10 best hotels for all tastes
It’s almost upon us – the season when the days lengthen, flowers burst forth and the world seems to turn with renewed enthusiasm. And if you fancy a weekend escape as spring finds its feet, then you will find any of the following hotels delightfully fit for purpose…
Spring brings out the very best in the Lake District, and Gilpin Lodge at Windermere is an ideal spot in which to watch the season paint the landscape anew. The 20 rooms in the main building (a Georgian house refurbished in 2009) have names such as Cat Bells and Dollywagon Pike. Garden suites have hot tubs to soothe postwalk aching limbs. Double rooms for £320, with dinner and breakfast.
01539-488818, www.gilpinlodge.co.uk
A genuine, aristocratic pile, the previously inaccessible (for the most part) Brocket Hall, near Welwyn in Hertfordshire, opened its doors for overnight breaks. The Auberge Experience, which combines one night’s stay with dinner and breakfast at the estate’s highly rated Auberge du Lac restaurant, costs £315 per couple.
01707-335241, www.brocket-hall.co.uk
Heckfield Place, Hampshire
An 18th-century manor house turned sophisticated retreat, Heckfield Place – due to open later this spring – will provide leafy relaxation in rural Hampshire. Guests will be able to stroll in the grounds, then return to freshly cooked food, such as pork, beef and eggs, sourced from the estate’s farm. Intriguingly, its 60 rooms will be complemented by an 80-seat cinema. Double rooms from £400, with breakfast.
0118-932 6868, www.heckfieldplace.com
With a history that fades as far into the past as 1603, Sopwell House, just outside St Albans, is now known for the calm, happy sighs that accompany its spa treatments. Evening Escape spa packages cost from £35, although the Ultimate Spa Day – facial, scrub, massage and manicure, plus three-course lunch – pushes the budget to £199. Or a His & Hers spa day costs £198 per couple. Double rooms from £109, with breakfast.
01727-864477, www.sopwellhouse.co.uk
The Vineyard Hotel, Berkshire
Spring does not have to be all about the countryside. Positioned in the shadow of the castle, The Atholl caters to those who wish to tarry in Edinburgh. The Palmerston is the smallest of its four suites, though ‘small’ scarcely describes the bedroom, dining room and living room that make up this space – nor the kitchen, where a private chef can prepare dinner. It costs £1,000 per night, for room only.
0844-736 0047, www.theatholl.com
Set in 10 grassy acres on the edge of the South Downs, in the West Sussex village of Bepton, Park House Hotel is the sort of beautiful, relaxed place where a weekend can slide by without you noticing – it has just won the 2013 Johansens Award for the UK’s Most Romantic Hotel. The attached spa boasts a 15-metre indoor pool, a steam room and a sauna. Its classic spa deal – twocourse lunch, 45-minute facial, 45-minute massage – costs £125. Double rooms from £135, for room only.
01730-819000, www.parkhousehotel.com
This traditional village pub, at Claygate in Surrey, can trace its story back to the 1780s, but it has been reconditioned as a 21stcentury coaching inn. There are 17 boutique-style rooms with light, breezy colours and modern fittings, and an in-house restaurant that serves seasonal dishes, including a fine confit of pork belly with cider sauce for £13.50. Double rooms from £149, with breakfast.
01372-462021, www.thefoley.co.uk
The mountain-fringed lake that the hotel overlooks, revels in the natural beauty of mid-Wales – its estate attracts falcons, peregrines and kites. Miles of walking trails flow around the lake, and four-star comforts await back at the hotel, including a spa centre, with windows that overlook the water. Double rooms from £139, with breakfast.
01691-870692, www.lakevyrnwy.com
Sopwell House Country Club, St Albans
Anyone dreaming of days ambling down pretty lanes in genteel Cotswold villages as spring blossom starts to break through, might be drawn to Wyck Hill House Hotel. This pleasing hideaway is a perfect base for trips to Broadway or Bourton-onthe- Water. The restaurant menu includes pan-roasted venison and south coast crab risotto. Double rooms from £125, room only.
01451-831936, www.wyckhillhousehotel.co.uk
This stylish retreat, tucked away in Newbury, Berkshire, is dedicated to all things viticultural – to the extent that its 32 suites and 17 bedrooms are named after iconic wines of the world. The trend continues into the dining room, where the gourmet cuisine is assisted by a cellar that contains some 30,000 bottles – 100 of which can be enjoyed by the glass. Double rooms from £335, room only.
01635-897703, www.the-vineyard.co.uk
Lakeside Reflection
Gilpin Lodge, WindermereSpring brings out the very best in the Lake District, and Gilpin Lodge at Windermere is an ideal spot in which to watch the season paint the landscape anew. The 20 rooms in the main building (a Georgian house refurbished in 2009) have names such as Cat Bells and Dollywagon Pike. Garden suites have hot tubs to soothe postwalk aching limbs. Double rooms for £320, with dinner and breakfast.
01539-488818, www.gilpinlodge.co.uk
Ladies of the Manor
Brocket Hall, WelwynA genuine, aristocratic pile, the previously inaccessible (for the most part) Brocket Hall, near Welwyn in Hertfordshire, opened its doors for overnight breaks. The Auberge Experience, which combines one night’s stay with dinner and breakfast at the estate’s highly rated Auberge du Lac restaurant, costs £315 per couple.
01707-335241, www.brocket-hall.co.uk
Heckfield Place, Hampshire Weekend Walking
Heckfield Place, HampshireAn 18th-century manor house turned sophisticated retreat, Heckfield Place – due to open later this spring – will provide leafy relaxation in rural Hampshire. Guests will be able to stroll in the grounds, then return to freshly cooked food, such as pork, beef and eggs, sourced from the estate’s farm. Intriguingly, its 60 rooms will be complemented by an 80-seat cinema. Double rooms from £400, with breakfast.
0118-932 6868, www.heckfieldplace.com
Spa Gazers
Sopwell House Country Club, St AlbansWith a history that fades as far into the past as 1603, Sopwell House, just outside St Albans, is now known for the calm, happy sighs that accompany its spa treatments. Evening Escape spa packages cost from £35, although the Ultimate Spa Day – facial, scrub, massage and manicure, plus three-course lunch – pushes the budget to £199. Or a His & Hers spa day costs £198 per couple. Double rooms from £109, with breakfast.
01727-864477, www.sopwellhouse.co.uk
The Vineyard Hotel, BerkshireCity Breaks
The Atholl, EdinburghSpring does not have to be all about the countryside. Positioned in the shadow of the castle, The Atholl caters to those who wish to tarry in Edinburgh. The Palmerston is the smallest of its four suites, though ‘small’ scarcely describes the bedroom, dining room and living room that make up this space – nor the kitchen, where a private chef can prepare dinner. It costs £1,000 per night, for room only.
0844-736 0047, www.theatholl.com
Lazy Weekends
Park House Hotel, BeptonSet in 10 grassy acres on the edge of the South Downs, in the West Sussex village of Bepton, Park House Hotel is the sort of beautiful, relaxed place where a weekend can slide by without you noticing – it has just won the 2013 Johansens Award for the UK’s Most Romantic Hotel. The attached spa boasts a 15-metre indoor pool, a steam room and a sauna. Its classic spa deal – twocourse lunch, 45-minute facial, 45-minute massage – costs £125. Double rooms from £135, for room only.
01730-819000, www.parkhousehotel.com
The Inn Crowd
The Foley, ClaygateThis traditional village pub, at Claygate in Surrey, can trace its story back to the 1780s, but it has been reconditioned as a 21stcentury coaching inn. There are 17 boutique-style rooms with light, breezy colours and modern fittings, and an in-house restaurant that serves seasonal dishes, including a fine confit of pork belly with cider sauce for £13.50. Double rooms from £149, with breakfast.
01372-462021, www.thefoley.co.uk
Nature lovers
Lake Vyrnwy Country House Hotel, PowysThe mountain-fringed lake that the hotel overlooks, revels in the natural beauty of mid-Wales – its estate attracts falcons, peregrines and kites. Miles of walking trails flow around the lake, and four-star comforts await back at the hotel, including a spa centre, with windows that overlook the water. Double rooms from £139, with breakfast.
01691-870692, www.lakevyrnwy.com
Sopwell House Country Club, St AlbansCountry Explorers
Wyck Hill House Hotel, Stow-on-the-WoldAnyone dreaming of days ambling down pretty lanes in genteel Cotswold villages as spring blossom starts to break through, might be drawn to Wyck Hill House Hotel. This pleasing hideaway is a perfect base for trips to Broadway or Bourton-onthe- Water. The restaurant menu includes pan-roasted venison and south coast crab risotto. Double rooms from £125, room only.
01451-831936, www.wyckhillhousehotel.co.uk
Wine Lovers
The Vineyard Hotel, StockcrossThis stylish retreat, tucked away in Newbury, Berkshire, is dedicated to all things viticultural – to the extent that its 32 suites and 17 bedrooms are named after iconic wines of the world. The trend continues into the dining room, where the gourmet cuisine is assisted by a cellar that contains some 30,000 bottles – 100 of which can be enjoyed by the glass. Double rooms from £335, room only.
01635-897703, www.the-vineyard.co.uk