Marcus RichardsEven if we prefer inexpensive vacations, there are times when we need to go all out and treat ourselves to something genuinely memorable.
If you need to unwind, there are plenty of high-end spas. After getting a personalized facial and massage, you may unwind by swimming laps, lounging by the pool, or strolling through a hidden garden.
Perhaps a night or two in your favorite major city, complete with sightseeing, dinner, and a show, is your idea of the ultimate luxury. Or maybe you’d rather take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life by withdrawing to the seclusion of a treehouse, a Scottish castle, or a lakeside estate.
So, with the help of Golfholidaysdirect.com, we’ve selected some of the UK’s finest luxury hotels that provide first-rate service and wonderfully indulgent stays, whether you’re looking for old-school glitz or a modern countryside idyll.
Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel
Le Manoir, led by culinary guru Raymond Blanc and offering a taste of France in Oxfordshire, has been a destination for foodies for quite some time. Diners at the restaurant in this honey-colored Cotswolds stone manor home can enjoy dishes prepared by a chef who has earned two Michelin stars. Pairings of Chateau d’Yquem vintages and exceedingly polished service accompany hand-diving scallops with caviar and strawberries with brown sorbet. When you’re ready to call it a night, retire to one of the 32 bedrooms decorated in a style influenced by Monsieur Blanc’s travels.
The Pig at Bridge Place
The Pigs are the undisputed masters of 21st-century comfort, and their Nailbourne Valley outpost is as luxurious as the rest of their empire. This 31-room hotel, housed in a 17th-century red brick pile where bands like Led Zeppelin once played, nails eclectic cool by mixing Jacobean period elements with kaleidoscopic maximalism. Many items on the 25-mile menu are cultivated right there in the restaurant’s kitchen garden. Everything here seems like a special occasion, from munching marmalade cake in the courtyard to drinking basil-infused Greenhouse Margaritas in darkened nooks to getting a VOYA spa treatment in the Potting Shed treatment room. Choose the main house if you’re looking for risqué decor (some rooms have four golden posters) or the Hop Pickers Huts if you’re after the height of comfort.
Lime Wood
Lime Wood is a beautiful retreat with 33 rooms spread throughout a repurposed forest lodge from the 13th century and the surrounding woods. Modern but twee, floral accents and vintage furniture pay homage to the New Forest National Park surroundings. Remedy Mecca Spa, The goal of the ten treatment rooms of Herb House, is to restore harmony, and they provide services by Bamford, VOYA, and Sarah Chapman.
There are hot tubs for relaxing in and a 16-meter indoor swimming pool with views of the gardens. Raw & Cured, located within the spa, serves healthy snacks such as borlotti bean salads and rosewater, chickpea, and pistachio meringues. At the same time, the outstanding Hartnett Holder & Co provides refined Italian home cooking.
Gleneagles
Located in Perthshire’s Ochil Hills, Gleneagles is a spa and resort synonymous with Scottish grandeur. It is located on an expansive 850-acre estate and features a French chateau-like vibe, as well as 233 luxurious rooms decorated in a rustic rural style. The best part is the huge variety of things to do, which includes everything from falconry to treetop adventures. It has everything you might want in a vacation spot, including a championship golf course, a newly renovated spa, a hangout area for even the pickiest of teenagers, and several spectacular restaurants and nightclubs. The Andrew Fairlie restaurant awarded two Michelin stars, is not to be missed, nor are the floral cocktails served in the American Bar, which evokes the roaring twenties.
Beaverbrook
The 19th-century main house’s wide stairway opens to sitting areas overlooking lush greenery. Beaverbrook offers unrestrained grandeur at its finest, from a vintage wood-paneled cinema to Sir Frank’s Bar, where martinis with caviar are standard.
Bedrooms in the Main House are packed with abstract artwork and are near to the action, while those in the Garden House and the Coach House are more whimsical. The spa offers AS Apothecary treatments and features an indoor and outdoor pool in addition to its stained-glass ceiling. We give two thumbs up to the Garden House for its Mediterranean cuisine and the Japanese Grill for its sushi.
Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park
The hotel is between Hyde Park and Knightsbridge’s posh boutiques, and the nearby Saatchi Gallery and Royal Court Theatre are also within walking distance. The rooms of this hotel are decorated in soft apple green, pink, and peacock blue tones with leafy themes that pay homage to the property’s proximity to the Royal Park. Luxury suite amenities include private outdoor space and butler service.
Guests may see the Household Cavalry ride through the property on horseback in the mornings.
Chewton Glen
This country house hotel in the New Forest has bedrooms with ruffled drapes in shades of rose and moss, marble vanities, and views of a croquet lawn come to mind. 14 eco-friendly treehouses sit 35 feet above a forested valley, providing a touch of modern eccentricity. These tents are as luxurious as glamping gets, complete with skylights, hot tubs, and oak decks for sunset drinks. You can easily fill a vacation with James Martin’s upgraded takes on British classics and masterclasses in everything from watercolor painting to wine tasting, nine holes of golf, a relaxing day at the spa, or even just dining at his restaurant.
The Savoy
Each of the 267 rooms at this Thames-side landmark exudes sophistication with its marble bathrooms, checkerboard floors, and hefty clawfoot tubs in the Art Deco and Edwardian styles. And a Gucci-appointed Royal Suite, of course. You may get a room and sleep in the same building as celebrities like Katharine Hepburn and Maria Callas.
Suites with one king bed and a river view or above come with a butler who will not waver in their service.
If you’re looking for a traditional afternoon tea, look no further than The Savoy’s, which is served in the elegant Thames Foyer and has finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries as beautiful as the room’s glass dome ceiling. The American Bar, London’s oldest cocktail bar, is a mirrored environment with a Mad Men vibe where sophisticated drinks are served.
Callow Hall
Callow Hall is a sustainable, pampering gateway to the rough Peak District that proves luxury doesn’t have to be outrageously priced. Isabella Worsley has brightened up the interior of this stately stone mansion by using bold strokes of color, such as red and white striped upholstery and gilt-edged mirrors alongside warm fireplaces. A group of Hives (refined cottages) and two treehouses sit high in the forest, their terraces filled with the sound of blackbirds. The candlelit Garden Room restaurant is like an indoor olive grove, perfect for a romantic dinner; here, you can enjoy David Bukowicki’s seasonal, delicious meals served by friendly, unpretentious wait staff. There’s also a tiny spa where you can have a massage with oils from the 100 Acres spa and a facial with honey from the on-site beehives.
