The Best Luxury Country Hotels in the UK
From Coworth Park to Cliveden, these are the UK’s finest country hotel getaways
Luxury country hotels in the UK are reinventing themselves. The chintz is firmly out, in favour of a much more modern kind of opulence.
When a unique place to stay doesn't offer quite the right vibe for your getaway and only a country pile will do, you'll want our roundup of the finest five-star country hotels to hand.
Choose from old favourites such as Chewton Glen in the New Forest (now with added treehouse suites) and newer but no less luxurious additions such as Grantley Hall, the most unabashedly OTT hotel in the whole of Yorkshire (all four counties).
Head to Perthshire for the guaranteed-to-be-great whisky selection at Gleneagles, where you can play golf, master the art of falconry, train gundogs and shoot some clays.
And if you do want the chintz (no judgement here), do it properly with an overnight stay in a National Trust property – only one with a outdoor pool, an excellent grill restaurant and, yes, a full suit of armour and elaborately draped beds (ie: Cliveden House).
These are the best luxury country hotels in the, er, country…
The Grove, Narbeth
One of the loveliest hotels in Wales, the Grove at Narberth is surrounded by equally attractive Pembrokeshire countryside, with the Preseli Hills right in front of it. After wholesome rural walks, retreat to a seat by the fire in one of the antique-filled rooms for a drink before stocking up on local produce (some of which is so local, it comes from the garden) in the fine-dining restaurant.
If you're looking for a luxury country hotel you can take the dog along to, you're in luck – Bronwen, the resident labradoodle, is always happy to make new friends.
The Glenmorangie House
Calling all whisky lovers: the Glenmorangie House is next to the namesake distillery and was once owned by the water-of-life-producing family. The boutique retreat is in the Scottish Highlands, which means you’ll be able to return to warm up with a dram (or six) after some scenic strolls.
You’ll also be able to get into full Macbeth mode as you visit some famous nearby castles, which include Dunrobin and Urquhart. The house has nine bedrooms and a smart restaurant – or you can spend all of your time shopping and tasting over at the distillery.
The Pig on the Beach, Dorset
The Isle of Purbeck was Enid Blyton’s haven, and can’t you tell. Home to a steam railway, unusual wildlife, quaint stores (including a fair few witchy ones), an uncanny castle and a natural wonder, this magical destination piques the imagination.
In the very town that inspired Blyton to dream up Toytown (Noddy’s ends), one can discover The Pig on the Beach, one of the eight (soon to be ten) hotels in Robin Hutson OBE’s The Pig franchise. As the name suggests, its positioned upon the shore;
Old Harry Rocks are usually in eyeshot.
At the centre of the premises is a lemon-curd-coloured manor, once the summer house of the area’s landowners, The Bankes family. There are several plush rooms inside, as well as a bar (the cocktails are delightfully curious), a conservatory restaurant (locally sourced produce, some as local as the on-site farm and garden, is utilised to make hearty dishes), and a cosy snug that’s exclusively reserved for staying guests.
But you needn’t stay in the building where it all happens – there are a handful of luxury outhouses dotted around the grounds that are all but guaranteed to help you create some mental space.
We tried out The Bothy, a gated thatched hut (“dovecote”) home to little more than a fantastically comfy four-poster bed, a free-standing bath, a monsoon shower room, a dressing table and a log burner.
We wondered, whilst soaking in the tub by the fire, snacking on the complimentary Tunnocks caramel wafer biscuit, whether we were, in fact, kicking it back in what once was Big Ears’ abode.
Palé Hall
This stately stay is on the edge of Snowdonia in north Wales. The expansive Victorian mansion has several wings, various turrets and towers, and lawns that lead down to the riverbanks. If that doesn’t sound picturesque enough, there’s a national park on your doorstep (and the highest mountain in Wales to attempt to climb).
There are just 18 bedrooms in the main house, each increasingly grand – case in point, the Robertson Suite, with its domed ceiling, grand armoire and shiny wood-panelling. Or book one of the garden suites in the estate’s grounds.
Cameron House
Cameron House is on the shores of Loch Lomond, with its own yacht to take you cruising around it. A recent makeover added gilded wallpaper and Timorous Beasties soft furnishings. For more space than you’ll know what to do with, book the two-storey Cameron Suite in the building’s original tower, which has its own loch-facing terrace, a vast lounge upstairs and a bedroom downstairs.
Dining options span everything from the patriotic Great Scots bar to the stand-out Tamburrini & Wishart, where fine-dining and perfectly matched wines await. If you’re coming with kids, they’ll love the pool which basically has its own water park attached – for grown-ups (and peace and quiet), there’s a spa a short drive away with a heated pool on the roof that looks out over Ben Lomond.
Killeavy Castle Estate
Helpfully located an hour by car from both Belfast and Dublin, Killeavy Castle in Armagh is as grand as its name suggests, with 350 acres of grounds to explore, its own farm and lots of turrets.
Its spa is worth the trip alone, thanks to its hydro pool with a view of the mountains and siesta-ready heated loungers. You’ll also be able to sign up for Elemis treatments, detox in the tylarium (sort of a sauna and steam bath all at once) and get drenched by a fragrant shower.
Coworth Park, Berkshire
If it’s good enough for Prince Harry it’s good enough for us, and Coworth Park was where the royal spent his last night as a bachelor. There’s lots for the equestrian crowd, obviously – the 240 acres include polo fields – and even those not in jodhpurs will enjoy the wildflower meadows, cosy evenings by the fire and bluebell-enhanced walks come spring.
The Drawing Room patio overlooks the terraced garden and the staff will gladly give out blankets for sunsets, or settle on to the also-heated barn terrace for a view of the British countryside.
Chewton Glen, Hampshire
For coast and country, the New Forest’s Chewton Glen is hard to beat – this Hampshire hideaway has grounds that lead down to the beach and the wooded glen of Chewton Bunny. And there are actual treehouses – only ones with hot tubs on the decking, freestanding bath tubs with a view of all that greenery, log burners and, yes, walkways linking them up through the canopy of trees.
Activities on offer include croquet, archery and cookery classes, or head to the spa for treatments, healthy lunches and champagne. Treehouse guests can arrange in-cabin treatments too, so you never have to leave your private playground.
Grantley Hall, North Yorkshire
Tens of millions of pounds were lavished upon this grand golden manor in Yorkshire and it shows: the 17th-century stay now has a village worth of eating and drinking establishments, from fine-dining by a homegrown hero (Shaun Rankin) to a British brasserie and a nightclub.
Grantley Hall's Three Graces Spa, in the hotel’s newer Roman-villa-style wing, has everything you could possibly need to make you feel better, whether that’s an Ila treatment, one-to-one yoga or training, a snow room, an altitude chamber or a cryotherapy cubicle. It also has a heated outdoor pool with waiter service.
Cliveden, Berkshire
Cliveden may be a luxury country hotel but it leaves the stuffiness at the door – although there is a full suit of armour in the entrance hall, a grand staircase, patterned carpets and oversize oil paintings. And we haven’t even mentioned the rooms, which obviously have corniced ceilings, elaborately draped beds and lots of antiques. You're staying the night in a National Trust property, after all.
The Palladian manor has its own parterre, an outdoor pool (made famous by a certain Establishment-rocking Sixties spying scandal) and a spa; and restaurants include the Astor Grill for excellent steaks courtesy of its Josper oven and the elegant fine Dining Room, where you can select next-level pick 'n' mix from the trolley wheeled around at the end of the evening to take away in a candy-striped paper bag.
Thyme, Cotswolds
Possibly the most quintessentially Cotswold place in all of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire (and the rest) combined, Thyme has all the beamed ceilings and golden stone you could possibly wish for. It’s in the village of Southrop, with the bedrooms set across various buildings and cottages, and gravel paths leading through the gardens.
Some of the rooms have claw-foot bath tubs and four-poster beds, and you’ll be met in each by a complimentary trug of treats. The Meadow Spa is all about the botanicals, with essential oils created by sister brand Bertioli. Guests can enrol in the on-site school to master everything from patisserie to pasta.
Rothay Manor, Lake District
A Regency house on the edge of Ambleside, Rothay Manor is within walking distance of the lake town’s historic cinema and incredible restaurants (including the Old Stamp House and Lake Road Kitchen). And if you’re in search of more fine-dining, drive the 40 minutes or so south to Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume, in the village of Cartmel.
Or stay put at the hotel, which can provide comforting Sunday lunches and afternoon teas in the garden. Some of the rooms have a terrace with a hot tub and in others there’s a balcony overlooking the lawn.
Homewood Hotel & Spa, Somerset
This homely, honey-coloured manor is just a few miles south of Bath, which makes it the perfect country hotel for townies at heart. The grounds have a heated pool, complete with cabanas (even though this is Somerset, not St Barths), that’s open for dips all year round.
The historic building has been updated with playful modern touches, such as a wall of clocks and a yellow submarine in the garden. Unless Bath’s famous Roman baths lure you away, you can take to the waters right here instead, in a hot tub overlooking the valley.
Bovey Castle, Devon
This Dartmoor dwelling was built for WH Smith himself. Today, the stationery purveyor’s holiday playground (all 275 acres of it) has a championship golf course, a Gentlemen’s Quarter at the spa, a gin school and every activity imaginable, whether you want to go off-roading, clay-pigeon shooting or fly-fishing.
There are rooms in Bovey Castle's neo-Elizabethan main house, as well as three-storey cottages in the grounds, each of which has a kitchen – which may just go unused, since the chefs will also gladly deliver meals to you.
Monkey Island Estate, Berkshire
For a country hotel, Monkey Island Estate is rather close to towns including Windsor and Slough (but don’t let that put you off). The Royal Windsor Racecourse is nearby, too. The luxury country stay is on its own island on the Thames in Bray (the Berkshire village of Fat Duck fame) and has absolutely nothing to do with monkeys (the name is thought to derive from the area’s medieval monastic heritage).
The estate spans seven acres, which include six private residences that are ideal for groups and families – handy, since it’s a great place for a party. The hunting lodge has hosted royalty, writers and musicians, and Elgar even composed a symphony in one of the huts along the riverbank.
Gleneagles, Perthshire
Welcome to ‘Scotland’s playground’, where you can shoot, go zip-lining or off-roading, entertain some eagles, train gundogs or just play some plain old golf. If you’ve overdone it with the activities, head to Gleneagles' huge spa (passing the arcade to stockpile some shortbread en route).
Start every evening with drinks in the Century Bar before taking your pick from dining options that include Scotland’s sole two-Michelin-star restaurant. Some of the rooms are basically apartments, with four-poster beds, plush sofas and multiple tea stations (for more shortbread opportunities).
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