The Bucket List: Ten British Hotels You Need To Visit Before You Die
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10 months ago
Fiona Duncan picks her bucket list boltholes – these are the ten British hotels you need to stay in at least once in your lifetime.
Bucket List British Hotels
1. Beaverbrook
Leatherhead, Surrey
A 19th-century wedding cake of a hotel, this former home of newspaper magnate Lord Beaverbrook has charming, feminine rooms designed by Susie Atkinson. There’s renowned Japanese cuisine in The Dining Room, a 470-acre surrounding estate and The Coach House Spa, offering treatments that are a notch above the normal. All just a hop and a skip from London, too.
2. Lime Wood Hotel
Lyndhurst, Hampshire
A masterpiece of modern hospitality. Opened in 2009, Lime Wood is a creative collaboration from some of the best names in the business: architects Charles Morris and Ben Pentreath oversaw the building’s redesign, while interiors were added by David Collins, Martin Brudnizki, Rob Angell and Susie Atkinson. Meanwhile, Angela Hartnett has put her stamp on the kitchen.
3. Fife Arms
Braemer, Scotland
The passion project of gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth, the Fife Arms is stuffed with an enviable art collection – including pieces by Picasso and Man Ray. The Victorian lodge was reimagined by Russell Sage, who created an ornate yet cosy and comfortable paean to Scottish nature, history and design.
4. Gleneagles
Auchterarder, Scotland
James Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, liked to play golf at Gleneagles. These days, the luxurious hotel still draws the upper echelons of the social set, who come for the outstanding service (voted best in the world just this year), the grand 850-acre estate (boasting three of the top golf courses in Scotland) and its vast selection of food and drink (from two Michelin-starred Andrew Fairlie to the Italian-American grill, The Birnam).
5. Middleton Lodge Estate
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Sixteen years in the making, Middleton Lodge is the blood, sweat and tears of the Allison family. They brought the Georgian country pile back to life, imbuing it with calming earth tones, pretty printed fabrics and cosy corners. The gardens were designed by Tom Stuart-Smith, and lead to a wider 200-acre estate packed with orchards, meadows and vegetable gardens. The perfect British hotel in the countryside.
6. Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons
A Belmond Hotel, Oxfordshire
Holding on to its two Michelin stars for almost 40 years, Le Manoir is the life’s work of its founder Raymond Blanc. As well as the award-winning restaurant, there’s also 32 hotel rooms on-site, each one unique and inspired by the chef’s travels. It’s surrounded by its extensive grounds, which are at the heart of Le Manoir’s seasonal garden-to-plate ethos. As well as the organic kitchen gardens, there’s also a Japanese water garden, mushroom valley and orchard.
7. The Ritz
London
A hospitality icon for a reason, The Ritz has led the five-star luxury hotel industry in London since it first opened its doors in 1906. Its lavish suites are famous the world over, and its one-Michelin-starred restaurant has won a host of awards over the years. Taking tea in the ornate Palm Court is, of course, a rite of passage for Londoners and visitors alike.
8. Cliveden House
Taplow, Berkshire
Built in 1666 by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham as a gift to his mistress, monumental Cliveden House is grand and glorious – and still a long-time favourite of royals and the social set alike. Its luxurious spa will restore and reenergise you, amid beautiful surroundings.
9. Hotel Endsleigh
Tavistock, Devon
Situated next to the River Tamar in Devon, Hotel Endsleigh is a delightful cottage orné – a picturesque building designed in a charmingly rustic style, which was previously the hunting and fishing lodge of the Duke of Bedford. It’s set in 100 acres of fairytale gardens, woodlands, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton. A true rural paradise.
10. The Goring
London
The last remaining family-owned luxury hotel in London, The Goring is luxurious, flamboyant and just good fun. Located in exclusive Belgravia, its secret weapon (on top of its 69 exquisitely ornate suites and rooms) is its huge private garden, a soothing haven in the midst of central London.
