Hotels UK

A quiet revolution happened in the United Kingdom between the late 1980s and the Noughties. Back in the day hotels, B&Bs and self-catering cottages were often places of convenience rather than comfort. And glamping? Well that had yet to be invented. Luxury and originality, such as it existed, came at an enormous price, and upmarket hotels often rested on their laurels, focusing instead on keeping the wrong kind of people from enjoying their tired rooms and intimidatingly posh food. Hospitality was simply something Britain wasn’t very good at: if you wanted to experience good food and a half-decent place to stay at a reasonable price, well, you had to go abroad.

Fast forward to the 2020s and Britain is a different country, packed full of great places to stay often run by passionate people who live and breathe good hospitality. The dread word ‘boutique’ was the first indicator that things had changed, and of course is now an over-used term. But it does give a flavour of a new kind of British hotel or guesthouse that began to appear thirty or so years ago – small, independently owned, and putting the guest experience front and centre. There was a new sense of contemporary style in guest rooms, where luxury didn’t necessarily mean antique furniture and four-posters. The renaissance in Modern British food made an appearance too, with lots of places revamping their restaurants and basing their menus on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. And service was authentic, never trying too hard to please but always on hand if needed.

Like all good revolutions, change has continued, with new trends and activities emerging – wild swimming, food foraging, art classes, yoga and wellness retreats – and many establishments offering alternative accommodation: shepherds huts, lodges with hot tubs, even treehouses. The best places now have an eye on the environment too, with renewable energy sources, discounts for those arriving on public transport and kitchen gardens saving on food miles.

The Cool Places collection doesn’t pretend to include all of Britain’s best places to stay, but instead aims to provide a curated selection. Our choices are deliberately eclectic, driven not so much by budget as by the uniqueness of the property, its location, facilities, décor – or just its owners and the extra mile they often go for their guests. We avoid the usual global brands that dominate accommodation in many towns and cities, the point being that it’s not always about what you spend on a room, it’s where you spend it, with plenty of surprisingly affordable options if you know where to find them. We also aim to provide a range of choices in most corners of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Hotels UK

Accommodation Type

Looking For

Features

Adults

Children

Child Ages

Britain's Best Hotels, Pubs and Inns

Swinton Park

Danesfield House

The Charlecote Pheasant Hotel

The Wood Norton

Widbrook Grange

Lakeside Hotel

Seckford Hall

Hartwell House & Spa

Kentisbury Grange

The Rosevine

The Greenway Hotel & Spa

Plas Dinas Country House

Burgh Island Hotel

Orestone Manor

The Wild Boar

The Brisley Bell

Rathfinny Wine Estate

Tinwood Estate

Browns

Atlantic Hotel

Hampton Manor

The Gallivant

Walpole Bay Hotel

Wivenhoe House Hotel

Enchanted Manor

Cameron House

Portmeirion

21212

Monachyle Mhor Hotel

OYO The Town House

Headingley Lodge

Quebecs

Big Blue Hotel

La Gaffe

Thornbury Castle

Canterbury Cathedral Lodge

Ardanaiseig

Portavadie

The Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course

Cringletie House Hotel

Hotel Pelirocco

Boundary London

Lewinnick Lodge

The Greyhound on the Test

Lainston House

Loading map

What Customers say about Cool Places

Everything I needed for a stay

Nathan, Verified Customer

6 out of 5!!!!

Barbara, Verified Customer

Easy to navigate

Patrick, Verified Customer

Such a great variety of properties

CT, Verified Customer

Great, simple, straightforward

SM, Verified Customer