The coolest UK hotels that opened last month
Ianthe Butt selects the best new places to rest your head
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From a trio of exciting new hotels making waves in Wales to a charming Cotswolds inn and affordable crashpad in the heart of London Victoria, here are six of the UK’s hottest new check-ins.
Parador 44, Cardiff
Asador 44, the restaurant famed for its northern Spanish grilled fare and meat-heavy menu, needs no introduction to Cardiff diners. And the great news for foodies is that the talented siblings behind it – Natalie Isaac, Owen Morgan and Tom Morgan, aka Grupo 44 – have just added another string to their restaurant and bar portfolio, with a Spanish-inspired boutique hotel.
The family’s love for Spanish culture, sparked during off-the-beaten-track childhood adventures, is writ large across nine bedrooms and a residents-only lounge which sit upstairs above Asador 44. Inspired by paradors (lodgings in historic Spanish buildings), bedrooms conjure up Andalucia in a flash with sherry-inspired names, weighty wooden Spanish doors turned headboards, intricate peach and periwinkle tiling, and bespoke lemon and bergamot toiletries inspired by Spanish botanicals.
A rustic-luxe lounge with honesty bar, featuring the family’s own manzanilla, leads to a suntrap terrace, sprinkled with striped parasols and lavender planters. Ideal for an afternoon copita after time spent shopping at the nearby arcades or exploring Cardiff Castle. As well as fiesta-worthy feasts downstairs at suppertime, expect hearty Spanish breakfasts and ensaimadas for breakfast.
Doubles from £195, B&B; grupo44.co.uk/parador44
Y Seler, Aberaeron
Another exciting family affair is Y Seler, in the harbour town of Aberaeron in west Wales. Twins Llyr and Llinos Thomas have poured plenty of heart and soul into transforming the former Cellar restaurant and adjoining pub into a nine-room boutique property.
The siblings have hospitality running through their veins – their parents founded the much-loved, family-run chippy The New Celtic Restaurant next door. While Y Seler – announced by a deep purple facade with elegant italic script – has an elegant bar with roaring fireplace, plus a casual lounge for small plates, the main event food-wise is the lower-level fine dining restaurant. Here, sapphire banquettes, window-like mirrors and glowing spherical lights give it the feel of a golden-age-of-glam railway carriage. Behind the scenes, a talented chef team turn out superbly executed food, such as sourdough with lashings of Marmite butter, hearty tomato and pepper veloute, scallops with samphire, and creamy potato and garlic stacks followed by twist-on-classics such as pistachio bakewell tart.
Upstairs, nine cosseting bedrooms are all moody-chic, pairing graphite-coloured walls and gold-accented lighting with perfect-for-cwtching tasselled blankets, crisp white linens, blackout blinds and Bluetooth music systems.
Aberaeron’s indie boutiques, pastel-fronted houses and shingly beach are on the doorstep, and dolphin-spotting trips can be taken from New Quay, a short drive away.
Doubles from £169, B&B; yseler.co.uk
The Oyster House, Mumbles
Arriving just in time for a late summer seaside staycation is The Oyster House, a pub-restaurant with 16 boutique bedrooms in Mumbles. This seafront property is located moments from the sand-shingle beach and a short walk from the pier.
A 15-minute drive from Swansea station, the hotel is the latest addition to the drinking and dining-focused Oyster Wharf development. On the ground floor, there’s a lively, orb-lit bar/restaurant with emerald seats and crimson banquettes to snuggle into, plus two glass-walled conservatories. Decorated gallery-style with foliage and flapper girl prints, it serves informal pub grub: think haddock and chips and halloumi salads (but skip dessert and opt for a scoop of vanilla from nearby Joe’s ice cream parlour).
Upstairs, there’s a terrace bar for sundowners, and bedrooms are kitted out with Roberts radios, licked in bold and pastel tones. Some rooms have pillar-box red, coral-print curtains, others sun-and-sea splashes with crown-shaped, buttercup-coloured headboards and oceanic blue walls. Kids will adore the Do Not Disturb sign (a cuddly toy), and those after ocean glimpses should book a sea-facing room (but don’t expect a full-blown panorama).
Don’t miss cycling the coastal path, or taking a beach hopping stroll to Bracelet Bay and Limeslade Bay.
Doubles from approx £125, room-only; oysterhousemumbles.com
The Fox at Oddington, Gloucestershire
For those after a more-charming-than-your-average-pub with rooms, this honey-hued 19th-century inn in Gloucestershire is just the ticket. With six rooms, zhuzhed up by Cotswolds legend Carole Bamford of Daylesford fame, each one is a sanctuary to retreat to, with king-size beds topped with organic sheep wool mattresses, and spacious living areas decorated with Hugo Guinness prints (and, of course, Bamford goodies in the bathrooms).
Exposed Cotswold stone walls plus a palette of natural hues – think warm creams and biscuit browns – root rooms in their countryside locale. For romance, make for The Master’s Room in the eaves, with its curtained four-poster, or the ground-floor Den for walled garden views.
The equestrian-inspired bar serves up excellent cocktails – try the gin, honey, lavender and bee pollen Bees Knees – alongside quirky features including repurposed vintage stable doors, leather banquettes and a teal-walled Tack Room hung with rosettes.
As well as looking the biz, The Fox has strong eco creds; the pub’s powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, and in the restaurant Alan Gleeson serves up dishes made with ingredients from best-of-British producers including Daylesford Organic and Wootton Estate.
There are heaps of walking trails close by, and a fleet of 10 electric Daylesford green bikes to pootle to Daylesford Organic Farm Shop too.
Doubles from £225, B&B; thefoxatoddington.com
Hotel Brooklyn, Leicester
Two years on from its Manchester debut, Hotel Brooklyn has touched down in the Midlands, bringing a touch of Stateside cool to Leicester. Much like the Mancunian property, its 191 bedrooms are Brooklyn-inspired, with a dark and sultry industrial aesthetic created by SquidInc: think beds upholstered in burgundy leather and exposed steel gantries.
Offering design-led accessible rooms remains core to the brand, and the hotel has 10 fully accessible and six ambulant accessible bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms featuring matt black brassware, grab rails and shower seats, created with industry-leading accessible design outfit Motionspot.
At the heart of the property is The Lair, an open-plan bar/restaurant – for steaks, truffle oil fries and wedge salads followed by sticky pecan pie – as well as a stepped seating area, where guests can spin vinyl or sip margaritas.
Set just next to Welford Road Stadium, it’s a good pick for rugby fans, as there’s even a footbridge from the hotel which runs straight to the ground.
Doubles from £90, B&B; hotelbrooklynlei.co.uk
citizenM London Victoria, London
When it comes to city hotels in excellent locations that are affordable and appealing, few big-hitting brands do it with as much panache as citizenM. Its fourth London opening, opposite Victoria Station on Vauxhall Bridge Road, is a hop, skip and jump from the area’s theatres, as well as trains to Gatwick and the Kentish coast.
The 226 futuristic, modular rooms are intentionally nigh-on identikit (as much as space will allow), featuring nothing superfluous, yet everything you need. A comfy XL king-size bed, sink-into-me duvet, under-bed storage, and an easy-to-use blinds and lighting system controlled via a tablet app – complete with phasing rainbow colours in the pod-style rainforest shower – are all designed for comfort and ease.
Decor is minimal, but with a dash of design to keep it interesting: a bright Lorenzo Vitturi print of Ridley Road Market on the walls here, a red Vitra chair there. Communal spaces are more individual; a riot-of-colour Living Room has co-working tables, nooks to tuck into, and heaps of contemporary art, from spangled corgi pieces to a suspended egg sculpture, giving it a gallery-at-home feel.
Dining at the 24/7 canteenM is good for no-fuss light bites and fuel-up buffet breakfasts, while, for something fancier, a host of other options from Pasta Evangelists to Bone Daddies can be found at Market Halls Victoria and the Nova development nearby.
Doubles from £159, room-only; citizenm.com
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