Britain's best country house hotels
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Britain’s country house hotels took off post-war, when increasing numbers of city workers sought the tranquillity of the countryside for short breaks. As the concept grew ever more popular, growing numbers of private homes were converted into hotels. But with hundreds to choose from today, how do you know where to start? We think these are the best of the bunch, ranging from those with 11 bedrooms right up to those with well over 100. Whether you want traditional, old-school or a more relaxed, informal vibe, there’s likely to be a country house hotel, usually complete with a crackling log fire, waiting to welcome you.
Gravetye Manor, West Sussex
This is one of the UK’s longest-established country house hotels. We love its classy, fresh décor, peaceful vibe and renowned gardens, pioneered by visionary Victorian gardener William Robinson. There are just 17 bedrooms (all with fabulous bathrooms), making it more of a home-from-home than a hotel. The fine dining restaurant’s head chef George Blogg has recently been awarded his first Michelin star, utilising one of the only remaining walled kitchen gardens in the UK (which provides around 90 per cent of the produce in the summer months). There are 1,000 acres of countryside, yet it’s under an hour’s drive from London. No spa, but that’s part of the appeal, and the service is second-to-none. Double rooms from £260 with breakfast (gravetyemanor.co.uk).
Chewton Glen, Hampshire
This place has a list of awards as long as your arm to prove its merits. In the wrong hands, it could have become the grandmother of chintz, yet it manages to combine classic elegance with stylish décor, impeccable service and a warm and friendly vibe. Facilities include an outstanding spa, with Europe’s largest hydrotherapy pool. Meanwhile, the stylish restaurant has a menu that enables you to fine dine or eat more casually (great if you’re staying more than one night), with a colossal wine list and exceptionally helpful sommelier. Outside, there are manicured lawns and plenty of wilder countryside (and beaches) beyond. The treehouse suites, complete with private hot tubs on the deck, are testament to how this hotel manages to always stay one step ahead of the game. Doubles from £325 room only (chewtonglen.com).
Gliffaes Hotel, Powys, Wales
This 23-bedroomed hotel, which has been family-run for nearly 70 years, has a terrace overlooking the river (heavenly in summer) and log fires in the winter. There’s a good, locally sourced menu with impressive wine list and traditional décor. Great walking in the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains is right on the door stop, along with road and mountain biking nirvana. In addition, there are 33 acres of grounds to explore, with river walks, wild swimming and quiet gardens. In fact, quiet is what it’s all about here. No wonder this hotel has such a loyal following, with many returning to what is ultimately an unpretentious, low-key, friendly and sincere retreat. Double rooms from £118 including breakfast (gliffaeshotel.com).
Cliveden House Hotel, Berkshire
This former home of dukes, a Prince of Wales and Nancy Astor (and now owned by National Trust) has long been one of Britain’s grandest hotels. And it just got grander still, thanks to an impressive multi-million pound refurb. Think of it as a country house with rooms, rather than a hotel, and you’ll start to get the picture. Not a bit stuck-up, it welcomes Renaults as much as Rolls Royces, treating everyone as a VIP - plus it has a fabulously scandalous history. Don’t forget to leave room for a walk as it’s surrounded by the most stunning formal gardens and parkland conceivable. Go for the tasting menu if you’re staying for dinner – you won’t regret it. Plans are in place for a facelift for the spa in 2016. Doubles start at£445, room only (clivedenhouse.co.uk).
Swinton Park, North Yorkshire
This couldn’t be anywhere else but Yorkshire, not least because of the warmth of the staff. This is a hotel with personality and while some might say some areas a bit tired and outdated, we found it a refreshing change from some of its southern contemporaries, where even the book spine colours are brought into match the colour of the Farrow & Ball paintwork. The 31 bedrooms are varied in size significantly, all traditional and with exceptionally comfy beds, and the chef Simon Crannage does not disappoint. Everyone is welcome here, from posh weddings to noisy families and romantic couples. New for this year is The Island, ith a lake house that can be hired for the day or evening. A long-awaited spa and country club is on track for the end of the year. Double rooms from £195 with breakfast (swintonpark.com).
Even the book spine colours are brought into match the colour of the Farrow & Ball paintwork
Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire
Set in over 1,000 acres of Bedfordshire countryside (just 10 minutes from Luton airport), this 18th-century house flaunts a sweeping driveway through magnificent grounds. Inside, it’s traditional, lavish and elegant – intricate rugs, huge gold-plated mirrors, impressive antiques and high ceilings, the kind of place your grandmother would love to be taken for afternoon tea (which, by the way, does a roaring trade here). There are 35 rooms in the main house (all spacious and traditional), along with another 193 (more contemporary and bright) rooms in the Parkland, Flower Garden and Club house. There’s a great spa, nine-hole golf course and the Wernher restaurant (named after one of the owners) serves memorable posh nosh, albeit in a rather stuffy atmosphere. Double rooms from £207 with breakfast (bit.ly/britainsfinest).
The Grove, Hertfordshire
No self-respecting footballer’s wife will be unfamiliar with this glamorous country house and it’s certainly not the kind of place where you’ll lounge around in your tracksuit bottoms. But even people who don’t know their A list from their Z list shouldn’t miss out on the fun of this country house because it really does offer a special experience for all. With three restaurants, an award-winning spa, phenomenal golf course and grounds and a huge walled garden including a recreation of a beach, outstanding nursery and orangery, you certainly won’t get bored. Mansion bedrooms are stunning and more interesting than the blander (but cheaper) west wing rooms. Don’t be shy about bringing the kids as it is genuinely family-friendly. Doubles from £250 room only (thegrove.co.uk).
Askham Hall, Cumbria
This hotel has 12 delightful rooms, pretty gardens and oodles of charm. Located in the enchanting village of Askham close to Penrith, the Hall itself dates back to medieval times and as such, has huge character, not to mention breath-taking views. When it comes to the interior design, there’s a good mix of old and new, which are combined in imaginative ways, and the result is both quirky and stunning. All the rooms are unique, with interesting twists. Food, by Richard Swale, is locally grown and fabulous and there’s a wonderful newly refurbished original medieval banquet hall for private dinner parties of up to 40. Double rooms from £125 with breakfast (askhamhall.co.uk).
Stoke Park Hotel, Buckinghamshire
Remember the infamous words of Bridget Jones, “This can’t be just shagging. A mini-break means true love”? Well, this 18th-century house was the very place where she and bad-boy Daniel Cleaver had their mini-break in the 2001 movie. Still a top romantic destination, Stoke Park is a private country club as well as a hotel, which gives it the advantage of feeling relaxed, never stuffy, while still retaining old-school elegance. Go for a room in the old house if you prefer traditional, or the pavilion if you have more contemporary taste. There are 300 acres of stunning grounds, a spa with lots of exciting new features and treatments to die for, and memorable food by Chris Wheeler in Humphry’s fine dining restaurant. Doubles from £270 with breakfast (stokepark.com).
The Roxburghe Hotel, Kelso, Scotland
Until the 1960s, when it was bought by the Roxburghe estate, this was a private house with a chequered history, which included being burned down and rebuilt several times in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although it’s now run as a hotel and spa, it still has the private house feel, especially in the drawing room, which is replete with family portraits and photos, as well as comfy sofas and armchairs. Expect plenty of open fires, including in the 22 traditional bedrooms, and sophisticated (but not too formal) dining in the Borders’ only Chez Roux restaurant, serving some of the best food in the country. Plenty of sports, notably fishing, clay pigeon shooting and, of course, golf. Located on the Scottish borders, it has a great team of friendly staff. Double rooms from £225 with breakfast (roxburghe-hotel.net).
Manor House Hotel, Wiltshire
Set in one of England’s most quintessentially pretty villages, Castle Combe, this hotel and its ornate Italian gardens are about aesthetically pleasing as a hotel could be. There’s a relaxed ambiance, traditional décor (but get a newly refurbished room if you can) and the most wonderful restaurant, Bybrook, named after the river that runs through the 365 acres of grounds. It provides a romantic setting, serving imaginative food (including great vegetarian options), which has a well-deserved Michelin star. The 48 rooms are split across the main house and mews cottages that link the Manor House to the village. Expect plenty of period features and amazing views, plus over 40 gins on the drinks menu. Double rooms from £215 with breakfast (manorhouse.co.uk).
The Samling, Lake District
With just 11 characterful bedrooms (five in the main house and six in individual stone cottages around the grounds), this is a bijou country house hotel with an intimate and romantic atmosphere that has attracted many celebrities, including the likes of the Beckhams. It's set a few hundred feet above Lake Windermere in its own 67-acre estate, so the views are dramatic, while the Michelin-starred restaurant is just the ticket for outstanding Cumbrian food (with an extensive wine list) in a beautiful starched table-cloth setting. Décor is more stately than relaxed, so bring your glad rags, although that doesn’t mean the service is overly formal. Double rooms from £220 with breakfast (thesamlinghotel.co.uk).
Barnsley House, Gloucestershire
If you want a slice of Cotswold charm neatly packaged in a chic country house hotel, look no further. The golden-stoned 17th-century manor house is ridiculously attractive and located in a particularly beautiful area of the Cotswolds, yet it’s just four miles from Cirencester. Then there’s the four-acre garden and a potager, with fabulous vegetable garden and meadows beyond. The reception areas and large restaurant are rustic-chic, without a hint of pretentiousness, and Graham Grafton’s menu is inspired. Service is informal, but impeccable, and the 18 rooms are modern and stylish. Bathrooms are particularly impressive. The onsite spa is well worth a visit. Double rooms from £210 with breakfast (barnsleyhouse.com).
Llangoed Hall Hotel, Powys, Wales
Spending time in this house (which was once home to the Ashley family and features Laura Ashley’s very first garment made) is all about curling up on sofas with a book or the newspaper, tinkering on the piano or chatting over a nice cup of tea or something stronger. The service is friendly but professional and the 23 rooms have beautiful antiques, decanters of sherry and lovely new bathrooms. The house, which is located in meadows surrounding the River Rye, even has chicken, duck and quail houses just for the eggs at breakfast, with guests selecting which they want. Also in the hotel’s beautiful gardens is a maze and smoker. Double rooms from £150 with breakfast (llangoedhall.co.uk).
The Vineyard, Berkshire
This used to market itself as a “restaurant with rooms,” which is no wonder really as each plate of food is itself a work of art, with perfectly matched wines, largely inspired by the vineyards of California, which is home to the owner’s personal winery. Moreover, it’s all served in a contemporary and sophisticated setting that’s interior designed to an inch of its life. Of course, people still largely go for the food, but the 49 beautiful suites are worth a visit in their own right, while the spa has good facilities and a great treatment menu. Run by a team of friendly staff that all enthuse passionately about what they do, this hotel manages to be homely and welcoming, but remains top drawer. Double rooms from £247 with breakfast (the-vineyard.co.uk).
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