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.
The Good Hotel Guide
About Us
Independent
Recommended
Trusted
Independent
Recommended
Trusted
Hotels accepting American Express®
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
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.
The Cottage in the Wood
Malvern Wells, Worcestershire
Exclusive GHG Reader Christmas Stay Special Offer
'Unparalleled views over the Severn Valley' can be seen from this hotel, in extensive grounds high above the Malvern Hills.
Hartwell House
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
'The Great Summer Offer' 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.
Plas Dinas Country House
Caernarfon, Gwynedd
Two Night D,B&B Special Offer
With its romantic bedrooms and views across the Menai Strait, the former country residence of the Armstrong-Jones family is 'steeped in history, love and charming details – a unique property'.
Middlethorpe Hall & Spa
York, Yorkshire
'Autumn and Winter 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 'first-class food and service'.
Headlam Hall
Darlington, Co. Durham
'Spring Revival Break' 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.
The Cavendish
Baslow, Derbyshire
'Chatsworth Experience' Special Offer
With the Chatsworth estate on the doorstep, Lord and Lady Burlington's Peak District hotel has had a ravishing makeover to complement the superb food in its restaurants.
The Nare
Veryan-In-Roseland, Cornwall
'Get Away From It All' 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.
Cary Arms & Spa
Babbacombe, Devon
Spring Coastal Escape 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'.
Hambleton Hall
Oakham, Rutland
'Winter Break' Special Offer
The epitome of country-house luxury with gourmet dining, Tim and Stefa Hart's hotel stands on a peninsula, overlooking beautiful gardens and the shining expanse of Rutland Water.
Shieldaig Lodge
Gairloch, Highland
'Whisky Lovers' Special Offer
Whale watching, spectacular sunsets and starry, starry nights are among the wonders at this Victorian former hunting lodge on a wooded estate lapped by Loch Gairloch.
Harbourmaster Hotel
Aberaeron, Ceredigion
'Sundays by the Sea' 25% Discount Special Offer
An iconic landmark on the harbour front, this bright-blue-painted former harbourmaster's house is home to a hotel with a great choice of individually styled bedrooms and an unpretentious restaurant, big on fish.
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'.
The Dog at Wingham
Canterbury, Kent
Super Special Two Night Special Offer
In a characterful village between Sandwich and Canterbury, Marc Bridgen's gastropub with individually styled bedrooms is committed to local sourcing, with interesting seasonal menus and regular celebratory themed evenings and events.
The Crown Inn
Surrey
20% Discount Midweek Stay Special Offer
History feels very present at this half-timbered 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.
Knockinaam Lodge
Stranraer, Dumfries And Galloway
10% Discount Special Offer
Where the road ends and the Irish Sea begins, this former Victorian hunting lodge with a private cove is secluded, unapologetically traditional and rich in comforts and good food.
Widbrook Grange
Bradford-On-Avon, Wiltshire
'Stay & Savour' 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.
Penally Abbey
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
Three Nights for the Price of Two Special Offer
There are sublime sea views from this hilltop Gothic beauty, run by a dedicated and creative family, with elegant bedrooms and gourmet dining by candlelight.
Ty Mawr
Brechfa, Carmarthenshire
'Winter Escape' Special Offer
A 17th-century country house on the edge of Brechfa Forest receives high praise for the warmth of the welcome, its ambience and top-notch, locally sourced food.
Forss House
Thurso, Highland
'Whisky Away' Special Offer
Under the big skies of Caithness, wrapped in woodland and a curve of the River Forss, this Georgian mansion offers the grandeur of Scottish country-house living but with modern-day warmth and comforts.
Lords of the Manor
Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
'Lords Fireside Retreat' Special Offer
Guests to the manor born find a welcome escape from the Cotswolds' tourist honeypots at this historic country-house hotel, extended in the 1800s for the Witts family, rectors and later Lords of Upper Slaughter.
The Angel Hotel
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Botanical Life-Drawing Break Special Offer
Behind a neo-classical façade, this Georgian coaching inn is a happy mix of local drop-in, hotel and restaurant, with 'comfortable rooms, good food and welcoming staff', says a returning reader.
The Nevill Arms
Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Festive 2025 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.
The Eastbury Hotel & Spa
Sherborne, Dorset
'Seasonal Getaway' Special Offer
Behind the pretty façade of a Georgian town house in an affluent market town, this hotel is a perfect retreat, with small spa, oasis garden and croquet lawn.
Park House, Hotel & Spa
Midhurst, West Sussex
'Sunday Reset at the House' Special Offer
An Edwardian country house in long-time family ownership is run as a spa hotel, restaurant and leisure destination with facilities for golf, tennis, bowls, croquet, swimming.
Soar Mill Cove Hotel
Salcombe, Devon
'Stay Longer Save More' Special Offer
You'll find everything you need for a holiday at this family-run, child-friendly, dog-friendly hotel tucked away in a valley, with a path to a secluded sandy beach.
Mallory Court
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
'Ultimate Tasting Experience' Special Offer
A romantic Elizabethan-style Edwardian mansion, built for a Manchester cotton bleacher and set in landscaped gardens, is the epitome of a well-run country-house hotel.
Rathmullan House
Rathmullan, Co. Donegal
Spring Great Escape Special Offer
Pass the little gate lodge to drive up to this bay-fronted country house in wooded grounds edged by a beach on Lough Swilly.
Plas Tan-Yr-Allt Historic Country House B&B
Porthmadog, Gwynedd
'Triple Spring Joy' Special Offer
There's history a-plenty in this upmarket B&B, an Italianate villa with breathtaking views over the Glaslyn estuary to the Rhinog mountains, warm and welcoming hosts, and bedrooms named after famous former residents, including Percy Bysshe Shelley, who wrote 'Queen Mab' here.
More Hotels accepting American Express®
The Three Daggers
Westbury, Wiltshire
'So much more than a pub with rooms', the Three Daggers has its own farm shop, brewery and spa barn with outdoor hot tub and sauna.
Polurrian on the Lizard
Mullion, Cornwall
'Hotel settings don't get much more spectacular than the Polurrian's, on the cliff edge overlooking its own beach,' writes a guide insider. The relaxed family and dog-friendly hotel makes the most of the coastal views.
Cedar Manor
Windermere, Cumbria
Caroline and Jonathan Kaye are fun and welcoming hosts at their B&B, a Victorian gentleman's residence in walled garden, praised by many readers for its award-winning interiors, individually styled rooms and suites, delicious afternoon tea and great breakfasts.
The Carpenters Arms
Pensford, Somerset
In a hamlet just 25 minutes from Bath, 'the Carps' is a 'very nice country pub' offering 'very good' food, and oodles of atmosphere in the stone-walled, beamed bar, with fire and log-burner.
Crown & Anchor Inn
Hungerford, Wiltshire
Rescued from closure by two local couples, this gastropub at the heart of a picturesque village has stylish bedrooms and cooking of a very high order.
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Great Milton, Oxfordshire
For more than 40 years, Raymond Blanc has held two Michelin stars at this beautiful country-house hotel 'and in our opinion, it's a travesty that he hasn't been awarded three', say Guide insiders.
The Rose & Crown
Snettisham, Norfolk
Roses festoon this family and dog-friendly 17th-century pub with rooms, in a thriving village close to the RSPB's Snettisham Nature Reserve.
Old Downton Lodge
Ludlow, Shropshire
Amid rolling hills, where Shropshire nudges Herefordshire, Pippa and Willem Vlok's restaurant with rooms comprises a picturesque set piece of medieval and Georgian farm buildings.
Prestonfield
Edinburgh
With peacocks in the garden, kilt-wearing staff, fire-warmed sitting rooms and antiques at every turn, this 17th-century country house is an indulgent place to stay.
Hotel Tresanton
St Mawes, Cornwall
In an idyllic location, cascading down the cliffs at St Mawes with views to St Anthony's lighthouse, Olga Polizzi's seaside hotel continues to delight readers. Once home to a yacht club, it is spread across a cluster of houses and has a feel of the French Riviera about it.
Another Place
Ullswater, Cumbria
Bring the dog, bring the kids, revel in the gorgeous scenery and the great outdoors at this ‘lifestyle hotel’ with private shorefront on Ullswater and plenty of activities on offer. It's the old, staid Rampsbeck Hotel reinvented (out with the chintz and swags, on with the wetsuits or hiking boots!)
Number Thirty Eight Clifton
Bristol, Bristol
Enjoying an ideal location opposite Clifton Down, this twin-bayed Georgian merchant's house B&B sits atop one of Bristol's highest hills, with panoramic views.
Mingary Castle
Kilchoan, Highland
Within a medieval castle and Georgian house above the Sound of Mull, this remote restaurant with rooms has four fantastic suites, spectacular views, and no less memorable cooking by chef-proprietor Colin Nicholson.
Bank House
King's Lynn, Norfolk
On a square beside the Great Ouse in the ancient port town, this fine Georgian Grade II* listed former merchant’s house, once home to what would become Barclays, was debanked in 1869 and is today a buzzy hotel and brasserie.
The Punch Bowl Inn
Cumbria
To find a gem in a quiet corner of the visitor-thronged Lake District is not easy, but this smart village inn in the lovely Lyth valley offers 'top-notch food', 'great service' and country-style bedrooms.
The Stag on the River
Godalming, Surrey
Historic features are seamlessly blended with contemporary styling at this riverside gastropub with indoor, outdoor and waterside dining, and a menu of pub classics alongside more inventive dishes.
The 25 Boutique B&B
Torquay, Devon
This delightfully eccentric boutique B&B, a stroll from Torquay's seafront, has won numerous awards for its singular style and luxurious standards. Run by new owners, Jason and Marsi, it is known for its funky features and state-of-the-art touches.
The Fortingall
Aberfeldy, Perth And Kinross
A boutique hotel in every sense (if you love the furnishings you can buy your own), this sublimely situated Arts and Crafts Victorian country house is a perfect base for outdoor pursuits, with fine-dining restaurant, onsite pub, and picnics to order.
The Shoregate
Anstruther, Fife
A formerly run-down pub at the top of the hill overlooking the harbour, this refurbished dining pub with stylish, highly characterful and generously equipped bedrooms, retains the fun and energy of a popular local, while serving seriously impressive, locally sourced food.
The Ashford Arms
Bakewell, Derbyshire
Reopened in 2024 after a £1.6 million refurbishment, this former coaching inn in a picture-perfect village is a pleasing mix of original beams, exposed stone and smart decor, with well-appointed rooms, a friendly atmosphere, and a restaurant serving pub classics alongside more inventive dishes.
Ael y Bryn
Crymych, Pembrokeshire
Readers consistently praise this owner-run B&B with immaculate and generously supplied rooms in a single-storey building, beautifully maintained gardens with stream and wildlife pond, and, by arrangement, dinner cooked by caring and attentive hosts.
The Acorn Inn
Evershot, Dorset
Thomas Hardy fans will be in their element at this local watering hole in Dorset, which was the model for 'The Sow and Acorn' in Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
Sheedy's
Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare
Guests find a warm welcome, good food and home comforts at John and Martini Sheedy's hotel and restaurant on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Artist Residence Oxfordshire
South Leigh, Oxfordshire
A fourth venture for Justin and Charlotte Salisbury, this 16th-century beamed farmhouse-cum-local, a former haunt of Dylan Thomas's, has a range of highly individual rooms, mostly in outbuilding with outdoor seating, as well as larky modern art, upcycled, recycled and vintage furniture, a restaurant and bar serving pub food with a difference.
Hotel Endsleigh
Tavistock, Devon
Olga Polizzi's beautifully styled Georgian fishing lodge, built for the Duke of Bedford and scandalous Duchess Georgiana, stands in a picturesque designed landscape with the River Tamar running through.
Corse Lawn House
Corse Lawn, Gloucestershire
A beautifully proportioned Queen Anne-style mansion overlooking a duck pond, this much-loved traditional hotel has a new owner, but, after 48 years, Baba Hine remains, overseeing restaurant, bistro and well-equipped, spacious bedrooms.
Drakes
Brighton, Sussex
Indulge in a Porn Star Martini in the sea-facing cocktail bar at this stuccoed, bow-fronted Georgian seafront hotel, for this is Brighton, after all – hip, tolerant and fun.
Portobello Hotel
London, London
Beyond the Doric portico of a white stucco neo-classical mansion, this boutique hotel captures the eclectic charms of glamorous and bohemian Notting Hill.
Coul House
Strathpeffer, Highland
It's been more than 20 years since Susannah and Stuart Macpherson opened the doors of this beautiful Georgian building to guests, and they still take great pride in providing a friendly, warm welcome along with good food and wine.
The Gunton Arms
Thorpe Market, Norfolk
The neon sign outside this former steward's house in a 1,000-acre deer park sets the tone for what to expect in this unique and interesting pub owned by art dealer Ivor Braka, with provocative works by artists such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst on display within.
























































































































































































