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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Hotels for Christmas in England
Christmas is an increasingly popular time for hotel breaks, so whether you're planning to celebrate Christmas in England quietly or with a bang, here are our recommended hotels for the festive period.
Gravetye Manor, Sussex
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
The Bird
Bath
Three-Night Christmas Getaway with an extra night for £100 - GHG Reader 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.
Dukes Bath
Bath, Somerset
Christmas Three Night 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.
The Cottage in the Wood
Malvern Wells, Worcestershire
Christmas and New Year Package 10% discount Special Offer
Bishopstrow
Warminster, Wiltshire
Christmas 2025 Package 10% Discount GHG Reader Special Offer
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.
The Horn of Plenty
Gulworthy, Devon
Up to 25% off Dinner, Bed and Breakfast Special Offer
The Nare
Veryan-In-Roseland, Cornwall
'Four Day Break' Special Offer
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'.
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.
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 Feathered Nest
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
25% Discount Two-Night Special Offer
Lords of the Manor
Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
'Taste of the Cotswolds' Special Offer
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'.
The Priory
Wareham, Dorset
'A Night To Remember' Special Offer
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.
Cuckoo Brow Inn
Ambleside, Cumbria
Two Night 15% Discount Special Offer
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.
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.
Middlethorpe Hall & Spa
York, Yorkshire
'Tailor-Made Break' Special Offer
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 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 Cavendish
Baslow, Derbyshire
Three Nights for the Price of Two Special Offer
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.
Hambleton Hall
Oakham, Rutland
'Summer Escape' Special Offer
Hartwell House
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
'Three Nights for the Price of Two' Special Offer
The Eastbury Hotel & Spa
Sherborne, Dorset
'Garden Escape' Special Offer
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.
Storrs Hall
Bowness-On-Windermere, Cumbria
Four Nights for the Price of Three Summer Special Offer
With an enviable position on Windermere, this Georgian hall has a relaxed country house feel, with formal and casual dining options, and bedrooms ranging from family friendly to seriously swanky.
The Royal Hotel
Ventnor, Isle Of Wight
'Sail, Dine & Stay' Special Offer
Mallory Court
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
'Winter Stay' Special Offer
More Hotels for Christmas in England

George and Dragon
Clifton, Cumbria
With smartly refurbished interiors and imaginative, locally sourced, restaurant-quality food, this dog-friendly country inn on the Lowther Estate is a happy mix of pub informality and country-house comforts.
Augill Castle
Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
The Yan at Broadrayne
Grasmere, Cumbria
Refreshingly different from some more traditional Lake District offerings, this contemporary hotel is in a beautiful setting overlooking Grasmere.
Durrants
London
The Middleton Lodge Estate
Richmond, Yorkshire
Leave the fuss and fret of the AI(M) at Scotch Corner to reconnect with the land at this idyllic hotel, centred on a Georgian coach house amid gardens, parkland and woodland.
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Great Milton, Oxfordshire
For 40 years, Raymond Blanc has held two Michelin stars at this beautiful country-house hotel 'and it's not surprising – every mouthful of every meal is a triumph', say Guide insiders.
The Seaside Boarding House
Burton Bradstock, Dorset
High on the cliff top above Chesil Beach, this is an effortlessly hip, relaxed, fun hotel with a Cape Cod vibe, light and airy bedrooms, a bar serving cocktails and brilliant snacks, with seriously good cooking in the restaurant.
Brocco on the Park
Sheffield, Yorkshire
Behind the solid exterior of an Edwardian park-side villa lies a Scandi-chic boutique hotel and popular drop-in restaurant.
Goldstone Hall
Market Drayton, Shropshire
'In the middle of nowhere down narrow country lanes', John and Sue Cushing's Georgian manor house hotel sits among five acres of brimming gardens, a prolific source of fruit and vegetables, cut flowers and perennial joy.
The Pear Tree Inn
Melksham, Wiltshire
This gastropub-with-rooms is set in a beguilingly pretty 17th-century Bath stone inn with mullioned windows and cascading wisteria, and lovely gardens outside.
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House
Windermere, Cumbria
Lakeland luxury at its finest comes courtesy of Gilpin, with its Michelin-starred dining, private hot tubs in the majority of its indulgent rooms and attentive staff. Its flagship rooms are extravagantly large glass-cube spa suites that extend over a pond and offer private garden, spa room and circular bath.
Pentonbridge Inn
Penton, Cumbria
The humble setting of this former coaching inn, half a mile from the Scottish border, belies its chic bedrooms and creative cooking.
Alexandra Hotel
Lyme Regis, Dorset
This modest Georgian house, built for the Earl and Countess of Poulett, has been much extended since Jane Austen visited and fell in love with Lyme.
Watersmeet
Woolacombe, Devon
'The location is stunning, with views of the Devon coast with its sandy beaches and tumbled rocks,' writes a reader delighted by this family-friendly hotel.
Beechwood Hotel
North Walsham, Norfolk
Agatha Christie memorabilia, murder-mystery weekends and Art Deco touches set the tone at Hugh and Emma Asher's creeper-clad hotel, former home of the author's doctor friends, in a bustling market town.
Brockencote Hall
Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire
Lime Wood
Lyndhurst, Hampshire
A New Forest bolt-hole, this country house hotel has an easy glamour, romantic and family-friendly rooms, heart-warming Italian food and top-notch spa.
Biggin Hall
Buxton, Derbyshire
The White Swan
Pickering, Yorkshire
The Buchanan family's 16th-century coaching inn offers a warm Yorkshire mix of traditional pub, smart food and modern bedrooms with character. Overlooking the market square, it's a popular locals' spot both for the ales in the fire-warmed bar and snug and the accomplished cooking.
Dart Marina
Dartmouth, Devon
Artist Residence Oxfordshire
South Leigh, Oxfordshire
A 16th-century village inn has been reinvented as a fun, bohemian hangout, with rustic-chic bedrooms, upcycled furniture, modern artworks, good pub grub and an irrepressible sense of fun.
The Star Inn at Harome
Nr Helmsley, Yorkshire
Rising phoenix-like from the ashes of a conflagration, Andrew Pern's thatched village gastropub retains its joyful eccentricity, with quirky, rustic bedrooms in converted farm buildings, while Mr Pern's modern Yorkshire cooking has lost none of its spark.
The Gallivant
Sussex
Old Church Farm
Bristol, Gloucestershire
A Saxon royal hunting lodge in the Gloucestershire countryside, rebuilt over centuries, is run today as a private hotel by 'lovely hosts' Christopher Trim and Kathryn Warner.
The Wentworth
Aldeburgh, Suffolk
'Our favourite hotel in the whole wide world,' writes a devotee of this seafront grande dame, run by the same family for 104 years.
Corse Lawn House
Corse Lawn, Gloucestershire
This beautifully proportioned Queen Anne-style mansion, in a hamlet between the Cotswolds and the Mendip hills, is as traditional as its owner, Baba Hine, who has been at the helm for more than 46 years.
Bingham Riverhouse
Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey
You can paddleboard on the river, stroll to see the deer in Richmond Park, and feel a world away from central London at this smart, multifaceted Thames-side hotel.
The Rose & Crown
Snettisham, Norfolk
The Howard Arms
Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire
The Sun Inn
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
Christmas is an increasingly popular time for hotel breaks, so whether you're planning to celebrate Christmas in England quietly or with a bang, here are our recommended hotels for the festive period.