Looking for a weekend away with beautiful hotel interiors? Peruse our list of the nine most style-savvy UK getaways…
The Vineyard Spa, Stockcross
The Vineyard Spa is a haven for epicureans. The hotel and spa is owned by the Michael family who also preside over the Peter Michael winery in Knights Valley in California. It was inspired by the Judgement of Paris, a famous wine tasting in 1976 that saw Californian wine surpass classic French wines in a blind tasting held by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier. Hotel interiors includes an impressive private art collection, as well as its 3,000 bins, with around 100 of them available to taste by the glass. Rooms start at £194.
The Vineyard, Stockcross, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 8JU; 01635 898 103; the-vineyard.co.uk
No 131, Cheltenham
No 131 is a grade II listed Georgian villa and the latest in a portfolio of restaurants-with-rooms owned by hot young hoteliers Sam and Georgina Pearman. Positioned on the promenade, the hotel’s elegantly restored frontage has all the grandiosity you’d expect from a Regency spa town on the edge of the Cotswolds. But never judge a hotel by its façade. Step inside No 131 and you’ll see that the hotel’s interiors are far more Brooklyn brownstone than Georgian townhouse. Works by David Hockney and Peter Blake also line the walls, alongside turquoise upholstery and hordes of reclaimed antiques. The overall impression is homely yet refined.
Rooms start at £150 including breakfast. 131 Promenade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1NW, 01242 822939; no131.com
Barnsley House, Gloucestershire
This handsome and intimate late 17th century former home of inspirational horticulturalist Rosemary Verey is the setting for this Cotswold hotel. Eschewing a chintzy or old-timey decor scheme, the house provides the ideal bolt-hole for stressed-out Londoners. It’s a holistic hideaway for those seeking some pastoral downtime with the mod cons of their urban lives still intact. With only 18 rooms, it’s boutique-y, and also the spa (which is reached by a picturesque woodland walkway) is a big draw. It includes five treatment rooms, a sauna, steam room, relaxation room and – the jewel in the crown – a heated hydrotherapy pool.
Rooms start at £290 per night. Barnsley House, Barnsley, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5EE; 01285 740000; barnsleyhouse.com
Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
If you travel to Lucknam Park by car, the drive up is quite something. A mile long, the drive takes you through vast grounds (500 acres to be precise) and an expanse of woodland. The exact history of Lucknam Park is unrecorded. The ‘ham’ in the original ‘Luckenham’, however, suggests it was a Saxon settlement dating back to before 1066. The hotel interiors aren’t to be missed, with historical rooms accompanying a Michelin-starred restaurant, award-winning spa and also an equestrian centre.
Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa offers Classic Rooms from £260 per night based on two adults sharing on a room only basis, inclusive of VAT and full use of the spa facilities. One hour Instructional hack is £116 per person. 01225 742 777; lucknampark.co.uk
At The Chapel, Bruton
Founders Catherine and Ahmed stumbled upon this building quite by chance during a trip to the tiny Somerset village of Bruton. They were looking for a new home in the country; what they found was a derelict Methodist chapel in need of a great deal of TLC. When, years later, the couple decided to move out and turn their visionary home into a hotel, At the Chapel was born. Now the building boasts an on-site bakery and restaurant as well as eight exceptionally lovely rooms. Situated on Bruton’s charming High Street, the rear windows offer magnificent views across the surrounding countryside.
Rooms start at £125 per night. High Street, Bruton, Somerset, BA10 0AE; atthechapel.co.uk
Artist Residence, Pimlico
Hotel interiors have never been so cool. Design-lovers should book into the Artist Residence, where they pack in eclectic rooms (think limited-edition prints and custom-made furnishings), a seasonal kitchen and an art-inspired cocktail bar.
52 Cambridge St, Pimlico, London SW1V 4QQ; 020 7931 8946; artistresidencelondon.co.uk
Mondrian London, South Bank
This trendy South Bank hotel designed by Tom Dixon (note the myriad copper fixtures) has a transatlantic theme running throughout. In the lobby you’ll find a giant blue anchor and a metallic ‘hull’ reception, a sea-themed restaurant and an ‘underwater’ spa. The award-winning Dandelyan bar and the rooms – some with views over the river – aren’t bad either.
20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD. 020 3747 1000; morganshotelgroup.com
The Culpeper, Aldgate
Everyone raves about The Culpeper’s aesthetically-pleasing rooftop garden (get there early to bag yourself a seat), but few know about it’s recently opened bedrooms. It’s ideal as a weekend crash pad. Modest but design-led, they’re smack bang in the middle of the foodie hub of Spitalfields.
40 Commercial St, London E1 6LP. 020 7247 5371 theculpeper.com
The Hoxton, Shoreditch
Functional and effortlessly cool, The Hoxton in Shoreditch is a mainstay of the nightlife and hospitality scene. The hotel’s rooms have pared-back decor and slick en-suite bathrooms and breakfast is delivered in a bag to your door (edgy). If that’s not your style head to the downstairs all-day American-style grill.
81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU. 020 7550 1000; thehoxton.com
