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.
Britain's Best Hotels, Pubs and Inns
A beautifully revamped North Cotswolds gastropub with boutique rooms
The Fuzzy Duck, Ilmington Road, Armscote, Warwickshire CV37 8DD
Holidays in West Midlands
Holidays in Warwickshire
Holidays in Stratford upon Avon
The Pheasant at Neenton, Neenton, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 6RJ
Holidays in West Midlands
Holidays in Shropshire
Holidays in Bridgnorth
A renowned Norfolk Broads gastropub with rooms
The Ingham Swan, Sea Palling Rd, Ingham, Norfolk NR12 9AB
Holidays in East Anglia
Holidays in Norfolk
Holidays in North Walsham
The Belfry, Wishaw Sutton Coldfield Birmingham B76 9PR
Holidays in West Midlands
Holidays in Birmingham
Perthshire's world class five star luxury golf resort and spa doesn't need an introduction....though read on....
Gleneagles Hotel, Gleneagles Auchterarder, Perthshire PH3 1NF
Holidays in Central Scotland
Holidays in Perthshire
Holidays in Perth
Old-school boutique hotel overlooking the Old Course in St Andrews
Rusacks St Andrews, PIlmour Links, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JQ
Holidays in East Scotland
Holidays in Fife
Holidays in St Andrews
A dog friendly country pub at the heart of a lavish country estate, with rooms, great food and tremendous grounds and facilities.
Fritton Lake, Church Lane, Fritton, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 9HA
Holidays in East Anglia
Holidays in Norfolk
Holidays in Great Yarmouth
Luxurious countryside pub on the banks of Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve
The Crab and Lobster, Mill Lane, Sidlesham, West Sussex PO20 7NB
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in West Sussex
Holidays in Chichester
Stars, real ale and a fabulous pub in Dark Sky country.
Holly Bush Inn, Greenhaugh, Hexham, Northumberland NE48 1PW
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in Northumberland
Holidays in Hexham
Flagged floors and modern convenience in walkers country
The Lister Arms, Malham, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 4DB
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in North Yorkshire
Holidays in Skipton
The Crown Inn, Woolhope, Woolhope, Herefordshire HR1 4QP
Holidays in West Midlands
Holidays in Herefordshire
Holidays in Hereford
An impossible picturesque Dorset pub with comfortable rooms and excellent food.
The Brace of Pheasants, Plush, Dorset DT2 7RQ
Holidays in South West England
Holidays in Dorset
Holidays in Blandford Forum
Worth a trip for the bar snacks alone, but this Sussex pub also has two luxury double bedrooms.
Richmond Arms, West Ashling, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 8EA
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in West Sussex
Holidays in Chichester
The Black Horse, Whitby, 91 Church Street, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO22 4BH
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in North Yorkshire
Holidays in Whitby
Champany Inn, Linlithgow, West Lothian EH49 7LU
Holidays in South Scotland
Holidays in Lothian
Holidays in Linlithgow
Great food, comfy rooms – and perhaps Sussex's best pub garden.
The Griffin Inn, Fletching, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 3SS
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in East Sussex
Holidays in Uckfield
Award-wining food and pampering at this hotel close to Salisbury center
Milford Hall Hotel, 206 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 3TE
Holidays in South West England
Holidays in Wiltshire
Holidays in Salisbury
A relaxed seaside coaching inn with a perfect position on the Aldeburgh seafront
The White Lion, Market Cross Place, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5BJ
Holidays in East Anglia
Holidays in Suffolk
Holidays in Aldeburgh
Impeccable, luxury hotel with highly personal service, effortlessly chic rooms and Michelin-starred restaurant
The Queensberry, 4–7 Russell Street, Bath, Somerset BA1 2QF
Holidays in South West England
Holidays in Somerset
Holidays in Bath
Boutique riverside Cambridge hotel with terrific city views, rooftop terrace and excellent amenities, close to the historic colleges
Varsity Hotel & Spa, Thompsons Lane, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB5 8AQ
Holidays in East Anglia
Holidays in Cambridgeshire
Holidays in Cambridge
Historic luxury hotel in the centre of Winchester
Winchester Royal, 21 St Peter Street Winchester SO23 8BS
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in Hampshire
Holidays in Winchester
If it’s good enough for Lord Byron, it’s good enough for us.
Seaham Hall, Lord Byron’s Walk, Seaham, Durham SR7 7AG
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in County Durham
Holidays in Seaham
Sconser Lodge Hotel, Sconser, Isle of Skye IV48 8TD
Holidays in Scottish Isles
Holidays in Isle of Islay
Boutique country living in a beautiful part of southwestern Scotland
Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick, Near Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway DG9 9AD
Holidays in South Scotland
Holidays in Dumfries And Galloway
Holidays in Stranraer
Boutique hotel overlooking the beach in Aldeburgh
The Brudenell, The Parade Aldeburgh IP15 5BU
Holidays in East Anglia
Holidays in Suffolk
Holidays in Aldeburgh
Bath Place Hotel, 4 Bath Place, Holywell Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3SU
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in Oxfordshire
Holidays in Oxford
A hotel set in a prime location in the centre of Salisbury
Legacy Rose & Crown, Harnham Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 8JQ
Holidays in South West England
Holidays in Wiltshire
Holidays in Salisbury
Stylish rooms above a riverside restaurant and bar by the Thames in Sonning
The Great House at Sonning, Coppa Club, The Great House, Thames Street, Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire RG4 6UT
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in Berkshire
Holidays in Reading
Modern rooms in a heritage building above a stylish Surrey restaurant and bar
The Georgian House at Haslemere, Coppa Club, Coppa at The Georgian, High Street, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 2JY
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in Surrey
Holidays in Haslemere
Hotel rooms designed with flair and style in a mid-century modern former telephone exchange close to Oxford Street and Covent Garden
The Hoxton Holborn, 199–206 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD
Holidays in South East England
Holidays in Greater London
Holidays in Covent Garden
One of the most impressive of Glasgow's new wave of boutique hotels
Hotel Indigo, 75 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 7DA
Holidays in South Scotland
Holidays in Lanarkshire
Holidays in Glasgow
Award-winning and very welcoming coaching inn in the heart of the Scottish Highlands
Old Inn, Flowerdale Glen, Gairloch, Ross & Cromarty IV21 2BD
Holidays in Highlands
Holidays in Ross-shire
Holidays in Ullapool
The Angel of Corbridge, Main Street, Corbridge, Northumberland NE45 5LA
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in Northumberland
Holidays in Corbridge
A picture-perfect country house hotel that's perfect for exploring the Malverns
Colwall Park, Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6QG
Holidays in West Midlands
Holidays in Worcestershire
Holidays in Great Malvern
A perfect spot for a Newcastle city break
Cairn Hotel, 97-103 Osborne Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2TJ
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in Northumberland
Holidays in Newcastle
Just south of Hadrian’s Wall, The Twice Brewed Inn is a popular country pub & bed and breakfast
The Twice Brewed Inn, Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland NE47 4AN
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in Northumberland
Holidays in Hexham
A plush Shropshire country inn with a terrific restaurant and extremely comfortable guest rooms
The Haughmond, Pelham Road, Upton Magna, Shropshire SY4 4TZ
Holidays in West Midlands
Holidays in Shropshire
Holidays in Shrewsbury
Cool old-school hotel in the heart of Aviemore
Cairngorm Hotel, Grampian Road, Aviemore, Inverness-shire PH22 1PE
Holidays in Highlands
Holidays in Inverness-shire
Holidays in Aviemore
A boutique family hotel perched above a private bay on the Lizard Peninsula
The Polurrian on The Lizard, Mullion, Cornwall TR12 7EN
Holidays in South West England
Holidays in Cornwall
Holidays in Mullion Cove
All what you dream an inn is made of, memory of Snowdonian brigands included
Brigands Inn, Mallwyd, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 9HJ
Holidays in Mid Wales
Holidays in Powys
Holidays in Machynlleth
Nestling in the picturesque village of Wark, Battlesteads is Billed as the 'greenest' hotel in Northumberland
Battlesteads, Wark on Tyne, Hexham, Northumberland NE48 3LS
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in Northumberland
Holidays in Hexham
Oodles of charm, warm and friendly staff, an inn in the Yorkshire Moors
The Fauconberg, Thirsk Bank, Coxwold, North Yorkshire YO61 4AD
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in North Yorkshire
Holidays in Thirsk
Shibden Mill Inn, Shibden Mill Fold, Shibden, West Yorkshire HX3 7UL
Holidays in North West England
Holidays in West Yorkshire
Holidays in Hebden Bridge
Just outside of Norwich, this is the perfect Norfolk foodie village pub – with rooms!
The King's Head, Bawburgh, Harts Lane, Bawburgh, Near Norwich, Norfolk NR9 3LS
Holidays in East Anglia
Holidays in Norfolk
Holidays in Norwich
The warmest of welcome, all year round, at the King's Head in the Welsh Gower Peninsula
The King's Head, Gower, Llangennith, Swansea, South Wales SA3 1HX
Holidays in South Wales
Holidays in The Gower
Holidays in Llangennith
A skip and a jump from Glencoe, this is an inn with History.
Clachaig Inn, Glencoe, Argyll & Bute PH49 4HX
Holidays in Highlands
Holidays in Argyll & Bute
Eat Drink Stay at the Heart of Tenby
Billycan, Lower Frog Street, Tenby, Pembrokeshire SA70 7HS
Holidays in South Wales
Holidays in Pembrokeshire
Holidays in Tenby
in County Durham, a country pub with accommodation for nostalgic travellers
Black Horse Beamish, Red Row, Beamish, Durham DH9 0RW
Holidays in North East England
Holidays in County Durham
Holidays in Beamish
