The Good Hotel Guide is the leading independent guide to hotels in Great Britain & Ireland, and also covers parts of Continental Europe. The Guide was first published in 1978. It is written for the reader seeking impartial advice on finding a good place to stay. Hotels cannot buy their way into the Guide. The editors and inspectors do not accept free hospitality on their anonymous visits to hotels. All hotels in the Guide receive a free basic listing. A fee is charged for a full web entry.
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Best country hotels within two hours of London
Featured Hotels
The Bird
Bath
Three for Two Break Special Offer
Quirkiness abounds at this contemporary hotel in a remodelled Victorian mansion, decorated with witty eclecticism, featuring modish, well-equipped bedrooms and an all-day menu of modern British dishes served in the restaurant or on the terrace amid dining pavilions and fire pits.
Bishopstrow
Warminster, Wiltshire
Christmas 2025 Package 10% Discount GHG Reader Special Offer
Rolling countryside surrounds this large Georgian house in extensive grounds of meadows and woodland; a tunnel leads to the river Wylye.
Dukes Bath
Bath, Somerset
Three Nights for the Price of Two Special Offer
As it awaits the playful Kaleidoscope s treatment, this hotel, occupying two handsome Georgian townhouses on an iconic thoroughfare, has a range of classic bedrooms from cosy doubles at the top, to four-poster rooms and suites.
Southernhay House
Exeter, Devon
25% Discount Two-Night Mini-Break Special Offer
A Roman Doric portico makes a swanky statement about this Grade II listed Georgian house, but within lies a stylish yet relaxed and fun boutique hotel that is an oasis in the heart of the city.
Cuckoo Brow Inn
Ambleside, Cumbria
Two Night 15% Discount Special Offer
Whether you turn up with muddy boots or in your Sunday best, with wet dogs or children, you will be greeted with a warm welcome at this jolly country inn between Windermere and Beatrix Potter's Hill Top home.
Widbrook Grange
Bradford-On-Avon, Wiltshire
'Christmas in the Cotswolds' Special Offer
If the Borrowers opened a hotel, it would probably be something like Nick and Charlotte Dent's Georgian farmhouse, filled with upcycled objets trouvés.
Cary Arms & Spa
Babbacombe, Devon
Early Bird Special Offer
A cosy beamed pub is the warm heart of this hotel, in the shelter of wooded, red sandstone cliffs that reminded the young Queen Victoria of 'a ballet or a play where nymphs appear'.
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
'Winter Warmer' Two Night Break Special Offer
On show through walls of windows, the sea is a huge presence at this family-run hotel on the cliffs above a surfers' beach, which offers craft sessions as well as a spa and kids club.
The Dog at Wingham
Canterbury, Kent
Super Special Two Night Special Offer
More a stylish gastropub than a community hub, this historic inn has a loyal following of foodies who rave about its 'delicious meals' as well as its 'lovely quiet rooms'.
Pen-y-Dyffryn
Oswestry, Shropshire
20% Discount off Dinner B&B July/August Special Offer
'A hidden gem on the Welsh border', the Hunter family's 'highly dog-friendly' hotel, in a Georgian former rectory, can again bask in the praise from our readers,
Hartwell House
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
'Three Nights for the Price of Two' Special Offer
A grand country house with both Jacobean and Georgain sides, Hartwell gazes over an 18th-century landscape, with Ionic temple, obelisk, and a lake spanned by an arch from the old Kew Bridge.
The Crown Inn
Surrey
Midweek Two Night Stay Special Offer
History feels very present at this half-timbered, jettied medieval inn overlooking village green, with a choice of atmospheric four-poster rooms and contemporary accommodation, real ales on tap, and an eclectic menu served in a panelled dining room.
The Nare
Veryan-In-Roseland, Cornwall
'Four Day Break' Special Offer
Overlooking subtropical gardens and sandy Carne Beach, the Ashworth family's hotel delights readers with its country house style, superlative service and retro classics in the dining room.
The Rose & Crown
Barnard Castle, Co. Durham
'Summer Escape' Special Offer
A 'haven of peace and calm, with excellent pub food and friendly, efficient service,' this 18th-century inn stands beside a Saxon church in a stunning village in Teasdale.
The Cavendish
Baslow, Derbyshire
Three Nights for the Price of Two Special Offer
With the Chatsworth estate on the doorstep, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire's Peak District hotel has had a ravishing makeover to complement the superb food in its restaurants.
The Three Hills
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
'25% off all Rooms' Special Offer
There is a buzzy ambience to this refurbished, child-friendly, dog-friendly 17th-century village pub, named after local tumuli, with restaurant, smart bedrooms and alfresco dining.
The Pheasant
Helmsley, Yorkshire
10% Discount Special Offer
This popular hotel and restaurant in a former smithy, shop and barns overlooking the village duck pond might have changed ownership, but it is 'as good as ever', reports a returning guest.
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
'Essence of Scarlet' Special Offer
Eco values as well as enjoyment are fundamental to this cliff-top hotel, with sea thrift-covered roof, sweeping curves, reed-filtered pool and walls of windows to soak up the light and the seascape.
Middlethorpe Hall & Spa
York, Yorkshire
'Tailor-Made Break' Special Offer
Just over a mile from York, this imposing William and Mary country house in 20 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland offers 'luxurious rooms and amazing food'.
The Priory
Wareham, Dorset
'A Night To Remember' Special Offer
There's certainly nothing monastic about this much-loved hotel, in a 'wonderful building with a cleverly added glass dining room' looking out over gardens bordered by the River Frome.
The Devonshire Arms
Skipton, Yorkshire
Four Nights for the Price of Three Special Offer
A former 17th-century inn, which is part of the Duke of Devonshire's 30,000-acre estate at Bolton Abbey, is today an impressive country-house hotel, with fine dining and a spa.
Ees Wyke Country House
Ambleside, Cumbria
Two Night Stay Spring Special Offer
Spectacular views over Esthwaite Water, walks from the door and a Beatrix Potter connection already guarantee that this 'restful and relaxing' country-house hotel is going to be special. Then add 'impeccable, friendly service and superb food' and you can see why readers 'can't recommend this hotel enough'.
Hambleton Hall
Oakham, Rutland
'Summer Escape' Special Offer
The epitome of country-house luxury, Tim and Stefa Hart's hotel stands on a peninsula, overlooking beautiful gardens and the shining expanse of Rutland Water.
The Feathered Nest
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
25% Discount Two-Night Special Offer
Inventive cooking of beautifully presented dishes impress at this gastropub overlooking the Evenlode valley, with four rooms that are smart but not ostentatiously 'designer'.
Homewood
Bath, Somerset
'Complimentary Night' Special Offer
The yellow submarine in the 'beautiful grounds' and the hedge sculpture of a giraffe set the scene at this 'playful, quirky hotel', in a traditional honey-stone building.
Headlam Hall
Darlington, Co. Durham
'Summer Escape' Special Offer
The real charm of this grand country house, with sweeping gardens, terraces, oak panelling and swish spa along with a convenient location in a hamlet a few miles from the A1 lies in its warm and informal atmosphere.
Lords of the Manor
Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
'Taste of the Cotswolds' Special Offer
'Our stay was wonderful – the staff, the food and our lovely room were exceptional,’ readers wrote of a stay at this luxury hotel, a historic country house, extended in the 1800s for the Witts family, rectors and later Lords of Upper Slaughter.
The Horn of Plenty
Gulworthy, Devon
Up to 25% off Dinner, Bed and Breakfast Special Offer
With glorious views over the Tamar valley and a good choice of rooms and suites, this former mine captain's house has long been a gastronomic destination.
The Nevill Arms
Market Harborough, Leicestershire
‘Best Places to Live’ Sunday Special Offer
A brook runs by the terrace of this smartly refurbished gastropub with rooms, where you can eat locally sourced, imaginative dishes in the restaurant or alfresco, or simply enjoy a pint with the locals.
Newbegin House
Beverley, Yorkshire
The 'ridiculously good value' offered at this B&B astounds readers, who love staying at Walter and Nuala Sweeney's Georgian town house, where personal photographs and heirlooms complement the handsome original features.
When it comes to the end of the week we are all in the mood for a bit of escapism, but we don't want to tire ourselves out with long travel times to get there. Those who live in and around the city are blessed with a bounty of hotels, inns, spas and retreats that make for the perfect weekend trip from London. Whether it's a jaunt to the university city of Cambridge or a romantic break at a historic inn in Oxford; a Tudor inspired getaway in Kent (a.k.a the garden of England) complete with tours at some of the UK's most famous vineyards, or a coastal trip to Southhampton. The variety of hotels near London provides a feast for ardent travellers who are short on time. Boutique hotels in Hertfordshire, only a short drive outside London, as well as being easily accessible by train, include luxury spa breaks as well as decadent pubs with rooms. Hop on the train and Brighton is not far from London, offering retro beach holidays as well as a vibrant nightclub scene.