It’s always a wonderful thing to discover a wonderful new hotel, and this year our editors have been hard at work, scouring the country for hidden jewels. From country inns to Georgian manors, each of these hotels has something unique to offer, be it all fresh local ingredients in the restaurant, a warm friendly environment, or spectacular design and attention to detail. These are the Good Hotel Guide’s top 10 hotel discoveries this year.
2018 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
Shieldaig Lodge - Food Lover's Package
Gairloch
The ‘splendid aroma of peat, whisky and leather’ defines this ‘impressive’ Victorian hunting lodge in a ‘glorious setting’ on Loch Gairloch.
No.15 Great Pulteney - Spa Retreat Special Offer
Bath
‘There’s plenty to look at’ in this ‘eclectic, imaginative’ hotel, say visitors in 2017, ‘from prize-winning artwork to collections of glass, Victorian calling cards and Beswick dogs.’
The Pig at Combe
Gittisham
‘There is much to like and laugh about’ at this utterly transformed Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house, in a ‘glorious setting’ in the Otter valley.
The Crab & Lobster
Sidlesham
On the edge of Pagham Harbour nature reserve, this whitewashed restaurant-with-rooms is ‘a wonderfully tranquil, timeless, tucked-away sort of place’.
Coes Faen
Barmouth
Gazing over the Mawddach estuary from the foot of a tree-covered hillside, this ‘stunning, ultra-modern B&B’ is owned by Sara and Richard Parry-Jones.
The Inn at Loch Tummel
Strathtummel
‘The warmth of the welcome is striking’ at this ‘carefully refurbished’ 19th-century coaching inn with ‘superb views’ over Loch Tummel.
Sign of the Angel
Lacock
Guests in search of an ‘authentic, olde-worlde atmosphere’ find it in the flagstone passageways, huge fireplaces, wonky beams and creaky floorboards of this 15th-century coaching inn, in an ‘exquisitely preserved’ National Trust village.
Llanthony Priory Hotel
Llanthony
‘The setting in the Welsh Borders could hardly be more romantic.’
The Pipe and Glass Inn
South Dalton
Look out for the ‘stunning spire’ of St Mary’s church on the approach to this ‘enchanting village’ – it’s a divine landmark that leads believers to the ‘very best hospitality’ and ‘outstanding food’ at James and Kate Mackenzie’s pub-with-rooms, report Guide inspectors in 2017.
Restaurant James Sommerin
Penarth
A glamorous addition on the esplanade of this quiet seaside town, this contemporary restaurant-with-rooms remains, at its heart, a family affair: James Sommerin is the acclaimed head chef; his wife, Louise, holds court as front-of-house; his daughter, Georgia, dons her whites as chef de partie.
2017 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
The Gallivant - Midweek Spa Escape
Camber
California beach motel meets the great British coast in ‘plenty of good spirit’ at Harry Cragoe’s ‘fun, likeable’ restaurant with rooms across the dunes from Camber Sands.
Forest Side
Grasmere
A Victorian Gothic confection of gables, chimneys and battlements, this gentleman’s residence and one-time walkers’ hostel has been given a dazzling makeover in ‘fabulous’ modern–rustic style.
The Inn at West End
West End
A ‘genuinely friendly’ spot, Gerry and Ann Price’s ‘well-run’ pub/restaurant-with-rooms is popular with locals, who drop by morning and evening for coffee and a chat.
The Dial House - Free Cream Tea Special Offer
Reepham
‘I count only the sunny hours,’ reads the Latin inscription on the sundial set in the wall above the entrance to this ‘eclectically decorated’ Georgian house.
Penally Abbey
Penally
Overlooking the Pembrokeshire coast, Melanie and Lucas Boissevain’s chic hotel is ‘clearly on the up’.
Goldstone Hall
Market Drayton
All is peaceful at John and Sue Cushing’s 18th-century manor house hotel, approached down a country lane embraced by green fields.
The Red Lion
Babcary
‘A hive of activity’, Clare and Charlie Garrard’s 17th-century thatched inn is well liked for its ‘excellent accommodation’, ‘enjoyable food’ and ‘efficient, professional staff’.
Chapel House
Penzance
‘An inviting building in a lovely location’, this 18th-century admiral’s town house-turned-chic B&B has undergone a sea change in the hands of ‘caring, hands-on’ owner Susan Stuart.
The Devonshire Arms
Long Sutton
Contented guests praise the ‘friendly, efficient staff’, ‘comfy beds’ and ‘good food’ at Philip Mepham’s inn on the village green.
The Plough
Kelmscott
‘The wonderful setting alone – in a gorgeous village hidden on the banks of the Thames – makes this a desirable place to stay’, but visitors to the 17th-century inn discover much more to like.
2016 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
Old Downton Lodge - 3 Nights for the Price of 2 Special Offer
Ludlow
‘Panoramic vistas peppered with sheep and lambs’ surround Willem and Pippa Vlok’s ‘tranquil’ restaurant-with-rooms.
The Carpenters Arms
Felixkirk
‘A fashionable place that attracts far-flung customers’, this updated pub-with-rooms stands in a small village overlooking the Vale of Mowbray, on the edge of the North York Moors.
Newbegin House
Beverley
‘A welcoming home-away-from-home’, Nuala and Walter Sweeney’s ‘remarkable’ B&B is but one of the ‘delightful pleasures of the lovely town’.
The Bridge Inn at Ratho
Ratho
Run with ‘an easy, informal air’, Graham and Rachel Bucknall’s ‘bright’, ‘lively’ restaurant-with-rooms on the historic Union Canal has ‘all the character you could hope for’.
The Seaside Boarding House
Burton Bradstock
Mary-Lou Sturridge and Tony Mackintosh (late of London’s Groucho Club) have turned a once-derelict B&B into a ‘laid-back but sophisticated’ restaurant-with-rooms within sound of the waves.
Knockendarroch Hotel
Pitlochry
‘Bright flowers around the house add to the charm’ on a spring day at Struan and Louise Lothian’s Victorian stone mansion, in sloping gardens on a quiet street.
Eckington Manor
Eckington
Judy Gardner runs her rural restaurant-with-rooms and cookery school in an ‘attractive conversion’ of farm buildings, in a ‘charming, peaceful' village on the edge of the Cotswolds.
St Mary’s Inn
Morpeth
There’s a ‘jovial, relaxed’ feel at this modern pub-with-rooms, say Guide inspectors after an ‘excellent’ stay.