Best British hotels to live the Downton lifestyle
Hambleton Hall
Hambleton
‘Perfection to the very last detail,’ writes a reader this year, of Tim and Stefa Hart’s hotel with landscaped gardens stretching down to Rutland Water.
Lewtrenchard Manor - Winter Sale Special Offer
Lewdown
‘Can only talk in superlatives,’ writes a reader this year of Sue and James Murray’s historic manor house.
Bodysgallen Hall and Spa - Spa Break Special Offer
Llandudno
‘Without exception the house and its antique contents are fabulous; it’s an absolute gem,’ wrote a long-term Guide reader after visiting the National Trust hotel overlooking Snowdonia.
Lords of the Manor - The 'Lordly Dog' Special Offer
Upper Slaughter
A coat of arms and portraits of past owners set the tone at this honey-hued former rectory, recommended by Guide readers for a ‘welcoming, comfortable, relaxing’ country house experience
Cliveden House - Three for Two Short Break
Taplow
Having hosted everyone from Chaplin to Churchill, this ‘superbly refurbished’ Italianate mansion seduces visitors with the prospect of ‘luxurious country house living’.
Farlam Hall
Brampton
‘This continues to be a very dependable oasis,’ writes a trusted reader and regular visitor to this country house hotel (Relais & Châteaux), between the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage site.
Gravetye Manor
East Grinstead
‘We have become addicted to this place,’ write trusted readers, following a return visit to this beautiful Elizabethan manor house (Relais & Châteaux).
Ballathie House
Kinclaven
In 1922 a young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, as we now think of her) joined a house party at this turreted Victorian country house on the River Tay.
Country house hotels like Downton Abbey
Fans of Downton Abbey will feel right at home in this selection of country house hotels. These exquisite hotels thrive on the estates that titled families once called home – and in some cases still do. Emulate the lifestyle of Lord and Lady Grantham as you stroll through beautiful gardens, try your hand at shooting and fishing, and have aperitifs in the drawing room before sitting down to a spread that Mrs Patmore would be proud of.