Character hotels in England
a listing of English hotel accommodation with distinctive character
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Macdonald Hotels' Signature Collection» top 4/5-star hotels chosen for location, style, attention to detail ... MORE 
Amberley Castle
located: Amberley, West Sussex, UK
A unique luxury hotel, nestled in the Sussex countryside, at the foot of the South Downs. This magnificent historic castle, dating back to the Doomsday Book, is enclosed by a high curtain wall and portcullis, behind which is an enchanting hotel offering the highest standards.
Arden Hotel Stratford
located: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, UK
An elegant, contemporary boutique hotel in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon, sited right opposite the RSC Theatre. The hotel is one from the Eden Hotel Collection; AA Small Hotel Group of the Year in recent years. The hotel has a stylish Waterside Brasserie, Champagne Bar and a Club Bar with private riverside terrace.
Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa
located: Keswick Cumbria, UK
Fine accommodation at one of the original stately homes of England. Armathwaite Hall Country House is now a luxury Lake District hotel and spa, set in the secluded splendour of a 400-acre deer park and woodland near Bassenthwaite Lake.
Camelot Castle Hotel
located: Tintagel, Cornwall, UK
In a remarkable spot right on the Cornish coastline this leading hotel is in Tintagel, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. The hotel offers a range of traditionally styled rooms with panoramic coastal views. The Camelot Castle Hotel is family and dog friendly.
Cornwall Hotel, Spa & Estate (The)
located: Tregorrick, St Austell, Cornwall, UK
An exquisite 4-star luxury hotel and spa set within tranquil, wooded parkland in St Austell, close to many of Cornwall's most popular sandy beaches and attractions. The hotel offers a range of rooms, from Victorian opulence to contemporary chic, many with balconies and air conditioning.
Cottage in the Wood (The)
located: Whinlatter Forest, Nr Keswick, Cumbria, UK
A rather special boutique hotel with it's own unique character, sited in England's only mountain forest near the Lake District town of Keswick. This restored C17th coaching inn offers breathtaking mountain views of the Skiddaw range, award-winning guest accommodation with beautiful contemporary decor and an award-winning restaurant.
Crewe Hall Hotel
located: Cheshire, England, UK
A magnificent Grade I listed building in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Crewe Hall offers a mix of old historic charm in its indulgent feature bedrooms, combined with modern touches in its comfortable contemporary bedrooms. Guests have use of the modern health club and spa.
Curious Pig in the Parlour (The)
located: Copthorne, Nr Crawley, West Sussex, UK
An eccentric name for this lovely stylish boutique accommodation located just seven miles from Gatwick Airport, near Crawley. The Curious Pig in the Parlour is a small pub offering accommodation in warmly decorated rooms with stylish decor and home-from-home comfort. The restaurant serves an interesting menu that includes wood-fired pizzas and steaks cooked in the charcoal oven.
Florence House Boutique Hotel & Restaurant
located: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
Beautiful small boutique hotel offering fresh clean elegance in a large restored Edwardian house. The hotel has an a la carte restaurant and bistro. A range of spa treatments is also available to guests. Reviews consistently remark on the friendly service, a great place for a celebration stay!
Hartwell House & Spa
located: Vale of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK
A National Trust property and one of Buckinghamshire's most celebrated country houses. The 46 bedrooms, including those in the adjacent Hartwell Court, are individually furnished with fine prints, pictures and antiques for a real country house feel.
General England Hotels Search»
COUNTRY HOUSE STYLE:
Our country house hotels selection for when you're after relaxing country house comfort, classic looks and stlye, historic buildings, fabulous countryside and great food! FULL SELECTION»
The Devonshire Arms – a country house hotel and spa, packed with character, located in a beautiful spot, at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales; it's home to an award-winning resturant and ... MORE»
Combe Grove Manor – combining country house Georgian elegance, contemporary style and unrivalled country club facilities, in a rural location just a couple of miles outside the beautiful city of Bath ... MORE»
East House – classic style and 5* luxury service in this award-winning country house hotel in Worcestershire. This historic property sits within private landscaped grounds and offers ... MORE»
THEMED HOTELS OF CHARACTER:
A collection of themed hotels for when you're after something rather different, holiday accommodation with a distinct theme. It could be related to a particular intrest (perhaps boats and sailing, music, or gardens and flowers); or a theme based on a particular style of architecture or decor (such as Art Deco or antiques); or a theme just for the fun of it (like superheroes or love) – come and see what we've got on offer! FULL SELECTION»
Floating super-yacht hotel – something rather special; at the Royal Victoria Dock, Newham, Sunborn London is a permanently moored, floating, super-yacht hotel with bar, restaurant, sun deck, ... MORE»
Hard Days Night Hotel – this unique Beatles-themed hotel is in the heart of Liverpool's Cavern Quarter; rooms have been styled with exclusive Beatles artwork and chic modern furnishings ... MORE»
Titanic Hotel Liverpool – a stunning conversion from a former warehouse at Liverpool's Stanley Dock, retains many original features, like vaulted ceilings, brickwork and enormous windows ... MORE»
What are Character Hotels?
Character Hotels are part of our Character Series which also includes Cottages & Villas and Bed & Breakfast. They are our special hand-picked selections, the ones with that extra je ne sais quoi that makes them ideal for a special trip, a celebration, a honeymoon, a big birthday or a special family gathering.
Our Character Hotels, which include quality pubs and inns, and restaurants with rooms too, are selected on a host of criteria. They might describe themselves as boutique, design, luxury, romantic or exclusive – all labels to ensure they stand out from the crowd. We check them out and carefully hand-pick our selection. Some the things we take into consideration are as follows:
• the building
• the decor
• the food
• the ambiance
• ratings, reviews and awards
• the location
• the service
• management style
• any historic or architectural interest
We include independently run properties, family owned hotels, traditional guesthouse hotels, historic country houses, noteworthy boutique or design hotels and luxury retreat centres; as well as a selection of the most outstanding hotels from the chains and booking engines.
We look for charm, atmosphere and local character; we look for unique individually styled guest rooms and interesting public spaces. Some hotels will be the small, hard-to-find hidden gems; others will be grand buildings that have retained their character despite their size.
We have a separate B&B section and the distinction is that those will generally be smaller establishments who will not normally offer a restaurant for evening meals – take a look at the Bed & Breakfast section here»
CATEGORY DEFINITION FOR TOUR OPERATORS WISHING TO BE LISTED:
The travel-quest character hotels in England section is for listing English hotels, pubs and inns with accommodation and restaurants with rooms which offer a distinctive character and style to guests. This will be a judgement call by the Travel-Quest editor but any suitable accommodation provider is invited to apply for consideration.
Within each category the Travel-Quest Blue Directory includes a checked and edited listing of specialist holiday accommodation providers, sometimes with offers and deals for our readers, many of which are exclusive to this site. If you wish to add a listing to the accommodation providers directory use the Submit Site link in our site navigation.
PHOTO CREDITS & KEY:
Unless credited otherwise, any photos used on this page are copyright of the Travel-Quest Directory or of the companies listed. See our Photography Policy for more details (including any credits for photo collages). Any other specific credits for this page now follow. Links to any Licences are on our Photography Policy page.
Amberley Castle Wedding Venue – 01 ©Flickr user: Wedding Photography by Jon Day (cc)
Armathwaite Hall ©Flickr user: Paul Stainthorp (cc)
Camelot Castle Hotel ©Flickr user: Reading Tom (cc)
The Cornwall Hotel St Austell 1 ©Flickr user: ahisgett (cc)
Crewe Hall Hotel ©Flickr user: RidwanJaafar (cc)
Hartwell House ©Flickr user: ukcountryhousehotelsandspas (cc)
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