Best Luxury Hotels in United Kingdom

The Clermont London, Victoria, originally opened in 1862 as The Grosvenor Hotel is a historic Grade II listed railway hotel designed by James Thomas Knowles. Conveniently located next to Victoria Station, it provides easy access to London’s major landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey and Gatwick Airport is easily reached via the Express. The hotel offers a range of accommodation options, from classic rooms to deluxe suites, all featuring contemporary design with a touch of period charm. Guests can enjoy a variety of dining experiences, including The Soak an elegant setting with sumptuous seating, floor-to-ceiling windows and an eclectic menu, open for casual drinks, light bites to formal dinners. The Réunion Bar was once the first-class lounge for the Brighton Belle and overlooks Victoria Station – ideal for people watching whilst sipping on Champagne and cocktails, and The Tea Lounge is the perfect spot for a quintessentially British Afternoon Tea. The hotel caters to both leisure and corporate guests, offering a best-in-class breakfast buffet, corporate dining, and space for meetings and events.

The Gleneagles Hotel is an institution when it comes to luxury getaways. Its conception came about in 1910 when the General Manager of the Caledonian Railway Company had the vision to build a large country house hotel built in the style of a palace in the picturesque valley through which his railway line ran. It opened in 1924 and was quickly coined ‘the Riviera in the Highlands” Set in an 850-acre estate with three championship golf courses and an unbeatable array of sporting activities to try. From equestrian and shooting to fishing and off-road driving, there is plenty to keep you entertained or for a more relaxing experience enjoy some time at the ESPA Spa. Whilst there are 232 rooms, the design of each is constructed to feel like a far more intimate, boutique hotel with a mix of traditional and modern interiors. Guests can enjoy dinner in the incredible Andrew Fairlie Michelin-starred restaurant, the only restaurant in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars or for something more casual The Dormy Bar & Grill serves a selection of delicious dishes.

Hidden within 36 acres of Italian gardens and woodland outside of Ballantrae, this hotel lies close to the Ayrshire coastline. A late 19th-century baronial castle, it was first intended as the family seat for the Earl of Inchcape and holds a significant claim to fame – Winston Churchill was said to have discussed the D-Day landings while staying here in the 1940s. Pursuits for the well-heeled are a speciality – shooting, fishing and falconry, as well as tennis and croquet. Inside, guests can relax beside log fires, feast on six-course meals and peruse enormous wine lists. 17 bedrooms offer a period feel filled with antiquities and panelled or marble bathrooms include Penhaligon toiletries.

Perched on the edge of Loch Faskally in Pitlochry, this Baronial castle was built in 1892. Created for the port and sherry merchants, Sandeman, it has since been turned into a glamorous hotel and spa. Family owned and run (by the Clark family) the castle houses 42 bedrooms, four treatment rooms, a pool, a sauna and two restaurants. Eating and drinking can be both an exquisite and unusual experience here, with mood-lit pod dining, a unique gin bar and triple AA Rosette-awarded cuisine accompanied by waterside views. And as the town’s only five-star hotel, it’s the fanciest address at which to stay in town.

There is something extremely romantic and magical about escaping to a private island for a holiday and the 300 acres of stunning land that is the Isle of Eriska certainly does not disappoint. This is the setting and the perfect backdrop for those guests choosing to stay at the Isle of Eriska Hotel and Spa. For over four decades the Buchanan-Smith Family worked hard on developing and nurturing this hotel which has flourished into a luxury destination offering guests peace, tranquillity, outdoor pursuits and much more – all with a touch of luxury. The hotel comprises of 34 bedrooms with 16 bedrooms in the main house, 5 spa suites located in the gardens with private hot tub, 2 garden cottages and 6 hilltop reserves along with a self-catering house option which is a short drive from the main hotel. Fine dining in the Hotel Restaurant or something more casual on The Deck can be enjoyed by residents and non-residents.

Stay in one of the upscale rooms or cottages (the largest of which sleeps 10) in this Edwardian Arts and Crafts country manor. The decor is classic and homely with antique furnishings, designer floral wallpapers, rolltop tubs, hanging tapestries and original fireplaces. Its 6 acres comprise a walled garden, an alfresco terrace, tennis courts, a croquet lawn and a putting green, all perched beside the Muirfield championship golf course. Inside you can sample elegant cuisine in the first Chez Roux Restaurant in Scotland, read a book from the library in a wood-panelled drawing room, get a massage in the spa and take tea in the garden room.

Boasting one of few year-round outdoor heated pools in Scotland, this newly renovated country house hotel (on the Duke of Roxburgh’s former estate) is a top spa destination. The gleaming light-filled, glass-walled, hydro-spa is absolutely a highlight, with its indoor to outdoor, swim-through pool. But there’s so much to do beyond; a top-tier golf course, a fly-fishing centre, a shooting school, a croquet lawn and a driving range. 60 new lodges have been erected on the grounds, giving a self-contained alternative to the more traditional main house bedrooms. Or you can opt for a room in the modern wing.

25 acres of pastoral Perthshire countryside envelop this ivy-clad mansion house hotel. It dates back to 1840, with a grand oak-panelled staircase, log fire, portrait gallery and rumoured resident ghost. 18 bedrooms and suites sport a baronial and chintzy style, befitting a family-run country estate. Chef Steve MacCallum prepares feasts of game, wild salmon, shellfish and leafy produce from the onsite kitchen garden, all served in the intimate and homely candlelit dining room. While whisky tastings take place in the comfort of a plush sofa, fireside, in the bar lounge. 4×4 adventures, world-class golfing, fishing and shooting outings can all be arranged close by.

This property began life in 1895 as a home to Lord Strathcona, before serving as a military and maternity hospital. Nowadays the highland mansion, and its ten acres of land, offer a refined Highland base with views of Glencoe. Some of the suites and lodges have hot tubs and maxi bars and you’ll be served breakfast in bed, setting the scene for a romantic escape. Seasonal meals can be served in the restaurant, with drinks in the living room beside an open fire, or during the day, the staff will pack you a luxury picnic to enjoy in the great outdoors.

Haar Rooms, situated in the heart of St. Andrews, offer an exquisite blend of modern luxury and traditional Scottish charm. The six individually designed rooms are equipped with king-size beds, Smart TVs, and ensuite bathrooms featuring indulgent rain showers. Each room boasts stunning views of the iconic Old Course, West Sands, and the North Sea, providing a serene and picturesque setting. Guests at Haar can start their day with a delightful breakfast at the acclaimed Haar Restaurant, which is renowned for its innovative culinary creations. For a truly memorable dining experience, guests can opt for the Michelin-recommended tasting menu, showcasing the best of local and seasonal produce. The hotel’s proximity to the Old Course, just 50 metres away, makes it a perfect retreat for golf enthusiasts, offering easy access to one of the world’s most famous golf courses.

Established by celebrity designer Anouska Hempel, Blakes was the capital’s first five-star boutique residence. Its exclusivity and privacy make it popular with celebrities evading the limelight (Princess Margaret, Sarah Ferguson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lindsay Lohan and Kate Moss are all said to have stayed here). The decor is inspired by exotic lands – each bedroom reflecting a different pocket of the globe. Its urban garden was created by Matthew Williamson, is open for daytime meals, early evening drinks and boasts a glass birdcage like dining pod. While by night, dining takes place in the venue’s organic Mediterranean eatery. Guests at Blakes Hotel have access to the South Kensington Club, with its traditional Russian bathhouse, or can request in-room spa treatments. 

Privately owned, this hotel themes its rooms on high-brow local attractions: the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria & Albert and the Royal Albert Hall. So does its quirky and interactive Science Afternoon Tea, an award-winning experience – including jams served in petri dishes, chocolate spacemen and dinosaur biscuits – served in the Drawing Room. It’s understandably popular with children, but there’s also a grown-up version, featuring a cocktail flight. Venture beneath the building’s Victorian arches for a more substantial meal, in the Mediterranean eatery Apero. The 111 bedroom South Kensington hotel welcomes small pets in deluxe category rooms and above and won’t charge for their stay. Cots and extra beds can be added on request, for travelling families.