Luxury UK Staycations: Where to Treat Yourself

A luxury staycation works best when the hotel is part of the reason for going, not just somewhere to sleep. The UK has a strong spread of five-star properties, and they fall into a few clear types: grand city hotels, country houses with serious kitchens, and remote retreats where the landscape does half the work. Here is where to look, region by region, with the hotels that consistently earn their stars.

City luxury: grand hotels with a sense of occasion

Bath

Bath is the easiest luxury weekend in England, because the whole city was built for leisure. The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa sits in the middle of the famous Georgian crescent, with gardens behind and a spa of its own. The Gainsborough Bath Spa is the one to pick if bathing is the point, as it draws on the city's natural thermal water. Our Bath staycation guide covers the rest of a weekend here.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh has more five-star choice than anywhere outside London. The Balmoral, under its clock tower at the east end of Princes Street, is rated 4.7 from over 3,000 Google reviews. Prestonfield House is the theatrical alternative, a 17th-century house on the edge of the city beneath Arthur's Seat.

London

In London, The Goring is a family-run classic a short walk from Buckingham Palace, while The Ned fills a Lutyens-designed former bank in the City with a spa, a pool and nine restaurants.

Country house hotels

The Lake District is the heartland of the English country house hotel. Gilpin Hotel and Lake House near Windermere is rated 4.7 and known for its restaurant, and Langdale Chase is an 1890 house where many rooms look straight down the lake. Pair either with walks from the Lake District's central valleys.

In Yorkshire, Rudding Park outside Harrogate combines a spa with parkland, and Middlethorpe Hall is a William and Mary house on the edge of York. Further south, Chewton Glen on the edge of the New Forest has treehouse suites and a large spa, and Amberley Castle near Arundel puts you inside medieval walls, with four-poster rooms and a portcullis.

Coast and food-led retreats

For a luxury break by the sea, Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes has rooms with views over the water and is one of the best reasons to visit the Roseland side of Cornwall. In Devon, Lympstone Manor looks across the Exe estuary and is built around its restaurant. Morston Hall on the north Norfolk coast is similar: small, food-focused and rated 4.8 from over 400 reviews.

In Dorset, Summer Lodge in the village of Evershot adds a spa with an indoor pool to its gardens and dining room.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Highlands do remote luxury better than anywhere. Inverlochy Castle sits below Ben Nevis near Fort William, and The Torridon is a turreted lodge in Wester Ross with a whisky bar. Golfers should look at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, which overlooks the famous links.

In Wales, Palé Hall near Bala and The Grove of Narberth in Pembrokeshire are both rated 4.8, each a small country house with a strong kitchen. In Northern Ireland, Slieve Donard is a Victorian railway hotel at the foot of the Mournes, and The Merchant Hotel fills a former bank in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.

Planning a luxury staycation

Decide first whether you want a destination or a hotel. City hotels suit a weekend of doing things; country houses reward staying put, so two nights is the minimum to make the most of the grounds and the dining room. Midweek stays are usually quieter, and rooms with views are worth asking about when you book.

If a spa is the main draw, read our guide to UK spa breaks. For couples, adults only staycations and romantic weekend breaks cover quieter options, and golf staycations suit anyone heading to St Andrews.