Luxe UK holidays: escapes to book for summer 2022

The Rose, Deal

Move over, Margate. A trip to the Kent coast is all about Deal this year. And if you visit with a checklist of London-approved addresses (from a mooch around Linden Hall Studio to a glass of wine at Le Pinardier), no trip would be complete without a stay (or at least a meal) at The Rose.

A six-minute walk from Deal train station, where you can be whizzed to and from London in 1hr 20min, and just a two-minute walk from the town's surprisingly uncrowded, pebbly beach, The Rose has occupied its site on the high street for 200 years, yo-yoing in that time from a traditional hotel to a no-frills pub and now back again. Refurbished and reopened in its current guise in 2018, the hotel houses eight individual rooms, each as colourful, quaint and appealingly quirky as the next.

Deep, short bathtubs are a novelty fixture of the bathrooms, while retro prints and contemporary artworks by locals amuse walls. In the summer, a sundowner on the terrace is a must before dinner, although the hotel's cracking cocktail menu can be served to you pretty much anywhere on site. The dinner itself is a seasonal affair, laced with lots of locally-grown ingredients. But it's the breakfast, included in all overnight stays, that's the stand-out meal here. A two-course affair which can be washed down with a fresh juice, Climpson & Sons coffee or maybe even a breakfast martini, it boasts prettily-presented, daring dishes including a bacon roll with rhubarb ketchup; and The Rose Royal, with a moreish potato rosti replacing your typical muffin.

Head to bed feeling sated, cosy and thoroughly welcomed, and don't forget to help yourself to a complimentary whisky nightcap from the hallway on your way up.

Cost: Rooms from £100 a night; larger rooms can accommodate well-behaved dogs.

Birch, Hertfordshire

Birch is one of CW’s favourite discoveries of 2022. Why? Because it successfully straddles the categories of ‘hotel’, ‘member’s club’, ‘retreat’, ‘luxury escape’, and, somehow, ‘family adventure holiday’, while feeling warm and genuinely inclusive. Truly, the sheer range of ways you can fill a stay at Birch means this sanctuary is a bit of a chameleon, but in the best possible way.

Located in a Grade II-listed former Manor House on a 55-acre wooded estate in Hertfordshire, Birch fuses countryside zen with London chicness. Its proximity to the city (a 40-minute train ride from Liverpool Street) allows leading fitness instructors to leave their city studios to teach a programme of yoga and toning classes. While more specialist activities include foraging, chocolate-making, pottery and drop-in sourdough demonstrations.

It’s outdoorsy too, boasting a lido nestled in a walled garden and fire pits to huddle around in the evenings. Meanwhile, an onsite tepee hosts a programme of live entertainment.

Members can book a meeting room and invite in colleagues for some out-of-office hive-minding, while all guests can park up at a desk in one of several quiet, working areas dotted throughout the site and catch up on some admin.

There are plenty of food and drink stations but a stay here wouldn’t be complete without a trip to The Zebra Riding Club, Birch’s lofty, rustic flagship restaurant, which boasts a seasonal tasting menu curated by Robin Gill, of The Dairy and Darby’s acclaim.

Birch is no secret: it opened in peak pandemic and was instantly tipped as one of 2020’s hottest new hotels. Our advice? Book in while they’re still able to accommodate last-minute stays. Birch is is that rare thing: a hotel likely to appeal to all.

Chewton Glen, Hampshire

Torn between a weekend of glamping and a comfortable hotel stay? Hampshire’s Chewton Glen combines the best of the two. Situated in a quintessentially English country house on the fringes of the New Forest, the five-star hotel offers 72 rooms, 14 of which are luxury treehouses. Suspended 35 feet above the ground, the treehouses are completely secluded, offering stunning views and a spacious terrace complete with its own hot tub.

Whether you choose to ‘camp out’ in the trees or revel in the glamour of the 18th-century house, a stay at Chewton Glen is all about embracing rural pastures, ambling through woodland and reconnecting with nature. Wild ponies add to the charm, while majestic swimming pools, spa treatments and a prestigious on-site cookery school all make a stay at Chewton Glen particularly special.

Cost: Rooms from £435 per night

Cliveden House, Berkshire

The sister site to Chewton Glen, Berkshire’s Cliveden House is a five-star country hotel steeped in centuries of history: from duelling earls and aristocratic affairs to its role in the Profumo saga. Over the years, Cliveden House has hosted Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and the Beatles (who filmed part of the movie Help here) among its famous clientele. More recently, the country house is where Meghan Markle and her mother Doria stayed before the royal wedding.

Situated on 376 acres of National Trust park land, the property boasts an outdoor and indoor pool, a maze, tennis courts and a series of sprawling gardens, with plenty of room for little ones to run around. Take afternoon tea overlooking the lush greenery of the grounds or treat yourselves to dinner in one of several exquisitely grand dining rooms. Be sure to book a spa treatment in the modern, airy space which is kitted out with flotation massage tables, an infra-red sauna and state-of-the-art Technogym.

All rooms at Cliveden are utterly gorgeous but, in our humble opinion, none are quite as special as those with their own outdoor hot tub.

Cost: Rooms from £505

Burgh Island Hotel, Devon

Fancy sealing yourselves away on a secluded tidal island? Burgh Island Hotel near Salcombe in Devon offers the chance to do just that. Built in 1929, the art deco hotel retains much of its original decor – from the building’s stylish accents to the period art hung on its walls. Over the years, it’s accommodated famous politicians and been used as a retreat for literary figures, after whom the hotel’s bedrooms are named. Burgh Island also inspired the setting of several of Agatha Christie’s best-loved works – and several of their TV adaptations were filmed there.

Days can be spent fishing, paddleboarding, playing tennis or croquet, or enjoying a local brew at The Pilchard Inn – one of the UK’s oldest pubs which shares the island with the hotel. And for those in need of some pampering, there’s the on-site spa (but treatments can also be enjoyed in your room). Burgh Island Hotel remains full of character and offers novel opportunity to dress formally for dinner while pretending to be characters in an unfolding murder mystery.

Cost: Rooms from £410

Dormy House, Cotswolds

Rolling hills, cosy pubs and limestone homes clustered in quaint villages are just some of the things that make the Cotswolds a peaceful retreat – especially from the sweatiness of the city in high summer. While most villages here boast a number of charming B&Bs, if you’re looking to add a lick of luxury to your rural escape, we recommend Dormy House in Broadway, a village nestled in the western part of the Cotswolds and a 12-minute taxi ride south of Moreton-in-Marsh train station.

Scandi-chic furnishings, soothing interiors and a stylish spa make Dormy House a destination hotel, while the stone walls and beams that feature throughout the space speak for its 17th-century origins. Those looking for a romantic escape should book into Dormy’s Rose Cottage, which has its own hot tub, while the courtyard suites are best for families, and can also accommodate dogs.

Active types might be happy to learn that clay pigeon shooting, quad biking and Broadway Golf Club are all a short distance from the grounds. Meanwhile gourmets might want to book in for the hotel’s afternoon tea, evening tasting menu, or family dining at the on-site Potting Shed restaurant, where brasserie classics and a children’s menu is served.

Cost: Double rooms from £274 per night

The Newt, Somerset

Built around 1690, Hadspen House, which is known today as The Newt hotel, retains the essence of a Georgian country home with its elegant rooms and cultivated gardens, which include a beautiful apple-tree maze. Beyond its walls, the Newt is surrounded by ancient woodland offering plenty of nooks and crannies for curious walkers to explore.

Back inside the grounds, a trip to the garden-scented spa – with its Himalayan salt room, Turkish hammam and Rasul mud chamber – is a must, while gliding across the heated indoor-outdoor pool will leave you feeling fully restored.

Dining at The Newt is just as charming an experience. Whether you eat in the Botanical Rooms, where guests can tuck into produce grown largely on the hotel’s grounds, or opt for more formal fare at the Horns & Pigtails, the original vaulted cellar of the house where communal dining (for up to 16 people), wine tasting and special events are held, rest assured you will be well fed on menus inspired by Georgian documents found in the house.

Before you leave, pay a visit to the onsite farm shop where you can stock up on various goods – including bottles of divine Babylonstoren Mourvèdre Rosé – to relive your stay at home.

Cost: Rooms from £595

Cowley Manor, Cotswolds

Perched on 55 acres of land that used to be the stomping ground of the kings of England (until Edward the Confessor exchanged it for the land on which he built Westminster Abbey), Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds still looks fit for royalty. The self-proclaimed ‘original contemporary boutique hotel’ boasts 30 rooms (playfully labelled ‘good’ through to ‘best’), an award-winning spa (kitted out with indoor and outdoor heated pools), and Grade II listed gardens. Draped in style and sprinkled with luxury, Cowley Manor has bundles of appeal for a special occasion-inspired escape.

Cost: Rooms from £235

The Fife Arms, Highlands

A luxurious base for those keen to explore the charms of the Scottish Highlands by day, while immersing themselves in the country’s cultural heritage by night, The Fife Arms can be found in Braemar, a village in the Grampian Mountains famous for the Royal Highland Games. The hotel itself is draped in old-fashioned appeal, with tartan interiors, period furnishings, stuffed wildlife and roaring fires every which way you look. It’s also home to an impressive art collection, which boasts works by Picasso and Freud among other notable artists.

When you’re done exploring the rich forests and stark mountain ranges surrounding the hotel, check yourself into the spa for a bit of R&R. Family friendly, The Fife Arms also houses a family room, where restless little ones can play games or read.

Each of The Fife Arms’ 46 rooms tells stories of the area’s local history. The Royal Suites are a chance to learn about its noble visitors (and each feature a freestanding copper bathtub for added appeal), while the Victoriana Suites reflect the hotel’s history as a 19th-century coaching inn. In the Scottish Culture Rooms, you can learn about prominent figures from literature, astronomy, engineering and exploration, while the snug, dog-friendly croft rooms are ideal for those who’ve brought their pooch.

While the hotel’s Flying Stag pub is frequented by hotel guests and locals alike, lending it its reputation for being at the heart of the village, be sure to sip a cocktail or take a nightcap in Elsa’s, the hotel’s stylish art deco cocktail bar named after the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who was once a regular visitor to Braemar.

Cost: Rooms from £479

The Pig on the Beach, Dorset

Perched in the centre of one of England's most charming hamlets, this revived 16th-century manor house boasts 23 boutique rooms, each with sweeping views of the Dorset coastline or the surrounding countryside.

Ideal for families (babysitting is available for parents wanting a night off), the Pig is a stone’s throw from Studland Bay, where keen walkers can explore the spoils of Dorset’s World Heritage Coast – from the cliftops overlooking Lulworth Cove to the limestone archway of Durdle Door. Those favouring a somewhat more stationary day by the sea could hire the hotel’s beach hut (for £50 a day), tucked away on the sheltered, sandy cove of South Beach.

As with all Pig properties, rooms combine hints of luxury with bundles of rustic charm and, while there’s no pool, the two Bamford spa treatment rooms offer ample opportunity to relax and unwind. Another big draw for the Pig is, of course, the food, which can be enjoyed with a sea view from the conservatory restaurant. Produce is largely grown within the property’s walled garden (or is foraged by the hotel chefs), and what isn't, comes from 36 local suppliers.

With its combined offering of fresh sea air, pampering, nourishment and a chance to recline beside a roaring log fire each night, The Pig on the Beach will see your batteries fully recharged.

Cost: Rooms from £195

Forest Side hotel, Lake District

The Lake District in Cumbria is a haven of historic pubs with roaring fires, craft ales and walks amid some of the most stunning scenery in the world. The village of Grasmere is a CW favourite in the region and, within it, no hotel is quite as lovely as Forest Side. Here, glamour has been given the eco-friendly treatment: you’ll be served by waiters wearing smart tweed jackets, while dining from a menu featuring locally foraged ingredients and at tables made from recycled wood. Rooms – ranked from Cosy and Jolly Good to Superb, Grand and Master – are kitted out with state-of-the-art bathrooms, while communal spaces boast velvet sofas and designer ornaments.

One of the biggest pulls of the Forest Side is its Michelin-starred restaurant of the same name, headed by chef Paul Leonard, whose innovative, ever-changing four- or eight-course menus are guaranteed to be a meal to remember. Oh, and don’t forget to look out for the practically tame red squirrel that roams the grounds, entertaining guests as they dine.

Cost: Rooms from £179

The Gallivant, East Sussex

Perched above Camber Sands, a spacious seven-mile stretch of beach backed by grass-dotted sand dunes, The Gallivant in Rye has serious appeal for those hoping to replenish themselves with plenty of salty sea air this summer. The rooms range in style and aesthetic appeal, from sleek, Scandi-inspired deck rooms to snug cabins and larger, airy garden rooms. Some can accommodate your pet dog, too.

Food doesn’t get more local than that served at the Gallivant. Head chef Jamie Guy knows the fishermen who catch the fish, and the farmers who supply the lamb cooked in his restaurant. Fruit- and veg-wise, what can’t be foraged from the local hedgerow, foreshore and wood is sourced from a local farm.

The Gallivant also offers daily yoga classes which, when the weather is fine, are held outdoors on the golden sands in front of the hotel.

Cost: Rooms from £275