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You’re feeling partial to a pampering stay at a greenery-wrapped country house hotel, all regal architecture, polished service, spacious suites and manicured gardens. But you’re *also* craving a city break with sleek restaurants, high-brow museums, fabulous shopping and buzzing nightlife. Luckily, you don’t actually need to choose.
At these country house-style hotels within the city limits, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Prestonfield House, Edinburgh
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Surrounded by 20 acres of parkland in the shadow of iconic Arthur’s Seat hill, Prestonfield House feels far removed from the rush of the Scottish capital, despite its very central postcode. The Relais & Châteaux retreat is an unbridled celebration of Caledonian design, with dark woods and leathers, opulent drapery, oil paintings and bold splashes of red – a sumptuous backdrop for sipping cocktails by a crackling fireplace or savouring six-course tasting menus featuring Lochinvar langoustine.
Bedrooms, meanwhile, channel the country pile aesthetic with gilded frames and opulent headboards. Plus the vast and green grounds – leading to Duddingston Loch and neighbouring Holyrood Park – are a dreamy place for an al fresco afternoon tea. When you’re ready to switch into city sightseeing mode, Edinburgh’s famed Royal Mile is just a 10-minute taxi ride away, while Holyrood Distillery, which produces whisky and gin, is within walking distance.
Book it: From £325. prestonfield.com
The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, London
This is the closest it gets to staying in a country house in central London. A stalwart in the capital’s hospitality scene since 1887, these regal walls on Sloane Street have hosted everyone from the Prince of Wales to Oscar Wilde (who was arrested here), and expertly plays the part of a rural manor with its spacious and sumptuous suites, marbled bathrooms and swirling central wooden staircase.
What sets it apart isn’t only the enduringly on-point service and high-spec luxury, but the exclusive access to Cadogan Place Gardens across the road: a green space otherwise restricted to local residents, with mature trees (one planted by the Queen Mother), a tennis court, a children’s playground and secluded picnic spots. With the sound of neighbouring traffic dampened by the greenery, as you nibble your way through Spanish peaches or handmade chocolates provided by the hotel, you could imagine you’re in a far-flung estate – rather than just a few minutes’ walk from the shops of Knightsbridge and Sloane Square.
Book it: From £695. belmond.com
Middlethorpe Hall & Spa, York
Historic York is perfectly sized for a weekend’s exploration, with its cavernous 13th-century cathedral, well-preserved city walls, cosy Betty’s tearoom and half-timbered shopping alleyway The Shambles. Mere minutes from the action, swaddled by the bowing elbow of the Rive Ouse and 20 acres of parkland, Middlethorpe Hall – built in 1699 – delivers appropriately old-school vibes. This is the kind of place that calls your midday meal ‘luncheon’ and delivers a daily ornate afternoon tea on crisp white tablecloths.
After you’ve dropped your bags in charming suites with grandma-chic floral curtains, revive in the spa, set atmospherically within listed Edwardian cottages, before tackling your city break agenda.
Book it: From £289. middlethorpe.com
Oddfellows on the Park, Manchester
Cloaked in the trees and lawns of Greater Manchester’s Bruntwood Park – 120 acres of recreational grounds to explore right on your doorstep – Oddfellows blends grand old aristocratic bones with a modern sense of humour. Victorian sculpted ceilings, polished wooden doors and imposing staircases blend with quirky contemporary art pieces, deliberately wonky lampshades and a laid-back restaurant serving dishes such as fish and chips. When you aren’t kicking back in your room, pitched somewhere between country classic and polished city, gallery hop between The Whitworth and Manchester Museum or tour the grounds of Old Trafford, all on your side of town.
Book it: From £129. oddfellowsonthepark.com
Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel, Birmingham
Six miles from the heart of Birmingham, this Jacobean mansion – set on edge of upmarket suburb Solihull – lends its name to one of the only remaining 18th-century formal gardens left unchanged in the UK. Strolling through the 10-acre Castle Bromwich walled garden, with its holly maze and wafts of lavender, transports you to another time, as does this Grade-I listed manor house. From wood-panelled suites hung with chandeliers to tartan carpets and curtain-lined four posters, every detail echoes the opulence of centuries past. Be sure to peek into the Great Hall; punctuated by a grand carved stone fireplace, it’s arguably the pièce de résistance.
Book it: From £115. castlebromwichhallhotel.co.uk
The Petersham, London
A London hotel flirting with the Surrey border, The Petersham overlooks the River Thames and the swathe-like greenery of waterside meadows near Richmond Park. Built in 1865, the hotel is the picture of Victorian opulence, with its swirling unsupported Portland stone staircase, Italian frescoes and bright bedrooms lined in windows. Wander out to spot stags and blooms in wild Richmond Park, just a few minutes away, or plunge straight into the bougie local shops and cafes that ramble up Richmond Hill. Alternatively, hop on the District Line at the nearby tube station, and all of London is your oyster (card).
Book it: From £160. petershamhotel.co.uk
The Bath Priory, Bath
You could easily lose a whole day curling up with a book in the fireplace-warmed lounge of The Bath Priory, a picture of Jane Austen elegance with its tasselled sofas, butter-yellow walls and antique knickknacks. But there’s so much more to experience at this bucolic-feeling pile, from the regal restaurant overlooking the verdant grounds to the sublime spa, complete with thermal suites and multiple pools (both indoor and outdoor). Do morning yoga on the grounds or wander through the kitchen garden before making your way into the city centre nearby for a tour of the Roman Baths, shopping on Georgian Pulteney Bridge and afternoon drinks in the historic Pump Room.
Book it: From £234. thebathpriory.co.uk
The Culloden Estate and Spa, Belfast
What with its imposing honey-hued stone exterior and prime location overlooking the blue of Belfast Lough, it’s perhaps no surprise that The Culloden was originally built for the high-profile Bishop of Down in the 18th century. Still nestled in 12 acres of scenic grounds, today it’s one of the swankiest stays in Northern Ireland, complete with a top-notch spa, classically chic rooms and, until this 31 August, an impressive art exhibit with pieces by the likes of Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali and Banksy. Rise early for a polished Irish breakfast before exploring Belfast’s Titanic Quarter and MAC art exhibits, then return for a relaxed hotel afternoon, rounded off with a theatrical dinner in elegant Vespers.
Book it: From £270. cullodenestateandspa.com
Mercure Oxford Hawkwell House Hotel, Oxford
Birthplace of Victorian Antarctic explorer, treasure hunter, soldier and movie-maker Frank Bickerton – aka original king of the side hustle – Hawkwell House has graced the outskirts of historic Oxford since 1883. Today under the Mercure banner it offers a slice of country house living across three distinct buildings and three acres of private garden, all merged with contemporary interiors. After a relaxed afternoon tea hop a cab into Oxford centre, where you can spend the day touring the university college grounds, munching through snacks at the covered market and snapping selfies under Venice dupe the Bridge of Sighs.
Book it: From £160. mercureoxfordhawkwellhouse.com
Quy Mill Hotel & Spa, Cambridge
Does it get more bucolic than a hotel set in an old watermill? While Quy Mill & Spa isn’t technically a country house, it delivers on some of the same tick-list vibes with beautiful grounds (flanked by a glass-lined restaurant, no less), wood-beamed architecture and an extensive spa that includes a therapeutic mud chamber and dry flotation treatments. It’s a straightforward bus or taxi ride into the city centre, where you can tour the grounds of late Gothic masterpiece King’s College Chapel, go punting on the River Cam or enjoy more greenery. Christ’s Pieces park has its own bowling area, while Cambridge University Botanic Garden hosts a clutch of pretty glasshouses.
Book it: From £108. cambridgequymill.co.uk
