think you have to go abroad to make the most of your mini

146 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

Think you have to go abroad to make the most of your mini-break?

Well, we’ve tested the 20 best hotels in the UK, so dig out

your railcard, pack your weekend bag and… enjoy! ›

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Little-known rule: the higher the waistbands, the posher the place

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 149 148 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

more could you want from a romantic weekend away? Nothing. That’s what.

From £95 per night (including breakfast); Angelabergavenny.com ›

WHY? If you want to pretend you’re a Scottish laird (and don’t tell us you’ve never felt the urge), then this ancient pile perched on its own island at Loch Creran is the place to do it. Get your fill of oak-panelling, woodland walks, mulled wine by massive fireplaces and game (as in venison, not tennis, though there is a court). Don’t miss the spa, which is a destination in its own right (ESPA, massive pool) and, if you’ve got some cash to splash, treat yourself and book a hot-tub suite.

WHY? It’s a Lake District hideaway that looks like a fairy-tale mansion and has a one-Michelin-star restaurant. Rooms are classified as Cosy, Superb or Master, and all are immensely Instagrammable, with pastel-blue bed covers and sexy bathrooms (Master suites have free- standing egg baths). The chef’s called Mr Tickle (seriously), though, if we were to write a children’s book about him, we’d call him Mr Forager – expect dandelion root and flowering currant alongside west-coast langoustine and sea kale broccoli.

WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? Its location, at the end of a row of clapboard houses with a sandy beach and rolling dunes in front, footpath behind and only a five-minute stroll from the centre of Southwold. It has pretty much everything you want from a British seaside break: beach huts, pier, lighthouse, sand and good pubs. If that’s not enough to tempt you, the style is all beachy, coastal chic – think New England meets Suffolk – and the restaurant (it would be silly not to order seafood, specifically the crayfish bisque risotto) has outside

WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL?Off the beaten track of Chipping Campden and Stow-On-The-Wold, Foxhill is found nearer the gentler, earthier Cotswolds town of Broadway. It’s more like a rich relative’s manor house than a hotel, with eight inviting rooms. “Treat it like your home,” you’re told on arrival, and this isn’t a hotel platitude. There’s a chef in the kitchen who will cook up whatever you want (hungry at midnight? Chef allows anyone to help themselves to his fridge and kitchen); there’s a larder outside your room curated

WHY? Four-poster beds, leather sofas to sink into in the Foxhunter Bar (which serves surprisingly good cocktails and a mean burger), seafood platters

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by, it would appear, Willy Wonka, and cake in the drawing room at teatime. Dogs are allowed, wellies are loaned, while dinner is served in any household nook that takes your fancy. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE: Being told it’s time to leave and pay up.WHO GOES? Couples with understated class. That said, a livelier scene can be found down the road at Foxhill’s sister property, Dormy House, where there’s an amazing restaurant, The Garden Room (book ahead), plus a gym, spa and all the beautiful people you could ever want to mingle with. IT WOULD BE A CRIME NOT TO…

Return again. That, or use the spa. It’s won every award going. The massages are excellent but the mani/pedis are pure fun, with a prosecco bar to keep you entertained.

F O X H I L L M A N O R COTSWOLDS

T H E S A I L L O F T SOUTHWOLD

T H E A N G E L H O T E L ABERGAVENNY

I S L E O F E R I S K A H O T E L , S P A & I S L A N D OBAN

F O R E S T S I D ECUMBRIA

From £359 per night, including

breakfast; Foxhillmanor.com

From £229 per night (including breakfast); Theforestside.com

From £295 per night; Eriska-

hotel.co.uk

From £140 per night;

Sailloftsouthwold.uk

Ice cream in the garden, anyone?

tables so you can breathe in all that healthy ion-filled sea air while you’re knocking back the rosé. Staff will let you take a drink into the dunes at sunset, too, if you want to pretend you’re one of the Big Little Lies cast in Monterey (and, really, who doesn’t?). WHO GOES? This place gets plenty of local trade alongside Breton-striped Londoners on a Norfolk mini-break. Families flock here in the summer and half-term holidays, but there are lots of couples, too, snuggled up at the bar, tumbling dewy-eyed out of the best bedroom and wandering hand in hand along the shore. IT WOULD BE A CRIME NOT TO… Stay. This is really a beach restaurant with rooms (there are only five), so book well in advance. If you can, get Room 4, which has doors opening onto a terrace with sea views.

R O O M S F O R

U N D E R£ 1 0 0to share in the posher Oak

Room and there’s even a Twizy electric car available so you can explore the stunning Brecon Beacons on your doorstep. What


WHY? Because you’re right by the Yorkshire moors (windswept walks), Helmsley (cute shops, a castle) and Whitby (beach, fresh seafood). Also, the old-fashioned snug and bar are like something out of a Dickens novel, and its restaurant serves local fare such as slow-roasted pork belly and lobster. Book a Hideaway Room if you’re a couple (they’re bigger).

From £99 per night (including breakfast); White-swan.co.uk

L Y M P S T O N E M A N O RDEVON

T H E L I T T O NSOMERSET

WHY? This Irish equestrian playground has got it going on – riding school, posh stables, 21 miles of riding routes – but horses aren’t the only thing worth crossing the water for. We also rate the organic spa, swanky Snaffles restaurant (food is locally sourced), on-site Irish pub for Guinness, and posh-meets-kinky bedroom decor – tasselled drapes, horse prints (obviously) and leather headboards.

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MONAGHAN

From £158 per night (including

breakfast); Castleleslie.com

Afternoon tea for two.

Or one…

WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? This panna-cotta-coloured Grade II-listed Georgian manor house is the dream of Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines. He found it run-down and unloved at the mouth of Devon’s River Exe and cut not a single corner when transforming it into the ultimate modern country-house hotel. It’s all plush velvet loveseats and chandeliers, with champagne served in Riedel flutes either at the brass horseshoe bar or on the vast lavender-

lined lawns. No shabby chic

here. If you have someone or something worth celebrating, come here and book in for Caines’ signature tasting menu with matching wines paired by his sommelier. And if you don’t, all the

more reason to come anyway.WHO GOES? Discerning foodies who want to be cooked for by the man himself. Unlike in practically every other celebrity chef’s kitchen, starstruck diners can see Caines behind huge glass doors, pouring magical combinations of ginger and lemongrass over Brixham crab

raviolo, and dotting local Darts Farm beef fillet with tiny pools of celeriac purée and horseradish-and-shallot confit. As we pulled up the elegant drive, a helicopter landed to deliver its

R O O M S F O R

U N D E R£ 1 0 0

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well-heeled lunch party. This place is special. IT WOULD BE A CRIME NOT TO… Borrow

binoculars and one of Lympstone’s leather-saddled Pashley bikes and whizz off to explore the villages along the estuary. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot otters, ospreys and dark-bellied Brent geese before heading back to soak in the tub on your terrace and enjoy your fire pit with some tea and homemade biscuits – the best you’ve ever tasted.

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From £305 per night (including breakfast);

Lympstonemanor.co.uk

10 C H A P E L H O U S E PENZANCE

WHY? It’s the future of pubs. Out with stale ale, stained furniture and average food, and in with a shiny main bar (built from one piece of gorgeous reclaimed elm), picturesque courtyard and riverside terrace. The cosy Whisky Bar looks like it should be in Manhattan, the kitchen garden’s where fresh produce for the menu is grown (expect rustic bread with roast

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WHY? Is it a B&B? Is it a boutique hotel? Who cares! This six-bedroom bolthole defies definitions in the best way possible. Each room looks like a different interiors-magazine shoot, with oak beds, cool Ercol chairs and whitewashed floors. There’s a help-yourself kitchen, harbour views, art for sale on the walls, gourmet suppers (try the fish stew) and wow bathrooms. Book the top floor – you can bathe beneath the stars under the retractable glass roof.

From £150 per night; Chapelhousepz.co.uk ›

peppers, cherry-vine tomatoes and basil) and the 12 modern, individually designed bedrooms are all reclaimed pallet headboards, colourful geometric cushions and exposed brick walls, with a nod to mid-century thrown in (case in point: the Lords Mead room – book it for the private patio). Also, it’s close to Bristol and the perfect stop-off on the way to Devon or Cornwall. Plus everyone on TripAdvisor is crazy about it, and as we all know, nobody is ever happy on TripAdvisor.

From £120 pernight (including breakfast); The

litton.co.uk


WHY? Well, it has a swimming pool and a pretty garden that’s perfect for drinking Pimm’s in. But if the sun don’t shine, the sitting room has a roaring fire, the panelled dining room and conservatory

serve fill-your-face food like Cornish scallops and Florentine doughnuts, and the bedrooms are divine, with massive beds and clawfoot baths. Oh, and they own the Potting Shed Pub across the road in case you want some “nightlife”.

WHY? It had us at Cookie Jar (and you actually get free home-baked cookies in a jar in your room), but we also like the setting (in a former historic convent in the pretty town of Alnwick). Plus it has bags of charm, including a cute new secret garden. The 11 bedrooms are so big they look like they belong to a posh London apartment building (Chapel has a stained-glass window, huge sofa, beams and copper bathtub). Alnwick Castle’s a stroll away, and don’t leave without trying the crispy pork in the Bailiffgate Bistro.

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breakfast); Cookiejaralnwick.com

WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? A restored barn that’s kitted out with beautifully decorated interiors and gems collected from hosts Fiona and Graham’s travels across India; arriving at The Malabar to afternoon tea in the eclectic dining room, you feel the instant calm of the Cumbrian countryside wash over you. After waking up to “Bed Tea” left outside

your door, enjoy the breakfast of a lifetime out on the patio garden

– the fried banana and maple- syrup porridge is a must-try!WHO GOES? The remote setting and grand total of

15 only six rooms make this the perfect destination for a romantic weekend away or relaxing trip for best friends. Either way, you’ll hardly notice anyone else there. IT WOULD BE A CRIME NOT TO… Bring your walking boots! Hiking up Winder Fell across the peak and down to Sedbergh is a highlight, stopping off at Three Hares Café for delicious home-cooked food, followed by a pint and board games at local pub The Dalesman. Don’t forget to enjoy the roll-top bath while being serenaded by birdsong. Feeling fresh and rejuvenated, grab a drink from the “honesty bar” and continue the rest of the stay in dressing gowns. ›

T H E M A L A B A R LAKE DISTRICT

From £160 (includes breakfast and

afternoon tea); Themalabar

.co.uk

WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? Perched on the East Cliff overlooking Ramsgate’s harbour, this renovated Georgian building is a 10-minute drive

from Ramsgate train station and the slightly buzzier neighbouring coastal town of Broadstairs. The rooms are modern-meets-antique, with big squishy beds, marbled bathrooms and

12A L B I O N H O U S E RAMSGATE

From £95 per night; Albion houseramsgate

.co.uk

uninterrupted views of the English Channel. Make sure you reserve a table at Townleys, its restaurant (we were still daydreaming about the food days later). Try the fish or the pork belly with smoked mash. WHO GOES? Families, couples,

maybe even the odd well-behaved hen party. There’s a popular cycle route called the Viking Coastal Trail, which will appeal to active types. It’s certainly not the UK’s answer to Ibiza, so be prepared for plenty of down time and Mr Whippy by day, then quiet drinks and live music with the locals by night. IT WOULD BE A CRIME NOT TO… Eat fish and chips on the beach and clear out your wallet on the arcade slot machines. What is a trip to the British seaside without these things?

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H O T E L WILTSHIRE


breakfast); Therectoryhotel.com

TVs), the restaurant serves “hearty fare” and it’s just south of seaside resort Cromer, perfect for day trips.

From £95 per night (including breakfast); Theguntonarms.co.uk

WHY? This is arty weekend-break heaven. The art-dealer owner has filled the hotel, set in a deer park surrounding Gunton Hall, with works

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by the likes of Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Lucian Freud and Gilbert & George. Rooms have an antiquey, romantic vibe (free-standing tubs, no

Scoff scallops, feel fancy


WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? The three ‘S’s: the spa, the service and the sustenance. Opened just a year ago, Rudding Park’s spa occupies a new building on the grounds of this old stately home. With a rooftop hot- tub the size of a studio flat (a studio flat with waiter service and champagne on ice), state-of-the-art treatment rooms, three chill-out zones and a heated indoor swimming pool, the spa is a reason to visit, come rain or shine. Next up: the service. Want a DVD player delivered to your room at midnight? No problem. Need help working the TV that sits over the Jacuzzi bath? But of course! Desperate

18 to get your hands on the recipe for the restaurant’s pistachio and lime-drizzle loaf? It’s yours, hand-delivered. Which brings us to the sustenance. Rudding Park is a foodie haven where you can enjoy oat-milk cappuccinos at breakfast and Michelin-standard meals for dinner. More on that later. WHO GOES? Friends on weekend breaks, stressed-out city dwellers who like being able to wear bathrobes all day, older couples in awe of the manicured grounds, and moneyed locals with spa memberships (this is effectively the Soho House of the north. It even has its own cinema!).

R U D D I N G P A R K HARROGATE

WHY? It’s Country Living magazine’s first hotel collaboration (along with a second property in Harrogate) and they’re definitely onto a winner – staff have brought all their know-how to the interior design of the hill-top hotel with its awesome city views and Regency facade. You won’t want to leave your bedroom – it’s all soft throws and wall shades that you know you want at home but just never get round to actually painting. ◆

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breakfast); Countryliving

hotels.com

WHY? For Simon Hicks’ food, but also the atmosphere. This places oozes history – it was a former 12th-century abbot’s lodging, but now it’s all comfy sofas, painted floorboards, light bedrooms and stunning antiques, mixed with contemporary furniture. But back to the food. Ask to eat in the garden if it’s warm and don’t miss the cooked English breakfast with Bloody-Mary tomatoes.

From £129 per night (including breakfast); Lord crewearmsblanchland.co.uk

WHY? Calls itself a motel and is definitely California-dreamy, for what is essentially a Scottish roadside stop-off. So cool it even holds a Mhor Festival in May with food and music at its sister hotel, Monachyle Mhor (posher, pricier), just down the road. Rooms are white with splashes of colour and Highland views. Its café, bar and restaurant are rolled into one: try eggs Benedict for breakfast, a burger for lunch and Scottish mussels for dinner.

From £90 per night; Mhor84.net

R O O M S F O R

U N D E R£ 1 0 0

19 M H O R 8 4 PERTHSHIRE

WHY? If Keith Richards (circa 1968, not 2018) was a hotel, he’d have been The Mandrake. This louche, arctic-cool party pad in central London is low-key on the outside (a small, dark doorway with a burly security guard marks its entrance), but a thundering riot behind closed doors. The bar hums until the early hours, attracting the capital’s great and bad, while the sexy, artfully lit rooms are made for after-hours shenanigans. Come here for the scene, stay for the breakfast (in a world of shakshuka, theirs is the finest) and sleep like a princess cast under a spell on the cloud-like beds. A hotel that will give you lots of satisfaction…

16From £180.50 per

person, half-board, with one 50-minute treatment from the

Spa Day menu; Ruddingpark.co.uk

IT WOULD BE A CRIME NOT TO… Have dinner at the restaurant, Horto, which uses seasonal produce with a Scandi twist. By day, Horto is the preserve of spa guests eating salads in robes, but by night it morphs into an informal yet meticulously executed eatery serving up wild-mushroom tortelli, asparagus in miso broth and fresh crab with tomato consommé. Book a booth and sample the six-course tasting menu, then stumble, full and happy, back to your room.

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T H E M A N D R A K E LONDON

From £311 per night (includes breakfast); The mandrake.com

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