The 19 best hotels in Britain – by the experts who stayed in all the hotels and voted them the winners
There are so many special hotels in Britain, but which ones really go the extra mile and treat guests like members of their family, often offering complimentary tea and cake or a glass of wine on arrival, as well as delicious food and luxurious rooms? Below are The Good Hotel Guide’s best places to stay in Britain for 2025.
Best hotel by the sea
The seaside guest house, Burton Bradstock, Dorset
Just above Chesil Beach, and with spectacular views over Lyme Bay, this chic seaside hotel feels like a little piece of New England has been transplanted to Dorset. Owned by the founders of London’s Groucho Club, it has a hip interior and offers the freshest seafood.
Don’t miss: Go fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast.
Details: B&B doubles from £255 (theasideboardinghouse.com).
Best country house hotel
Ty Mawr, Brechfa, Carmarthenshire
There are bigger and grander country house hotels, but few are more popular with Guide readers or cheaper than this one, run by Gill Brown and David Hart on the edge of Brechfa Forest. Gill cooks imaginative but unpretentious meals and even dogs get a breakfast sausage.
Don’t miss: The walks from the door through the forest.
Details: B&B doubles from £135 (wales-country-hotel.co.uk).
Best foodie hotel
The Collective in Woolsery, Devon
The collective in Woolsery, near Clovelly in Devon
The delightfully unusual meals at the Farmers Arms pub feature ingredients from their sustainable farm, organic gardener and surrounding woodlands. The whole venture includes a gourmet fish ‘n’ chippy, a village shop and chic bedrooms and cottages in the village.
Don’t miss: A visit to nearby Clovelly, which tumbles along the coast.
Details: Room only doubles from £275 (wolsery.com).
The best in East Anglia
The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk
Everything that is best about North Norfolk comes together in the Nye family’s 15-room hotel. Think far-reaching views over salt marshes, wildlife on your doorstep, fishermen delivering their catch to your door and countless walks.
Don’t miss: A fish dish with Brancaster mussels and Cromer crab.
Details: B&B doubles from £150 (whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk).
Most romantic hotel
Hotel Endsleigh, Milton Abbot, Devon
Who could not be moved by this Regency cottage, nestled in an Arcadian landscape on the Tamar and peppered with follies and caves? Olga Polizzi’s interior is just as special, with a wood-lined hall leading to lounges and bedrooms.
Don’t miss: A tour of the gardens with the gardener.
Details: B&B doubles from £290 (thepolizzicollection.com).
Best in the South
Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire
At Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons you can take a gardening or cooking course
It is no easy feat to maintain two Michelin stars for 40 years. Raymond Blanc’s food is exquisite, but the bedrooms in this Oxfordshire country house, with its lavender-lined path, beautiful gardens and orchard, are as carefully crafted as the dishes. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it.
Don’t miss: Take a cooking or gardening course.
Details: B&B doubles from £925 (belmond.com).
Best restaurant with rooms
Mingary Castle, Kilchoan, Highlands
Medieval feasts may have been fine in this 13th-century stronghold overlooking the Sound of Mull, but they couldn’t have had a place on Colin Nicholson’s delicious tasting menus. There are only four rooms, characterized by four posters, rich fabrics and deep baths.
Don’t miss: A visit to Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, the most westerly point on mainland Britain.
Details: B&B doubles from £225 (mingarycastle.co.uk).
The best in the South West and the Channel Islands
The blond hedgehog, St Anne, Alderney
‘Pretty much perfect’ was the summary of the guide inspectors of this hotel in the town of St. Anne on the small island of Alderney. They were impressed by the friendly atmosphere, the divine food in delicious combinations, the beautifully designed boutique rooms and the fantastic breakfast.
Don’t miss: A kayak tour around the small island.
Details: B&B doubles from £170 (blondehedgehog.com).
Best spa hotel
Lindehout, Lyndhurst, Hampshire
It may not be the largest spa in a British hotel, but Lime Wood’s Herb House spa is set in the beautiful green surroundings of the New Forest. Expect top-of-the-line treatments and floor-to-ceiling windows that create an outdoor-indoor feel from the hydrotherapy pool; there is also a heated outdoor pool.
Don’t miss: Cycling through the forest for lunch at The Pig.
Details: B&B doubles from £495 (limewoodhotel.co.uk).
The best in the Midlands
Hambleton Hall, Rutland
YuU can feast your eyes on views across the beautifully manicured gardens to Rutland Water as you enjoy delicious cuisine at this Michelin-starred hotel, where every bite created by Chef Aaron Patterson is an explosion of flavours. Bedrooms are the epitome of elegance.
Don’t miss: The 23 mile cycle ride around Rutland Water.
Details: B&B doubles from £370 (hambletonhall.com)
The best of the North
The Traddock, Austwick, North Yorkshire
Traditional bedrooms and top-rated food characterize the Reynolds family’s small country house hotel with spectacular views over the Dales. But it is the very personal touch that gives guests the feeling of staying at a friend’s home.
Don’t miss: Order a picnic for a day of walking in the Dales.
Details: B&B doubles from £120 (thetraddock.co.uk).
Best hotel for gardens
Bodysgallen Hall, Llandudno, Conwy
The vegetable garden supplies the restaurant at Badysgallen Hall in Conwy
A 17th-century parterre, rose garden and woodland walks make up the 200 hectares of Renaissance pleasure grounds and gardens at Bodysgallen, on the slopes of Mount Pydew. The vegetable garden supplies the restaurant in this traditional hotel.
Don’t miss: Near Llandudno.
Details: B&B doubles from £179 (bodysgallen.com).
The best in Scotland
Prestonfield, Edinburgh
Walls in Edinburgh’s Prestonfield may be covered in leather or 17th-century tapestries
It’s pure theater in this luxurious hotel with kilt-wearing staff and a peacock-guarded park, close to Royal Holyrood Park. The walls may be covered in leather or 17th-century tapestries, and the fabrics are sumptuous.
Don’t miss: Climb Arthur’s Seat for great views of the city.
Details: B&B doubles from £247 (prestonfield.com).
Best hotel for hikers
The Castle, Episcopal Castle, Shropshire
Aimed at guests walking the Shropshire hills, this hotel has everything from maps and packed lunches to boot brushes and drying facilities. There is also no charge for dogs. There are three bars, a good restaurant and comfortable rooms.
Don’t miss: Ludlow, which is only about 30 minutes away.
Details: B&B doubles from £130 (thecastlehotelbishopscastle.co.uk).
The best of Wales
Penal Abbey, Pembrokeshire
Penally Abbey, a dream hotel on the seafront near Tenby, is so good it has won this award twice in three years. There’s an air of romance about the beautifully designed interiors, with a candlelit restaurant, arched windows and plenty of antiques and French market finds.
Don’t miss: Nearby Penally Beach.
Details: B&B doubles from £215 (penally-abbey.com).
Best hotel for dogs
Mill End Hotel, Chagford, Devon
Walkies from the door and a boot room, sink and towels to clean those muddy paws on your return… four-legged guests are as welcome as their owners at this former mill on the River Teign. And you can book a dog sitter.
Don’t miss: The National Trust’s Drogo Castle, two miles away.
Details: B&B doubles from £160 (millendhotel.com).
Best hotel in a city/village
The Cookie Jar, Alnwick, Northumberland
Debbie Cook has transformed what was once the Convent of Mercy into a quirky 11-bedroom boutique hotel that offers urban chic and something of a Soho club atmosphere. The Chapel Suite features a circular stained glass window and a divine bath.
Don’t miss: Alnwick Castle, with links to the Harry Potter films (reopening from March).
Details: B&B doubles from £205 (cookiejaralnwick.com).
Best B&B
The Terrace, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight terrace offers sea views and guided wine tastings every evening
Forget your standard B&B: this beautiful place is all about wine, with guided tastings every evening in a room full of bottles. The modern-chic rooms offer sea views and include a wine refrigerator and beach towels. The four-course breakfast is also quite special.
Don’t miss: The coastal walk to charming Steephill Cove.
Details: B&B doubles from £200 (theterraceventnor.co.uk).
Best pub
The Howard Arms, Ilmington, Warwickshire
It was all well and good for this pub on the green at Stratford-upon-Avon, which was saved by enterprising locals. The interior features tiled floors, beamed ceilings and plenty of character, while the food ranges from pub grub to imaginative dishes.
Don’t miss: A visit to the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
Details: B&B doubles from £140 (howardarms.com).
For more details see goodhotelguide.com
