s district. Decorated with limited edition art prints, shabby chic original fixtures, industrial accents, and an eclectic mix of vintage and reclaimed furniture, it’s a bohemian dream, with the added benefit of luxe conveniences like Roberts radios, Nespresso coffee machines, fully stocked minibars and organic Bramley bath products. There are many room categories to suit every type of traveller including the Broom Cupboard, Boot Room, Factory, Loft, The Lookout and an Artist Suite – some of which are dog and family-friendly.

This hillside Georgian merchant’s house looks across to the verdant Downs on one side and Clifton village’s colourful houses on the other.12 bedrooms have a gentle maritime theme with bulkhead lamps, trunks, art depicting seafaring and deep blue hues. Bathrooms have REN toiletries, robes and suites have copper or tin soaking baths. Relax beside the log burner in a cosy lounge, or soak up the southern sun on the homely terrace. It’s too small for its own restaurant and spa, but breakfast is served in bed, spa treatments can be arranged at the nearby lido and there’s a choice of delectable eateries within a stroll.

Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge are among the most iconic landmarks in the city. Stay here and you’ll be afforded front-row views of them. The heritage building on Sion Hill was once a spa, with its steam pumps, the original marble and stained glass windows preserved as part of the sleek refurbishment. Its White Lion Pub has one of the largest terraces in the southwest, with an urban industrial-chic interior and there’s an art-filled cocktail lounge. Goram and Vincent is the main restaurant, featuring an open kitchen replete with coal-fired grills, a smoker and bespoke clay ovens.

The Michelin-starred Dining Room at Gravetye Manor is a highlight of any stay here. Many ingredients come from the country house’s century-old walled kitchen garden – of which floor-to-ceiling windows provide an ample view. The grounds are stunning and the hotel runs tours of the gardens alone. Inside, 17 rooms are each named after trees on the estate, furnished with antiques, pastel textiles, oil paintings and flowers freshly picked from outside. The building dates back to the 16th century and the portraits of the original owners can be seen carved above the fireplace in one of the bedrooms.

The Retreat Elcot Park is a newly re-imagined 18th-century country house hotel and spa set in magnificent grounds, located in the heart of the beautiful West Berkshire countryside. The hotel boasts 55 rooms and suites (including adjoining rooms – ideal for families) each of which is beautifully appointed and displays its own individual charm. Eating and drinking is a memorable experience here with two stunning restaurants offering exceptional quality food; the 1772 Brasserie and Yu, pan-Asian Restaurant. For more informal drinks, light bites, and Afternoon Tea, guests can make use of the Orangery and many other fabulous spaces around the hotel. Relax and unwind in the spa, make a splash in the heated outdoor pool and the hydrotherapy indoor pool, and get active in the gym, fitness studio, or even on the tennis court.

Offering some of the most stunning views in the whole of Canary Wharf, the Novotel London Canary Wharf sores high above the surrounding buildings. The sophisticated top-floor bar is the perfect place to unwind with a cool cocktail at the end of the day while soaking up the scenery. The check-in process is informal and is sure to put nervous travellers at ease while offering a memorable personalised touch. Lovers of luxury will want to make sure that they secure one of the 26 sumptuous suites, which have open plans to help them feel especially spacious and decadent.

With its quirky interiors and splashes of bright colour, this establishment really stands out from the rather stark and business-like style of the rest of Canary Wharf. A short stroll along the underwater foot tunnel in Greenwich takes guests to a wide range of attractions, although this is a great place to simply unwind for a while. The large indoor swimming pool is the perfect place to splash around while working up an appetite. Dining options at the hotel include all-day dining at ‘Food Store’ Driven by produce that’s in season, socially and ethically produced and sourced, chef Rumel Pinnock serves an all-day dining menu perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner. All appetites and tastes are catered for, with a selection of small plates, pizzas and hearty mains. While Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen run by celebrity Chef, Cyrus Todiwala OBE, brings signature dishes from his acclaimed landmark restaurant in the city, Café Spice Namaste, to be enjoyed in this stylish, vibrant restaurant at the hotel. The hotel has 129 rooms for guests to choose from and all are spacious with plenty of cosy touches.

Book a stay in a grand Georgian country mansion with a bohemian edge. Homewood has a hydrotherapy pool, a sauna and a steam room indoors. While outside, you can swim some lengths in the heated outdoor pool and soak in the hot tub enjoying epic views over the valley. A menu of ila holistic treatments are available to book, each targeting different areas of the body; or you might like to have the signature Vitality treatment for a top-to-toe experience. Therapists practice the ancient Indian marma therapy and use energy-enhancing essential oils to leave you feeling restored and rejuvenated.

Perched on the peninsula above Rutland Water in Oakham just outside of Stamford, this grand hall has been a privately owned hotel for decades. In that time it has earned a highly coveted three-star rating from the Michelin Guide for its cuisine (and boasts the UK’s longest-retained star), in a restaurant inspired by Michel Guerard’s Les Prés d’Eugénie in France. Much of its produce comes from the onsite walled one-acre kitchen garden, tended by a team of dedicated gardeners. Do come to dine, but also stay, and sleep in one of the rooms in the main house, or the self-contained two-bedroom Croquet Suite.