The Affordable Hotels For A Summer Staycation
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The Yard in Bath
Somerset
A short walk from Milsom Street’s shops and cafés, The Yard is set in a Georgian building with a Grade II-listed courtyard and cosy rooms. There are 13 to choose from – with some of our favourite interiors on this list – ranging from classic rooms to larger suites, all with printed wallpaper, Pooky lighting and a mixture of classic and contemporary furniture. Guests can enjoy breakfast in bed (a hamper filled with local produce will be delivered to your door), or venture downstairs to find a café and wine bar with a thoughtfully curated wine list and cocktail menu. The Roman Baths and Royal Crescent are just minutes away.
Rooms from £140 per night.
Visit TheYardInBath.co.uk
Updown
Deal
This impeccably renovated 17th-century farmhouse is a ten-minute drive inland from Deal. Owners Ruth Leigh and Oliver Brown have converted the Grade ll-listed building into a restaurant with rooms. As well as the Gardener’s Cottage which sleeps two, there are five bedrooms in the main house. All are cosy, with low beamed ceilings, comfy beds, olive green walls and interesting artwork. Food is the main talking point here – Oliver was the founder of Duck Duck Goose in Brixton and Ruth is the daughter of chef Rowley Leigh (of Kensington Place fame). The food is Italian influenced and seasonal, using the best regional ingredients available on the day – so you might eat the likes of fazzoletti with morels and wild garlic, then tuck into baked saffron rice with gurnard, mussels and aioli. There’s a short list of exciting wines, local beers and seasonal cocktails. The dining room is intimate, but at weekends during the summer months, there’s a BBQ in the garden.
Rooms from £180 per night.
Visit UpdownFarmhouse.com
Margate House
Kent
Great restaurants, new hotels and family friendly attractions – there’s lots going on in Margate right now. Book a stay at newcomer Margate House, just a ten-minute walk from Margate beach and the Turner Contemporary. Set in a restored Victorian townhouse, the hotel has nine en-suite bedrooms with chic interiors by designer Charlee Allan Quinton. Rooms are decorated in warm tones, like pink and terracotta, with exposed brick fireplaces, original wooden flooring and vintage furniture. Spacious and modern bathrooms have baths or rainfall showers and Haeckel’s toiletries (made using seaweed handpicked in Margate). Downstairs, there’s a drawing room with a bar and larder of local treats, and there are plans to open a pop-up restaurant later this year. Read our pocket guide to Margate here.
Rooms from £140 per night.
Visit MargateHouse.co.uk
Wildhive Callow Hall
Peak District
Wildhive Callow Hall in the Peak District opened its doors a few years ago and within months was named The Sunday Times Hotel of the Year thanks to its stunning interiors by Isabella Worsley and beautiful scenery. Surrounded by ancient woodland and 35 acres of wild open space, the hotel is light and bright, with characterful prints, fabrics and artwork by young British artists. There are 15 bedrooms in the main house, plus treehouses and ‘wildhives’ within the grounds. Worsley teamed up with Blue Forest – the group behind The Fish and Chewton Glen – to design them. Ideal for families and groups, each one sleeps up to five across two bedrooms. They also have bright open-plan living areas with kitchenettes and a private wraparound deck. Guests can use the hotel’s main facilities, including the restaurant and small spa.
Rooms from £200 per night.
Visit Wildhive.uk
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Double Red Duke
Oxfordshire
Double Red Duke is a modern gastropub in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds – but its rooms rival that of any boutique hotel on this list. Ideal for a foodie staycation, guests can stay in one of six spacious rooms above the restaurant which have bold patterned wallpaper, plush headboards and cosy lighting – some even have freestanding baths. Food is at the heart of each stay, as guests are treated to the best local produce for breakfast and all-day dining. There’s also a fantastic Sunday lunch menu: roast dinners with all the trimmings are served by a fire in the main dining room, before generous desserts are offered with custard or homemade ice-cream. Guests can also book treatments in the shepherd’s hut using 100 Acres products.
Rooms from £180 per night.
Visit CountryCreatures.com
The Retreat at Elcot Park
Berkshire
The Signet Collection is behind The Mitre Hampton Court and Barnsdale Lodge, and the group will open The Alfriston in the South Downs later this year. In the meantime, summer staycations are best spent at The Retreat at Elcot Park in west Berkshire. Housed in a Grade II-listed 18th-century building (once home to Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley), the hotel has 55 individually designed bedrooms and impressive grounds with views of the Wessex Downs. There are two restaurants (an all-day brasserie and a pan-Asian restaurant), as well as a whisky tasting room, tennis courts, and an outdoor infinity pool, complete with a Whispering Angel bar. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a spa, and a courtyard housing a bakery, coffee shop, hair salon and wine store.
Rooms from £185 per night.
Visit TheRetreatElcotPark.com
Coombeshead Farm
Cornwall
Coombeshead is a guesthouse on a working farm in the pretty Cornish village of Launceston. Created by chefs Tom Adams and April Bloomfield (who also own The Spotted Pig in New York), the property is on a 66-acre estate surrounded by meadows, woodland and scenic walking routes. Sustainability comes in the form of a zero-waste restaurant where diners are treated to hearty meals made from food grown on the estate and produce from local suppliers. There’s also a café, farm shop and bakery in an old stable block. Guests can stay in one of four double en-suite rooms in the converted Grain Store, or in the main farmhouse which has a further five rooms. All are modern and fresh with cosy country interiors. There isn’t any wi-fi on site, so expect to go off-grid during your stay.
Rooms from £145 per night.
Visit CoombesheadFarm.co.uk
Boys Hall
Kent
In a historic Jacobean manor house, Boys Hall is a smart restaurant with rooms near Ashford in Kent. Husband-and-wife team Brad and Kristie left their hospitality careers in London to create the getaway of their dreams, and have spent three years restoring the property. There are nine bedrooms, each individually designed with super-king luxury beds, Egyptian cotton bedlinen, fluffy towels and the little touches to make you feel right at home. Meanwhile, the restaurant downstairs is open from Wednesdays to Sundays with a regularly changing menu that champions the best of English produce. Highlights include giant pork scratchings with spiced pear compote; lobster doughnuts; Marmite-glazed celeriac steak with chickpea chips; and millionaire hazelnut shortbread.
From £160 per night.
Visit Boys-Hall.com
The Rose
Deal
One of the most affordable options on this list, The Rose is a quirky hotel in Deal on the Kent coast. Eight rooms feature an eclectic mix of vintage patterns, bold colours and kitsch fabrics, as well as luxurious touches like hallway bars filled with treats. For a romantic staycation, book Room Four which has a super-king bed, large walk-in shower, freestanding roll-top bath, and a record player with a cool selection of vinyl. Couples can enjoy breakfast (you’re encouraged to order as much as you like) and dinner in the chic restaurant or pretty courtyard, which serves British comfort food made using quality local ingredients – think glazed cod with melted onions and pine nuts. Once you’ve explored Deal’s excellent high street, hire a couple of vintage bikes from the hotel to cycle along the seafront.
Rooms from £100 per night.
Visit TheRoseDeal.com
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Glebe House
Devon
Glebe House was made for couples looking to escape busy city life. In the small east Devon town of Colyton, the hotel is set on a 15-acre estate, with five beautiful bedrooms featuring dreamy interiors and plush furnishings. The Old Kitchen Room has pretty pink pastels, an indoor wood burner and a freestanding bath behind a chic rattan divider. Glebe House also has a tennis court, swimming pool and casual dining restaurant serving some of the best Devonshire food. With far-reaching views over the rolling Coly Valley, and a short drive from the Jurassic coast, think of this as a foodie retreat in the West Country.
Rooms from £150 per night.
Visit GlebeHouseDevon.co.uk
The Mitre
Hampton Court
On the banks of the Thames, overlooking Hampton Court Palace, The Mitre is a great option if you don’t want to venture too far from the capital. Guests will find a selection of characterful bedrooms that are big on comfort. If you’re after a special treat, opt for the Henry VIII Suite, with its unmatched riverside views, regal four-poster bed and copper rolltop bath. Otherwise, classic rooms are cosy, with colourful décor and modern bathrooms. Couples looking for a romantic staycation can enjoy a riverside picnic, settle into the Whispering Angel bar, and enjoy meals at its two restaurants, both overseen by chef Mark Jarvis.
Rooms from £160 per night.
Visit MitreHamptonCourt.com
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