Best Luxury Hotels in England

Found on the banks of the River Frome, The Priory is an independently owned boutique hotel, with a renowned fine dining restaurant on Dorset’s south coast. Bedrooms are all unique, cosy, decorated in soft hues and furnished with unique antique pieces. Some are in the Main House, while others are right beside the water in the Boat House. The dining room – serving meals all day from breakfast through to dinner – has a classic country house feel, with green oak beams, fine china and luxury Mulberry Home interiors. Very much a grown-up residence, The Priory is reserved for guests aged 14 and over.

Dating back to the early 17th century and found in Thomas Hardy’s homeland, Plumber Manor remains the Prideaux-Brunes family residence. As a result, the feel is homely and familial, with a warm welcome from the handpicked team of food and hospitality experts. The Jacobean manor has also been a hotel for four decades, flanked by pretty gardens and a stream. Options for activities include organised shoots, a trip to nearby Longleat and leisurely dog walks (there are a number of pooch-friendly rooms). Or spend some ‘me time’ reclining in a deckchair close to nature as you’re served some of Dorset’s finest cocktails.

Situated less than two miles from Bourton-on-the-Water in the picturesque Lower Slaughter with easy access to Cheltenham, The Slaughters Manor House features 19 rooms with rich fabrics, oversized beds and plush furnishing. Sleep in the main house or a courtyard room – many of which can be connected to form family rooms. Play tennis, croquet, boules and billiards for the stately home experience and dine in the hotel’s three rosette restaurant.

Visitors to North Yorkshire can elect to stay in the grand surroundings of this privately owned stately home, the once-residence of Princess Mary. The five-star 17th-century Grade II listed building is set in 11 acres of land with far-reaching views. Stained glass windows, Jacobean architecture, oversized fireplaces, heavy drapes, four-poster beds, exposed beams and antique rugs are just some of its regal features. There’s also a spa, hot tub, charming orangery and some of the best service in the county. Hearty yet high-end Yorkshire cuisine is to be found on the menu – the hotel has an AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence and you mustn’t miss the traditional afternoon tea in Princess Mary’s Drawing Room.

This elegant Relais and Chateaux property and spa is found among the rolling green fields of Evershot. Listed as one of the Best Country House Hotels in Britain by The Daily Telegraph in 2019, awarded Hotel Restaurant of the Year at the Dorset Food & Drinks Awards in 2017 and voted No. 2 Top Hotel in the UK at the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards in 2017, the Lodge has an array of accolades to its name. Rooms and cottages are peaceful, and comfortable, yet regal in style. Fine dining is de rigueur, while the bar is home to over 300 whiskies.

Perched on a working farm, where the northern Cotswolds’ border meets the Avon valleys is Eckington Manor. The family-owned and run hotel offers 17 bedrooms spread over four barns and outbuildings. The suites retain period beams, flagstones, wood stoves and antiques, combined with up to date materials and furnishings tastefully in keeping with the building’s age. Enjoy farm to fork cuisine in the 12th-century Dutch barn restaurant and take lessons at the Georgian manor’s own cookery school.

If you’d rather stay somewhere central and buzzing with activity, the Kings Head Hotel has a host of amenities and attractions on its Cirencester doorstep. But there’s plenty to keep you from leaving the 46 roomed premises – a spa and cinema in the cellar, the elegant dining room, cosy bar, frequent events and live entertainment. The 14th-century building also contains the remains of a Roman mosaic, encased in glass in the lobby. Kids and dogs are welcome in this relaxed yet luxe inn.

Set among 400 acres of the Farncombe Estate in Broadway village, Dormy House makes for a divine spa getaway with a Veuve Cliquot nail bar, Temple Spa products, a 16-metre sleek indoor pool, hot juniper sauna, an experience shower, salt-infusion therapy room, rhassoul-mud room and outdoor hot tub. Interior designer Todhunter Earle has infused a retro meets Scandi style in the 38 rooms and suites. Dine with a view in the Garden Room Restaurant and be sure to take a peek at the estate’s secret Japanese garden.

PWeeke Barton’s sustainably-minded environment places an emphasis on homeliness. The owners (who live on-site, along with their spaniel and son) select the finest, most interesting products and ingredients, and have crafted a cosy yet minimal design for optimum relaxation. There are two sociable group sittings for dinner (kids at tea-time followed by adults only), allowing each group their own time. Then post-meal, why not recline into a garden hammock with a tasty tipple and take in the sounds of nature?

Fancy a stay on a private island in glamorous art deco style? The vintage landmark building is evocative of the gleaming ocean liners of the 1930s and houses fascinating original pieces from the era, in addition to a colourful past (Agatha Christie and Noel Coward were among the patrons of old). As the tide draws close to its perimeter there’s a sense of seclusion, yet there’s so much to do on land and water, as well as black-tie ballroom dining. Guests are even given a book about the island as a parting gift and lasting memento.

The Athenaeum Hotel is a five-star hotel and residences with a five-star history. Dating back to the 1800’s the building has taken many forms; from a popular Gentlemen’s Club, a luxurious Art Deco apartment block and a prestigious hotel – The Athenaeum Hotel has become synonymous with the important, the rich and the famous. The Athenaeum has made a name for itself not just as a hotel but also as a dining destination on its own merit. As the name suggests, Galvin at The Athenaeum is the hotel restaurant by Michelin-starred chef brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, known for the French-inspired menus the brothers have developed a menu for this restaurant that champions classic British produce. The cosy bar is also a firm favourite with hotel residents and non-residents alike, with a carefully curated cocktail menu it’s well worth a visit.

A historic house believed to date back to the 16th century, Saltcote Place has been extensively renovated and restored over the years. Each of its six suites has been individually decorated and furnished with antique pieces and features such as wooden four-poster beds, chandeliers and roll-top tubs. Reserved for those over 14 years of age, Saltcote Place is a grown-up retreat and high-end B&B, where guests are treated to bubbles at breakfasts and complimentary nightcaps. The venue also hosts weddings in its function suites and caters especially well for honeymooning and anniversary couples.