Romantic UK hotels

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The most romantic hotels in the UK

For romantic glamping in The Cotswolds – The Fish Hotel, Broadway

The 500-acre Farncombe estate is home to a group of luxury boutique hotels, Dormy House, Foxhill Manor and The Fish, all with sweeping views of the Vale of Evesham. Book a Hideaway Hut in the latter for the ultimate romantic glamping experience, where two spacious shepherd’s huts are adjoined in individual secluded woodland plots. Raid the complimentary mini bar for snacks, hand-painted chocolates and Hoogly tea to enjoy in your private outdoor hot tub or snuggled up by the wood burner. Soak in the rolltop bath before plunging into bed and peeking up through the bespoke skylight to watch the trees swish in the breeze. Book the Boaty McBoatface hut to bob around on your own private lake for the ultimate romantic nature weekend.

Clamber up the woodland walk to The Lodge, a succession of Scandi-chic rooms where you can enjoy springy pizzas splodged with pools of 'nduja and Cotswolds-brewed craft beer by contemporary chimney fires. Dinner at Hook focusses on seafood, including plump pil-pil prawns mopped up with deep-fried bread, delicate sea bream fillet on a citrussy tartare sauce, and a crisp, chunky cod kiev served with seaweed salt fries and umami-rich miso mayo. Continental breakfast can be selected from the table of freshly baked pastries, compotes and juices before tucking into the estate’s cooked-to-order full english. Or request a breakfast hamper for a leisurely start to the day in the secluded cosiness of your hut.

Huts from £395 per night, check availability at booking.com or thefishhotel.co.uk

For a romantic stay inside a historic landmark – Royal Crescent, Bath

Few visitors to Bath see beyond the façade of the magnificent Royal Crescent, the city’s most impressive landmark. Fewer guess that No 16 extends into beautiful hotel gardens with lavender path, a haven for birds and butterflies where afternoon tea, cocktails and light lunches are taken. Chef Martin Blake balances simplicity with on-trend touches. Montagu’s Mews’ evening tasting menu starts with tiny canapés of Bath Blue cheese and avocado mousse with cucumber and borage. Then shokupan, a soft Japanese-style milk bread with Somerset’s Ivy Farm butter and smoked roe studded with salmon ikura. Hollandaise for beef tartare is spiked with Bath Ale and IP8 (beer) vinegar. A forced rhubarb dessert is softened with olive oil and vanilla. The comprehensive wine list includes confident choices such as a barrel-aged assyrtiko.

The hotel’s five-star spa includes a heated pool with sauna and steam, tranquil treatment rooms and a small garden where you can relax after a swim, still in your robe if you like. Rooms are built for comfort and luxury, some with terraces and views on to the gardens or over the sweeping lawns of the Crescent. Fireplaces in bedrooms may be filled with decorative pinecones, modern art sits alongside vintage portraits and busts, and everywhere the outside is brought in with plants and floral displays.

Rooms from £300 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

For a weekend getaway from London – Boys Hall, Ashford

Only an hour's train ride from London, this revived Grade II listed Jacobean manor is home to a soaring oak-beamed restaurant and nine rooms kitted with antique finds. We stayed in Romney, one of the super-suites located in the eaves of the house and reachable via its own miniature staircase. The lofty space is enriched with dark sage walls, burnt orange cushions and bamboo furniture. The focal point – a freestanding roll-top bath – sits in front of the original stone mullion window and overlooks the front lawn. Rooms also feature super king beds, Dualit coffee pod machine and enviable toiletries from Pelegrims, made with grape extracts from nearby Westwell vineyard. TVs are swapped for Roberts radios; for entertainment, pick up a board game, weekend paper or magazine from the panelled lower sitting room.

If you’re feeling peckish, the honesty bar is stocked with treats such as Tunnock’s Caramels. For extra pampering, pre-book a massage in the comfort of your own bedroom on a pop-up massage bed – Swedish, sports or deep tissue massage, plus various facials, are all available. The dining room – crafted from reclaimed local green oak and stone – puts Kentish produce at the forefront. Expect a menu of luxury comfort food: smoked Ashmore and speck croquettes with saffron mayo; 30-day dry-aged rib eye steak; cookie dough with salted caramel ice cream. There is also homemade cakes, served with locally sourced teas and coffee, available in the cosy lounges, or retire to the wood-panelled pub serving Kentish ales and bar snacks.

From £190, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or boys-hall.com

For a cosy bolthole by the sea – The Gallivant, Camber Sands

Tucked away just behind the dunes of Camber Sands near Rye, The Gallivant is a cosy bolthole that offers a romantic seaside break (the hotel is over-16s only) with a relaxed Hamptons beach-house vibe. The Luxury Garden rooms are airy and peaceful with muted beachy painted wood décor, soft throws and well-stocked book shelves. Doors open onto a coastal garden where you can enjoy coffee in the morning. Sign up for the Complete Gallivant and everything is taken care of, from all-day elevenses in the luxurious snug area to English wine at 5pm, a pre-dinner flask of freshly-shaken cocktails to drink in the dunes (or the bath if the weather is bad), a three-course dinner, sleepy tea delivery at bedtime, a morning yoga class and a generous breakfast spread to wake up to. Dinner showcases some of East Sussex's best seafood and meat, with sharing dishes such as Rye Bay brill with greens and caviar cream sauce, and ember-roasted Romney Marsh lamb chop, braised shoulder and green sauce. Puddings include Kent apple crumble and local cheeses, like Lord London soft cheese from Alsop & Walker. English wine is a big focus here, and the menu features local producers such as Charles Palmer Vineyards.

The Complete Gallivant (for 2) from £375 per night, check availability at thegallivant.co.uk, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

For a romantic seaside escape – The Rose, Deal

The Rose, an eight-bedroom hotel, is all that’s good about seaside weekends. It sits three minutes from a beautiful beach, and bang in the centre of a town that’s known for its cute vintage shops and, increasingly, decent food scene. Guests and locals come for well-made cocktails (tip: try Tommy’s smoky mezcal margarita), imaginative wines and local beers, served in a sheltered garden when the weather is good. A small menu of classics such as mac ’n’ cheese and schnitzel is offered alongside dishes that speak to the kitchen’s skill and knowledge. Try sourdough with churned yeast butter; smoked beef tartare with tarragon emulsion; roast saddle of hoggett with ancient grains; and Nuno’s olive oil cake, named after some-time collaborator, Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes. There’s a vintage vibe throughout the place. Expect mismatched floral plates that remind you of your stylish granny, board games in the bar, pops of neon in the courtyard chairs and fabrics, and local art. Rooms are cosy and colourful, and stocked with books. Some also feature record players, antique sinks and roll-top baths. There’s help-yourself tea, coffee and whisky on the landing, too. Complimentary tea and cake for guests in the afternoon is a friendly touch, as is name-checking local suppliers such as Black Pig sausages on the breakfast menu.

Rooms from £100 per night, check availability at therosedeal.com or booking.com

For a romantic rural getaway – The Yan at Broadrayne, Lake District

Nestled in the heart of the Lakes near Grasmere – home of the world-famous gingerbread – you’ll find The Yan. This converted 17th-century sheep farm is situated deep in the Cumbrian landscape, making the surroundings truly epic and a haven for keen walkers.

There’s a bistro, bedrooms, cottages and glamping pods onsite. The pods are decked in natural materials and have a minimalist, contemporary feel, with comfy areas to lounge and dine, plus a wood-burning fireplace for instant cosiness. Every consideration has been made to ensure a comfortable stay for self-caterers, plus sustainability is front and centre, including eco-friendly cleaning products and toiletries.

Hearty, seasonal food from the bistro can be ordered to the pods. After a long day hiking, dishes like shepherd’s pie with braised Grasmere Herdwick lamb and cheesy mash, followed by sticky toffee pudding, will fit the bill. The bistro also serves breakfast – expect more of the same warm hospitality, seasonal ingredients and inventive spins on classic dishes. The county’s finest – the mighty Cumberland sausage – takes centre-stage in a full breakfast that’s sure to fuel a busy day exploring the Lakes.

Cabins from £98 per night, check availability at theyan.co.uk

For a poetic riverside getaway – Bingham Riverhouse, Richmond

Escape the city with your beau at this riverside bolthole, converted from two Georgian townhouses with a literary history. Though compact, the hotel has plenty of nooks to enjoy a peaceful moment. French windows open onto a pretty terrace for afternoon tea, and the country-style drawing room is a beautiful spot to sip a mezcal jalapeño negroni. Breakfast is taken in the library, where squishy teal blue banquettes sweep beneath shelves lines with hundreds of Penguin paperbacks.

Work up an appetite on a romantic ramble around nearby Richmond Park (try to spot the resident deer herd) before lunch in the sun-filled dining room of chef Vanessa Marx's Riverhouse Restaurant. Dishes include Dorset 'nduja croquettes, beetroot gnocchi with parmesan and Kentish cobnut and olive oil cake.

The 15 rooms, each named after a Michael Field’s poem (the pseudonym for the literary couple who previously lived in the building), are decorated in luxurious mid-century style, with touches including Hebridean wool throws, stacks of vintage books tied up with string, sensual LA-EVA toiletries in the marble bathrooms, and artisan crystals for well-being. Book a river room for views of the Thames, eye-catching Catchpole & Rye copper bath tubs and to avoid traffic noise from the roadside options.

Rooms from £250 per night, check availability at binghamriverhouse.com or booking.com

For a romantic shepherd's hut stay – The Merry Harriers, Godalming

Check into this calm countryside idyll featuring stunning views and cosy pub vibes. Set in the small picture-postcard village of Hambledon, you’ll find five glamped-up shepherd’s huts set around a tranquil pond, with an uninterrupted view of the rolling Surrey Hills in the distance.

The menu covers everyone’s favourite pub classics: homemade burgers with chilli relish, crisp-battered fish ’n’ chips with chunky tartare, and generous slabs of ham hock terrine with punchy piccalilli. There are also more refined dishes – beetroot carpaccio with local goat’s cheese and candied hazelnuts and a delicately spiced vegan squash massaman curry. Local drinks are well represented, with wine from Albury Organic Vineyard, Crafty Brewing Company beers from up the road in Godalming, and Vann Lane Gin from the distillery next door. Breakfasts are generous – pastries, porridge and fruit are included, as well as made-to-order hot plates such as the Surrey farmhouse fry-up, smashed avo with poached eggs, and smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. Picnic hampers with homemade scotch eggs, sausage rolls and local cheeses can be ordered, either to eat in your hut or to take on a hike. Inside, the huts have been furnished with luxurious king-size beds and walk-in shower rooms. Underfloor heating and wood burners keep things cosy, with an outdoor fire pit for late-night lounging.

Shepherd's huts from £195 per night, check availability at merryharriers.com or expedia.co.uk

For a romantic stay in the Highlands – Glenmorangie House, Scotland

Boldly beautiful, this 17th century house looking out over the stunning Moray Firth has been given a maximalist makeover, with a creative Highlands menu to match. With only six bedrooms and three cottages, and warmly attentive staff who’ll soon know how you take your tea, the stay here is designed to feel more house party than hotel. The dining room has one large table, cocktails are taken together before eating, and evening entertainment in the form of music, mixology or stargazing is arranged to make the most of the company. The interiors, by designer Russell Sage, tell the story of Glenmorangie whisky with maximalist styling, sensory interpretation and more than the occasional surprise.

Head chef John Wilson creates Glenmorangie food pairings, dishes that are enhanced by, and in turn enhance the flavours of, each whisky. There are all the Scottish treats you’d hope for, with rich haggis en croûte in a velvety whisky sauce. Surrounded by pristine Scottish waters you can expect fresh langoustine, lobsters and scallops, too. Your bacon, sausages and black pudding for breakfast travel just three miles from a local artisan, and some of the fruit, vegetables and herbs are picked outside the dining room window in the handsome walled garden.

Thanks to the carefully planned design and the eclectic collection of local arts and crafts, there are new details to discover wherever you turn. Seating in the snug mixes traditional tartan upholstery with bright plain seat pads, antique bud vases are displayed with different seed heads and lichen like prized blooms. For more Scotland inspiration, check out our full guide to the best Scottish hotels.

Rooms from £1,347 for three nights, check availability at glenmorangie.com or booking.com

Lime Wood, Hampshire

Secluded in its own estate in the heart of the New Forest, Lime Wood is a luxuriously renovated 13th century hunting lodge. The owner’s outstanding art collection adds a contemporary feel to reception rooms, made cosy with squishy armchairs, crackling fires and heaving bookshelves, set around a chic central atrium with retractable roof. Aperitifs at the bar include a trio of arancini paired with refreshing Americano cocktails and a six-strong espresso martini list. The restaurant, Hartnett Holder & Co, has a hushed, elegant ambience, serving Italian dishes such as house-cured Loch Duart salmon with pickled rhubarb, frilly mafalde pasta with slow-cooked ragu, and monkfish in a spiced shellfish and fennel broth. Finish with a dozen delicate madeleines served hot from the oven in their scalloped tray. A breakfast grazing table awaits in The Scullery come morning, laden with homemade pastries, house-smoked salmon, DIY granola bowls and more, while you decide between cooked-to-order plates such as caramelised pear buckwheat pancakes.

The main house features stone fireplaces, Italian marble bathrooms and large sash windows with magical forest views. Other rooms around the estate include Pavilion rooms with forest-fringing patios and rustic-chic forest and lake cabins, the latter perched on the water with a terrace tub and log burner. All are enveloped in country elegance, with upholstered bedheads, Bamford toiletries and mini bars kitted out with New Forest shortbread, Flack Manor Brewery beer and Hambledon sparkling wine.

A night at Lime Wood includes full use of the Herb House Spa, a serene complex nestled on the forest edge. The sauna and hydro pool have windows to soak up the forest zen before a nature-inspired Ground massage ritual. Take a pilates class, work out in the gym or do laps in the indoor pool and cool off on a lounger amongst the aromatics of the rooftop herb garden. Sip cold press detox juices and CBD drinks while picking from nourishing plates at the adjacent Raw & Cured café, including the likes of British-grown quinoa with harissa roasted cauliflower and house-cured sea bass ceviche in a zingy rhubarb dressing.

Rooms from £495 per night. Check availability at limewoodhotel.co.uk or mrandmrssmith.com

For romantic country walks and hearty food – The Rectory Hotel, Crudwell

An 18th century former rectory in the heart of picturesque Crudwell, The Rectory Hotel is all about intimate dinners, fireside cocktails and country walks followed by hearty food. Originally the rectory to the village church, this ancient stone building oozes relaxed country manor. Homemade cordial welcomes rosy-cheeked walkers into the drawing room, where you can warm up by the log fire and sink into pretty peacock feather-hued cushions.

The 18 rooms are all unique, with the first floor hosting more spacious rooms, and the second floor benefitting from exposed oak beams, all including a checklist of little hotel luxuries (Robert’s Radios, tea and coffee from local roasters UE and Jeeves and Jericho). Beds are like huge armchairs, with velvet curved headboards in mustard yellow and forest green.

Jake Simpson, of London's Bocca di Lupo, has curated a menu of unfussy, seasonal comfort food using fresh produce grown in the kitchen garden. Try the likes of smoked cod roe, crisp polenta delice with pumpkin, ricotta and sage, and blood orange and white chocolate panna cotta.

The breakfast spread, taken in The Glasshouse overlooking the gardens, is impressive. Graze on homemade granola, fresh fruits, mini pastries and ham and cheese before taking your pick from the made-to-order hot menu (French toast, avocado on sourdough, eggs any style) and topping up from the DIY bloody mary station.

Rooms from £170 per night, check availability at therectoryhotel.com or mrandmrssmith.com

For a cosy getaway – The Bath Arms, Wiltshire

Established in 1736 and bordering the Longleat Safari Estate, the Bath Arms instantly envelopes you in its quiet rural setting, just 35-minutes outside Bath. Its Elizabethan architecture, open fires and rustic comforts are mixed with an unpretentious chicness; you’re as perfectly placed sipping an RBO Gin Fizz with Tackroom rhubarb and blood orange as a Beckford craft lager in its deep leather armchairs.

Five of the house’s 17 country rooms are in the converted stable block, set around a quiet courtyard next to the main house. Siberian Goose down duvets, Mozzo cafetiere coffee and bathrooms stocked with Bramley Bath products create an indulgent haven for retiring too. The new Bramley Treatment Cabin sits just next door, overlooking the garden’s beehives and Somerset countryside beyond, bookable separately for spa treatments.

The restaurant is an elegant but comfortably unfussy affair with a seasonally curated menu of estate and locally sourced produce. Heralding from Dartmoor’s hills, venison strip loin is served with sauerkraut, smoked pancetta, celeriac, confit kohlrabi and poached blackberries. While pan-fried pigeon breast is paired with Jerusalem artichoke, hazelnut dressing and a split 8-year-old cabernet vinegar. Armagnac prunes bring an adult, jammy richness to the duck egg custard tart with apple purée for pudding. A playful addition to the breakfast menu is eggy bread with maple syrup and bacon. Don’t forget the DIY Bloody Mary cocktail station either.

Rooms start from £140 per night, check availability at batharmsinn.com

For a romantic pub stay – The Pheasant Inn, Hungerford, Berkshire

Once host to lock-ins and parties amongst the racing community, this renovated pub in the heart of Berkshire’s ‘Valley of the Racehorse’ still has plenty of character. Pub grub classics (Pheasant Ale-battered fish and chips, beef burgers, chicken kiev) sit on the menu alongside more unusual seafood dishes. The pub’s popular Sunday lunch includes whole-roast Cotswolds chicken for two, rich venison shepherd’s pie topped with piped mash, and crisp Kelmscott pork belly, followed by caramelised tarte tatin. There are plenty of local beers on tap – light, crisp Eagle IPA, malty Good Old Boy bitter and Ramsbury Gold, plus the pub’s own citrusy Pheasant Ale.

Each of the eleven bedrooms is individually decorated, with fabric headboards, vintage pieces of furniture and Audubon’s Birds of America watercolours (look out for the flamingo on the stairs). Room 4 is fresh and botanical, with illustrations of plants, while rooms 3 and 7 boast stand-alone bathtubs in marble bathrooms. If you want to have a few drinks with your Sunday roast, you can prolong the weekend with the Settle in Sundays deal. Spend £100 or more in the restaurant on a Sunday evening and they’ll throw in a bedroom on the house.

Rooms from £100 per night, check availability at thepheasant-inn.co.uk or booking.com

For a relaxing seaside break – The Scarlet, Cornwall

Looking for a relaxing, romantic holiday in Cornwall? The only routine at The Scarlet, a hotel perching on the edge of Mawgan Porth, is the regularity of the tide: the cool waters pulling back to reveal soft golden sand and thousands of lead-coloured mussels that cling to the rocks as stubbornly as guests lie on the loungers a few metres above. Rooms, which are spread over five levels, come with their own outdoor space and open-plan bathrooms to ensure the connection with the view is never broken. The goosebump-inducing outdoor pool is naturally filtered with reeds, while the indoor pool is heated by solar panels.

Dinner is served in a dramatically quirky three-AA-rosette dining room that makes most sense when the curtains are pulled back to reveal the views. One day you might have Cornish hake with lobster ravioli, cured ham, lobster bisque and cucumber, the next a twice-baked Cornish Crackler cheese soufflé with candied walnut and Devon Cox’s apple salad. Like the hotel as a whole, it’s well considered but far from formal.

Rooms from £275 per night, check availability at scarlethotel.co.uk or booking.com

For a romantic stay on a nature reserve – Elmley, Isle of Sheppey

Back-to-nature luxury; privately owned Elmley, on Kent’s Isle of Sheppey, sells itself as the only nature reserve in the UK where you can stay overnight. If seclusion is priority for your romantic getaway, book vintage-styled Samphire, the most remote hut, with a wood-burner and sweeping vistas across the marsh. Vanellus is plugged into the mains (and comes with an electric radiator) but our favourite is the slightly larger Saltbox, a custom-built cabin whose front wall is fully glazed so you can drool over sunsets while snuggled under Romney Marsh woollen throws. There’s a separate kitchenette with a dining/lounge area too (huts and houses are thoughtfully provided with marshmallows for you to toast over your firepit).

Huts from £85 per night, check availability at elmleynaturereserve.co.uk or mrandmrssmith.com

For a romantic vineyard escape – Tinwood Estate, West Sussex

One of the biggest draws of this secluded spot is just that; there is little around but well-tended vines tailing off into the horizon (you can see the Isle of Wight on a clear day). Wrap yourself in a plush cotton robe and venture out to wallow in the barrel sauna that sits in a clearing beside the lodges. Waiting the 15 minutes it takes to warm up gives you the perfect excuse to try the estate’s sparkling and red wines.

King-sized beds are made up with fine Egyptian cotton linen and the lodges are peppered with one-off pieces of furniture. Sleek, open bathrooms have his-and-hers stone basins, and both gigantic walk-in showers and two-person Jacuzzi baths. Breakfast is a real treat. With a gentle knock at the door an unseen house elf drops off a hamper at your preferred hour. Boiled eggs come in little eggcups alongside jars of fruit salad, and kilner-style bottles of orange juice nestle in beside warm croissants, yogurts and cereals. Fire up the Nespresso machine or pop open a bottle of Tinwood’s sparkling, and carry your basket out onto the raised decking for breakfast snuggled under blankets while overlooking the vines.

Huts from £175 per night, check availability at tinwoodestate.com or booking.com

For Champagne lovers – Kettner's Townhouse

Kettner’s Townhouse on Romilly Street in Soho, London, celebrates its past as a champagne bar. Glide into the late-night lounge and sit at the marble-topped walnut bar under red lampshades to enjoy flutes, coupes and cocktails of R de Ruinart, Krug, Bollinger and more. The champagne bar stays open until late, so huddle up and gossip about secrets from the hotel’s history. Otherwise, housekeeping provides fresh ice in decanters every evening for you to make up a stiff drink on your own cocktail trolley (or make one of our favourite cocktails here) in the luxury boutique rooms upstairs. If you want to wallow in a freestanding bath tub, book one of the ‘medium’ or ‘big’ rooms. These also boast super king-size beds and huge bathrooms with double sinks and walk-in rainforest showers.

All rooms, no matter the size, cater to every whim, making for an extremely luxurious stay – jazz flutters from Roberts’ radios, copper towel rails warm fluffy white towels, and an almost overwhelming array of Cowshed bath and shower products await in the rainforest showers (cleansing toner, deodrant and lip balm as well as the usual staples).

Rooms from £255 per night, check availability at kettnerstownhouse.com or mrandmrssmith.com

For rural, gin-fuelled romance – Inshriach, Cairngorms

Inshriach is a 200-acre mini Highland estate in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. It’s home to a rustic gin distillery where owner Walter Micklethwait concocts small-batch Speyside gins in an award-winning shed (Channel 4's Shed of the Year, 2015). The estate's elegant country house is perfect for a large family gathering (sleeping up to 18, with or without a chef), but for a back-to-nature experience there's a cluster of quirky glamping options peppered throughout the tangled woodland. The four off-grid beds for two include a yurt hunkered into the hillside with views over the River Spey to the mountains beyond. The bonkers Beer Moth is a converted 1950s fire truck, now kitted out with a Victorian double bed and wood burner. The quaint shepherd's hut is old-school romantic and cradled by juniper bushes (the key ingredient in gin – most of the botanicals are foraged from the estate), but for those who want something a little more contemporary, there's the Bothy Project, partly funded by the Royal Scottish Academy, and an artists' residence for half the year with a bare-bones bush shower and compost loo.

Huts from £2,800 per week, check availability at insriachhouse.com

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