The Bath Priory, Bath

This late-Georgian, honey-hued Bath stone manor is a small but perfectly formed country house hotel, surrounded by lofty cedar trees and set in four acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Rooms are sumptuous and stylish, but the hotel’s public spaces invite long, lingering nightcaps thanks to roaring fires, unusual antiques and gilt-framed oil paintings.
Photograph: PR

Hambleton Hall, Rutland, East Midlands

This beautiful Victorian former hunting lodge overlooking Rutland Water has garnered a loyal following of guests who value a manor house hotel with none of the usual formality or fustiness. The property has been thoughtfully redecorated with playful wallpaper, vibrant textiles and curious antiques, transforming the historical residence into a stylish retreat.
Photograph: PR

Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire

Gleneagles has been a northern icon since the 1920s – a Scottish baronial architectural gem with an unrivalled hospitality pedigree. Now, after a multimillion-pound refurbishment – spearheaded by Sharan Pasricha of hipster-friendly Hoxton hotels – this grande dame has rediscovered her jazz-age roots, with glamorous art deco flourishes and edgy artwork.
Photograph: PR

Rosewood, London

Architecture buffs heaved a sigh of relief when the doors were flung open at this Holborn hotel, which occupies a beautiful belle époque Edwardian building. A perfectly judged renovation has made the most of beautiful original features like marble panels and pillars, mahogany fittings and a sweeping marble staircase, imbuing the property with a 21st-century sense of style.
Photograph: Durston Saylor/PR

Dormy House, Cotswolds

Designed to feel like an elegant, opulent home, this 38-room boutique hotel – minutes from the ridiculously picturesque town of Broadway – is a lesson in good living. The Sorensen family who own and operate it have Nordic origins, so expect Scandi-esque sleek lines and minimalist touches, with no compromise on luxury.
Photograph: Ray Main/PR

Ynyshir, Powys

Formerly owned by an artist and with a Michelin-starred kitchen onsite, Ynyshir brings the most indulgent elements of the 21st century into a historic Welsh hall that once belonged to Queen Victoria. Expect bold contemporary canvasses on the wall, open fires, sumptuous sofas and a delicious air of decadence.
Photograph: PR

Hotel Portmeirion, Gwynedd

Arguably Britain’s quirkiest estate, the Portmeirion was built in the 1850s as the focal point of eccentric architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis’s ideal village, constructed in the style of the Italian coastal town of Portofino. Today, the Welsh village and hotel are owned by a charitable trust, expertly conserving this architectural wonder.
Photograph: Joe Daniel Price/Getty Images