Countryside Escapes: Luxury Hotels

Recommendations for the best countryside hotel getaways is something I get asked a lot, so I thought that it was about time that I put together an updated guide of my favourites in the UK. This list is the luxury edition: these hotels are really the best of the best (and you'll find this is reflected in the associated price tag!), but in my opinon, are worth every penny. Plush interiors, acres upon acres of beautiful grounds, stellar service, gourmet restaurants, and spa treatments are all available at the properties I’ve outlined below. I’ll be updating this guide every time I visit somewhere new and it turns out to be a good one that needs to be added to the list.

Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire - The Cotswolds

A firm favourite of mine, Soho Farmhouse provides all of the comforts of the English countryside without the pomp usually associated with fancy British hotels. Replacing fussy interiors with cosy cabin chic, you’ll find luxe Soho Home interiors and a relaxed atmosphere throughout, whilst a casual dress code is encouraged across the property. Leisurely mornings are spent ordering breakfast in bed, before soaking in your outdoor bathtub; there are many accommodation options you can choose from, and having stayed in most of them, my favourite are the Studio Cabins which are perfect for two: these all come with private terraces, and are the ideal size in my opinion - you’ll also find your larder stocked with bread, cheese, granola, and cookies. Larger two and three bed cabins are ideal for booking with a group of friends. As the hotel is owned by the Soho House group, you’ll need membership to stay, or will need to go with a friend who’s a member (even as a member, it’s necessary to book months ahead for a weekend stay). It’s somewhere that we like to visit a couple of times a year, as it always provides a magical setting whatever the season, but I like it the most in summer where you’ll find loungers and food trucks stationed by the lakeside pool, or autumn, as the cabins are super cosy and the colours of the leaves are beautiful. From the onsite cinema, to the Cowshed spa, outdoor (and indoor) pool, and multiple restaurants to choose from (serving British pub grub, to Japanese or Italian), you really won’t be bored here.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

Heckfield Place, Hampshire

Heckfield Place really is an incredibly special place: a renovated Georgian estate with acres of land, stunning interiors that marry the original features of the property with contemporary touches, and impeccable service. Oliver and I first visited for our one-year anniversary, and we loved it so much that we chose to return for our mini-moon, as we knew that it would not disappoint, and we would be looked after very well - we’ve since revisited every year to celebrate our anniversary or other special occasions. Bedrooms here are cosy, incorporating neutral tones with minimal design - complimentary minibars are stocked everyday with homemade biscuits and cordial. The two restaurants on site are all under the culinary direction of Michelin-starred chef Skye Gyngell, and menus incorporate fresh, seasonal produce supplied from the estate’s own farm and kitchen gardens. Spend your days here enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the Marle restaurant (you’ll get plied with delicious homemade pastries, creamy hazelnut porridge, and cooked dishes such as sweetcorn fritters with kasundi and scrambled eggs), before strolling around the gardens. There’s also a small onsite spa called Little Bothy, that uses ingredients by WildSmith where you can enjoy treatments; retire for complimentary tea and cake in the drawing rooms every day, before sitting down for dinner at Hearth, the more formal restaurant that offers a set menu. Other activities offered on site include wild swimming in the estate’s lakes, cycling around the grounds, of watching movies in the extremely slick cinema.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

Thyme, Gloucestershire -The Cotswolds

Thyme really is one of the most luxurious escapes in the UK. Set in the heart of a honey-coloured Cotswolds village, the family-run estate is sprawled across multiple houses, encompassing its own private village of sorts. This adults-only escape is lovingly run by the Hibbert family: bedrooms are each designed by owner Caryn Hibbert, and feature plush furnishings paired with hand-painted textiles, alongside fluffy sheepskin rugs and deep bathtubs; suites have individual colour palettes, such as the stunning ‘Rose’ bedroom, which features an incredible bathroom with a pale pink bathtub and chandelier. The hotel also houses a spa with an outdoor pool and cafe - along with an onsite boutique and cookery school, where you can book all kinds of classes, from pasta making to bread baking. Meals are served in the stunning Ox Barn, where you can feast on seasonal, daily changing dishes cooked up by head chef Charlie Hibbert. All in all, an extremely relaxing and restorative retreat in the most quaint of locations.

Babington House, Somerset

Another Soho House property, Babington House is a firm favourite of Oliver’s and mine. A stunning Georgian country manor set within acres of Somerset countryside, it has all of the same luxuries as Soho Farmhouse including a huge Cowshed spa, two swimming pools and tennis courts, but with an entirely different atmosphere. With pristine grounds, a beautiful Orangery where all meals are taken, plus a library and bar to enjoy cocktails, it really is the quintessential British retreat. Bedrooms are all decorated in the Soho Home style yet have a distinctly feminine aesthetic, including floral wallpapers, velvet furnishings, and pastel colour schemes. We’ve stayed in a variety of bedrooms here, from the smaller Attic Rooms to the spacious Coach House bedrooms (which often feature their own sitting area) - my favourite would have to be the Main House bedrooms, which are the grandest of them all, and feature luxurious four-poster beds and rolltop bathtubs. The cherry on top? A generous afternoon tea is served every day, which is complimentary for all hotel guests.

Read a full review from previous stays here and here.

Beaverbrook, Surrey

Beaverbrook is the beautiful former abode of Lord Beaverbrook, a close confidante of Winston Churchill. With pristine grounds, a delicious Japanese restaurant, one of the most impressive spas I’ve visited in the UK, and a private cinema, it really is one of the most luxurious and glamorous country house hotels I’ve been to (yet it still manages to avoid being pretentious). Interiors feature plush velvet furnishings, floral wallpapers, and an eye for detail: bedrooms in the Main House are classically designed by Susie Atkinson and named after famous guests of Lord Beaverbrook, and are the most sophisticated, with some featuring four-poster beds and rolltop bathtubs; meanwhile, rooms in the more contemporary Garden House are designed by Nicola Harding, incorporating quirky prints and colourful textures.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

Foxhill Manor, Worcestershire - The Cotswolds

This private house hotel is really one of a kind: featuring only eight bedrooms (each beautifully furnished and spacious), the property is open only to its hotel residents, and thus always has a peaceful and exclusive atmosphere. Thanks to the lack of any formal dining area, you’re invited to pop into the kitchen each day for a chat with the chef, where they’ll then proceed to whip up a delicious three-course meal of your choosing - which you can enjoy in the lounge, bar, movie room, or even in your bedroom. If you’re still peckish, raid the complimentary pantry every day, help yourselves to drinks at the bar in the lounge, or request homemade scones whenever you fancy. Come here to relax, unwind, and enjoy the stunning views over the Cotswolds; you’re welcome to use the spa facilities at sister hotel Dormy House; otherwise just come to Foxhill for a gourmet getaway and to catch up on some R&R: you’ll leave feeling utterly refreshed.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

Lime Wood, Hampshire

An elegant country house hotel set in the heart of the New Forest, Lime Wood is a household name. Interiors here are elegant and feminine, with a pastel colour theme and plush furnishings throughout; a grand sweeping staircase and glitzy skylit bar also feature. Bedrooms are luxurious and cosy, with little touches such as homemade strawberries and shortbread laid out for your arrival - all guests are also treated to cocktails in the bar on their first day. With three different restaurants to choose from (including one co-directed by Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett), you can expect to be well fed here, whether you fancy an Anglo-Italian dinner, lavish afternoon tea, or a lighter meal in the spa cafe. Days can be spent lounging in the spa, or exploring the surrounding New Forest. From the get-go, staff here are all smiling, efficient and willing to please - something that will certainly stick with you during your visit.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

Gleneagles, Scotland

Probably Scotland’s most renowned luxury hotel, Gleneagles boasts one of the most impressive golf courses in the country. The 850 acre estate in Perthshire also encompasses over 200 bedrooms, a refined spa, and 9 different restaurants and bars for guests to experience. Interiors are classic yet colourful, with plush textures and bold colours from the Ennismore design team: every room and corner of the hotel has its own style and character, from the glitzy Strathearn restaurant to the moody American Bar. Spend your days enjoying the outdoor pursuits the hotel has to offer (cycling, golf, horse riding and more) before whiling away the afternoons in the spa, where you’ll find private treatment rooms and two swimming pools (one of which is adults-only). Meals are spent hopping between afternoon tea in the Glendevon to Michelin-starred dinners at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie. The hotel runs like a slick operation, and you’ll be very well looked after here.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

Cliveden House, Berkshire

This iconic British hotel and celebrity hotspot has been surrounded by notoriety and fame for years: spanning an incredible 376 acre estate with views for miles, and impeccably kept rose gardens, the property is next to none in grandeur. Suites in the main house are spacious, and uniquely designed in sumptuous furnishings and vintage furniture - with bold colour schemes and sweeping views, these are easily the best in the house. Spend your days here at the spa, which has outdoor and indoor pools as well as private treatment rooms, before settling down for afternoon tea in the resident’s lounge. Evenings can be spent strolling the gardens, (which belong to the National Trust), before enjoying a fine dining experience in the elegant, ornate Cliveden Dining Room. Cliveden is a luxury hotel with all of the bells and whistles; if you’re looking for next-level grandeur and impeccable service, this is the place for you.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

The Newt in Somerset, Somerset

The Newt is an incredibly special place: a beautifully kept estate in the heart of Somerset, with a sustainable, self-sufficient ethos. There is incredible attention to detail here, and a polished atmosphere of laidback luxury that caters to twenty-first century tastes. Hidden amongst the gardens, you’ll find a deli and farm shop, botanical winter garden, and even an on-site exhibition on the history of gardening - guests are invited for daily tours of the garden as well as the hotel’s own cyder press. Bedrooms are located in the gorgeous Hadspen House, a converted Georgian manor, where interiors are muted and luxurious: expect contemporary four-poster beds and rolltop bathtubs; meanwhile rooms in the Stable Yard or separate Farmyard are more rustic and cosy. Spend your days relaxing in the incredible spa (featuring an indoor-outdoor pool), indulging in complimentary afternoon tea, and enjoying homegrown produce at the hotel’s two restaurants.

Read a full review from a previous stay here.

The Fife Arms, Scotland

An art hotel nestled in the Highlands, The Fife Arms is a 5 star boutique hotel in the quaint village of Braemar which is special in every way. Step inside and you’ll immediately be bowled over by the colour and character in every corner of this property (each of which is stuffed with taxidermy), owned by the same minds behind Hauser & Wirth. The hotel’s standout features include a flying stag suspended above the bar with angel wings attached, and a Picasso painting casually propped on the wall as you sip afternoon tea in the drawing room underneath a hand painted ceiling. Each room is individually (and very quirkily) designed, with wooden tones and tartan prints imbuing the property with a strong sense of ‘Scottishness’ - something that is replicated in the The Clunie Dining Room, where you’ll feast on delicious meals at all times of day. Spend your days rambling over the Highlands before retiring for a drink in the whisky bar which boasts over 365 different whiskies - one for each day of the year…