Where to stay: ENGLAND

Billing itself as London’s first mindful hotel, the 88-room property unfolds over six Georgian townhouses stitched together by Holland Harvey Architects, in a leafy patch of Paddington, to include facilities like a Meditation Pod, Yoga Atrium, a gym with a Peloton indoor cycling bike, and a Clearlight Infrared Sauna.

Named for the section of a song where new, contrasting material is traditionally introduced, Middle Eight aims to do something similar for Covent Garden: adding something vibrant and memorable to the neighborhood that’s nevertheless recognizably a part of its surroundings. The immediate setting, Great Queen Street, lies just beyond the end of Long Acre, Covent Garden’s main drag, and places the hotel within walking distance of no end of shops, restaurants, bars, and theatres.

Transformed into a modern grand hotel in 2012, the Café Royal still stands proud at the corner of Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus and has now been further enhanced with the redesigned lobby in the Art Deco atrium with its striking Venetian chandelier, and a top-notch steak and sushi restaurant on the first floor.

The handsome late-Georgian building - on Osborn Street at the bottom of curry mile Brick Lane - has been smartened up, with a bar-restaurant on the ground floor and 15 bedrooms spread over the upper four storeys. The bar area is now light and airy with floor-to ceiling windows, yet retains the feel of a pub. The bedrooms are bijou, with a clean, functional feel: bare brick painted brilliant white, wiring hidden in aluminium tubes, TV, coffee and tea things on a small chest of drawers.

Part of the EDITION collaboration between Marriott Hotels and boutique hotel godfather Ian Schrager, The London EDITION is set in the former Berners hotel which opened originally in 1908 out of a row of 1835 row of Georgian townhouses. Oxford Street, Theatreland and Piccadilly Circus are all within a 10-minute walk. The hotel offers an on-site fitness centre, a restaurant by Jason Atherton, 2 bars and a dance club.

The industrial chic we know and love from The Hoxton, Shoreditch and rivals such as Ace is alive and well and living in WC2. It works in this building - part Grade II listed Victorian and part hunk of 1960s concrete - which was once a domestic appliance manufacturer and later a telephone exchange.

The 13th hotel for the iconic brand, and second in London, the hotel employs a contemporary approach to both aesthetics and hospitality, taking inspiration from Japanese architectural disciplines and minimalist design, whilst utilizing a refined color palette influenced by heritage Japanese color combinations.

The Grade II* listed Old War Office building, originally completed in 1906, is steeped in history. This architectural masterpiece has witnessed world-shaping events whilst influential political and military leaders including Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, and Lord Kitchener held office. The iconic building will house a 125-room and suite Raffles hotel, 85 private residences, nine restaurants and bars, a destination spa and boutique retail.

The property, a historical 19th century building formerly known as Bow Street Magistrates Court and Police Station, will be thoughtfully transformed into a 91 room hotel by interior design studio Roman and Williams. Drawing on inspiration from the buildings history, location, and the artistic, cultural connection between London and New York, the hotel will include a restaurant, bar, library, and a subterranean craft cocktail bar and lounge, Common Decency that will debut in the spring of…

When it opened in 1887, The Cadogan Hotel fast became a favourite of the Kensington and Chelsea set, entertaining a kaleidoscope of VIPs from Oscar Wilde to socialite Lillie Langtry. Now, 132 years later, the storied property has re-opened under the Belmond banner, who rebuilt the entire property, stitching together five buildings to include a former bank on the corner and, of course, the home of Langry, which she sold to the hotel in 1895, and now serves as the private guest entrance.

With a Banksy in the lobby, Maple & Co café, 360-degree views of the city and quality suppliers specified throughout, aparthotel The Gate shelters the best of a hotel with a home-from-from look and feel throughout…

The Guardsman is a purpose-built luxury London boutique hotel that offers the atmosphere, discretion and personal service usually associated with a private members’ club. Presenting guests with what is being described as “a true home away from home experience”, the 53-key hotel, which sits on Buckingham Gate, London, has been designed by Dexter Moren Associates and multi-disciplinary design practice Tonik Associates.

Following in the trademark style of its elder siblings, The Hoxton Southwark presents a rather glossy version of the hipster aesthetic. Sure there are exposed brick walls, stripped floors, a mish-mash of quirky art works, and an abundance of potted plants – but you’ll also spy marble bar tops, inviting armchairs in pastel hues, stylish hanging globe lamps and pretty tiling.

The 113-room Locke at Broken Wharf is located minutes from both Cannon Street and Blackfriars on the north bank stretch of the Thames river path. Locke blends the advantages of a high-end lifestyle hotel with the space and flexibility of an apartment. Its dynamic social spaces comprise an all-day restaurant, bar concept and co-working area, which will be activated through a mind-expanding cultural programme spanning wellness, fitness, art and music.

Opened in 2017, this is a working gin distillery in what was once a notorious Notting Hill boozer. There are three mid-century rooms, a bar and restaurant, and the hotel produces its own Portobello Gin from a copper still on site – ingredients include citrus, juniper, Indonesian-sourced nutmeg and orris from Italy. Think you can do better? There’s a Ginstitute on site, where guests can create their own gin using a blend of botanicals.

After a GBP 4 million refurbishment, The Pilgrm Hotel offers a refreshing break from the ordinary. Set in four former townhouses this hip hotel is located a one-minute walk from London‘s Paddington Station. Space may be at a premium, but beautiful reclaimed fixtures and tempting food more than make up for the lack of elbow room.

The luxury hotel is loacted inside a SOM-designed, 42-storey double-cantilevered building. Space Copenhagen has devised a muted interior palette of rich, tactile materials and clean-lined, softly-curved upholstered shapes that are revealed through a mix of bespoke pieces and furniture by brands like Gubi, Stellar Works and Benchmark. On the ground floor, the triple-height triangular lobby is anchored by a 10m-tall fireplace and a standout installation by designer Paul Cocksedge.

On the site of the former headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the 152-room luxury hotel and adjacent five-story townhouse, the opening follows a major restoration and full-scale renovation that breathed new life into one of London's famous landmarks as it opens to the public for the first time in nearly two hundred years.

Blytonesque British boys’ school meets Bombay palace bedecked in brilliant blue. The old classrooms of this erstwhile Victorian grammar school now have beds swaddled in Indian fabrics and boastful views of the Shard. Sip on a turmeric-dusted cocktail in the bar or enjoy a naan-with-wine pairing in the restaurant.

Designed to reflect Brighton’s iconic ocean-front location and the city’s creative spirit, interior designer Tola Ojuolape collaborated closely with Selina’s workshop team, using materials that represent and embrace the community, and each of the rooms has been given a quirky and whimsical twist.

Groovy yet grown up, Artist Residence is easily one of Brighton's most stylish boutique hotels. With the feel of a cosy boho club, its look mixes retro furnishings with densely pigmented colours and hip artwork. Come here for clever cocktails, on-trend tasting menus and dreamy bedside sea views.

This Tudor coaching inn, in the heart of the English shires, has been reinvented for the modern age, with Ilse Crawford-designed contemporary rooms and two Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar behind its casual restaurant.

Situated on Regency Square, boutique Hotel Una is ideally situated to explore Brighton’s sights. Modern and stylish, rooms are individually decorated with contrasting textures, natural wood and modern artwork. The bar serves an extensive range of cocktails, whiskeys, cognacs, gins, cognacs and champagnes. Plenty of bars, restaurants and shops are found right at the doorstep.

With a stunning new look from interior designer Nicola Harding, the property combines quirky British sensibility with elegant authentic luxury. Sheltered within a Grade II-listed property dating back to 1665, the now hotel was originally used as ancillary accommodation for guests of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace. Set on the banks of the River Thames, the 36-key hotel includes a riverside all day dining and wine bar, a brasserie and bar, an Orangery, and a large riverside terrace.

There are country house hotels - and then there’s Cliveden. This National Trust property, dating back to the late 17th century and set among 376 verdant acres on the banks of the Thames in Berkshire, is truly something special. Meghan Markle stayed the night before her wedding so it really is fit for royalty.

The hotel features a red brick façade and ornate Jacobean interior including large fireplaces, secret stairways and panelled rooms. Outside the main building a new coach house will accommodate 12 further bedrooms to the existing 7, while seven fitting Hop Pickers’ Huts will be created from reclaimed materials and will sit within the grounds.

This country estate turned hotel finds beauty in imperfection.

On Brighton's seafront Regency Square is Pelirocco, Brighton's original "rock-and-roll" hotel. It is set in a Regency style townhouse hotel featuring boutique-style themed rooms, inspired by pop culture, glamour and music. There is the Soul Supreme room which is all Motown retro, decked out in high-shine red and gold, and complete with record player and microphone, while Fancy Pants features bedside tables made from lingerie-clad mannequins.

Monkey Island was bought by the 3rd Duke of Marlborough as a fishing retreat in the Thames in 1723. Since then, it has been a popular place for visitors to dine and stay since the 19th century. Now expensively revamped, it has become the latest hotel in the Malaysian-owned YTL group

Well located in one of the Cotswolds’ most appealing little towns, The Painswick is a boutique hotel in a handsome, 18th-century property with Arts & Crafts additions. It has 16 stylish bedrooms, an arty vibe in its generous lounges and, best of all, a treat of a restaurant. Decked in a medley of greys, blues and greens and with striking prints and graphic artworks on the walls, The Painswick exudes chic comfort.

This rambling old property is furnished with immensely pleasing flair – a blend of tradition and contemporary chic. There are open fires, rugs on flagstone and wood floors and retro school seats as dining chairs. Walls, mainly clad in Cotswold greys and greens, are lined with an eclectic mix of hunting scenes, family portraits of local landowners and striking modern art including an audacious pop art rendition of Kate Moss by Sebastian Krüger.

This Georgian mansion houses a fabulously stylish boutique guesthouse. It's an art-filled haven looking on to a stretch of Cheltenham's Pittville Park. With its chic lighting and mix of antiques and funky furniture, it serenely achieves a happy combination of glamour and homely comfort.

This funky-stylish venue is housed in a large, Grade II-listed Georgian property, built as a very grand private residence complete with long windows and an imposing colonnade. Step inside and you're in a contemporary-cool world with striking modern art on the walls ‒ most notably over the fireplace in the more formal restaurant where a neon cross installation is emblazoned with the words 'Sin will find you out'; like it or loathe it, it makes an impact.

Set in an Italianate building dating from the 1860s, Cowley Manor is an immensely pleasing blend of funky art hotel, country house retreat and family-friendly haven. The effect of cowhide window seats, comical papier-mâché ‘hunting trophies’, Scandi-chic sofas in electric blue and red, a huge reception area with a lime green ceiling, and games room panelled in leather certainly is a depart from the traditional country house hotel.

Located in a Conservation Area in the chic Montpellier district, the luxury Malmaison Cheltenham is set in a mid-19th century Grade II listed building. It has been beautifully refurbished to combine traditional standards of luxury with a distinctive contemporary British style. Bespoke pieces of furniture and specially commissioned artworks completed the beautiful interiors.

The Lygon Arms was a tired shadow of its former self when it was acquired by Iconic Luxury Hotels. It has been soothingly restored and exudes cosy-chic appeal. This is a place to sink into. There are numerous lounges and snugs and several fireplaces; furnishings range from Gordon Russell pieces to restored antiques – and plenty of squishy sofas.

This new Kimpton has set up shop in the former Palace Hotel. The iconic red brick building opened in 1895 as the headquarters of an insurance company. In 1912 the namesake, striking tower was added. The luxury hotel is located on busy Oxford Street opposite a train station, and within walking distance of both the main Piccadilly Station and Canal Street’s Gay Village.

This hip "Latin style" hostel offers individual rooms, dormitories, a shared kitchen and a coffee shop/restaurant in the heart of Manchester's lively Norther Quarter.

The luxury Edwardian Manchester, a Radisson Collection Hotel, has been recently renovated. It is partly set in Manchester‘s iconic Free Trade Hall. The Free Trade Hall was constructed in 1853–56 on St Peter’s Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre, and a range of iconic names have either performed or spoken at the property, from Charles Dickens to the Sex Pistols to Winston Churchill.

Designed by local architects, 3D Reid, the building aligns the historic architecture of the Grade II-listed City Buildings with a stunning 14-storey rotunda tower, the combination of old and new serves as a breathtaking gateway between the main shopping district and the developing NOMA (Northern Manchester) district.

Owned and developed by Manchester United stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, the much-anticipated Stock Exchange Hotel is the first Relais & Châteaux property in the city—a rare distinction to earn prior to opening, yet indicative of the hushed, 40-room hotel’s devotion to honoring a glorious chapter in Manchester’s history.

This 16-bed conversion of a Northern Quarter textile warehouse makes good use of the building’s industrial heritage. Exposed brick and metal staircases are softened with artworks, neo-Moorish tiling and interesting decorative objects.

Located on Princess Street, close to Oxford Road Station and a slew of independent bars, restaurants, and shops, Whitworth Locke consists of 160 studios and suites that come in all shapes and sizes; FDN Whitworth, a collaboration with local third wave coffee icons, Foundation Coffee House, where the finest coffee meets fresh and healthy food, juices and a large selection of cakes, in an inspired space for hanging or coworking; and the Conservatory bar.

The stern-faced 19th century Bruntwood Hall, most recently offices and then derelict, has been given a multi-million pound refurbishment by Tim Groom architects, who have successfully employed a 'minimum intervention' approach to let the Gothic Revival architecture shine, while the interior designers SpaceInvader have gone for a dark colour palette of greys and greens.

From the outside, it looks a monolithic, Victorian station-hotel (which it was), a hefty affair of sandy-coloured bricks and a mass of drainpipes. Inside, however, it's sleek and modern without being edgy or blingy due to a recent makeover. There's lots of soft greys and soft carpets, elegant velvet armchairs and Chesterfield sofas, and walls hung with mirrors, all set against Corinthian pillars and lofty corridors. The bar and restaurant have a funkier feel.

Owners Simon Rhatigan and Simon Kershaw purchased the property in January 2019, and intend to roll out the Bike & Brand – a “modern leisure” concept with “funky interiors” – initially across the North of England. Further expansion is planned in the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District or Lake District. The Scarborough outlet features a 100-cover bar and grill restaurant, walking and surfing drying rooms, dog and boot wash area, bike storage, and an in-house cinema.

The Grade II-listed stately hall beholds an impressive 400-year history. Since its creation in 1625 it's been home to a number of historical figures. It's now like something out of a novel; richly decorated Jacobean rooms, a sweeping oak staircase, carved fireplaces and stained glass windows have been meticulously reinstated, while new additions like the recently refurbished Dower House and The Orangery have been modernised in keeping with the house’s historic feel.

The baronial pile, with corner turrets, battlements and stupendous entrance tower, looks like a castle but its largely Victorian embellishments (by a Bradford wool merchant whose descendants still own the house and estate) of a 17th- and 18th-century core. Inside, it’s old-school, English stately home, with acres of polished-wood floors and dark-red rugs, vast corridors hung with gilt-framed portraits and massive windows framed with pelmeted curtains.

Expect an amiable, style-led pub with all the luxury trimmings. It's warm and inviting inside, there are lots of local diners and it has a great community atmosphere. High-quality furnishings run throughout in earthy tones. Each item has been sourced with with the guest in mind such as the spectacular antler chandeliers in the pub (which cost £800). The décor continues in the rooms with top-notch furnishings, luxury bedding, books aplenty, ornaments and cute mini rocking horses.

In film-set-perfect parkland and with Palladian good looks, this hotel fires on five-star cylinders: a marble-clad pool, elite fitness facilities, gracious bedrooms, and chef Shaun Rankin leading a swathe of dining options.

The beautifully restored Fleece Hotel provides quality accommodation in the heart of the pretty market town of Richmond. Rooms are high spec and the Yorkshire-focused menus in the café, bar and restaurant inspired.

This double-fronted Georgian merchants house is more guest house than hotel (you are asked to ring on the doorbell on arrival). The look is a combo of original features and wall-to-wall Farrow & Ball, with a nod to Bristol’s seafaring history (trunks, chests, bulk-head lamps and the odd maritime painting). An interesting collection of old and new furniture includes gilded mirrors, wing-back chairs, old pictures, splashy modern art and a David Hockney piece in the downstairs loo.

Filling a whole terrace of Grade I-listed townhouses in the city’s heart, the Hotel Indigo Bath sits on gorgeous South Parade. Georgian-themed decor hits the sweet spot between being sympathetic to the building’s history and theatrical enough to fill your Instagram feed: velvety chesterfield sofas in jewel shades sit beneath striking modern chandeliers; framed Regency-style silhouettes and portraits of animals in period costume hang in clusters on the walls.

Abbey Hotel is a stylish and contemporary boutique-style hotel occupying three Georgian townhouses on North Parade, a wide promenade in Bath’s old quarters close to the spectacular Pulteney Bridge and Roman Baths. Interiors are inspired by Bath’s artistic heritage with bold print patterns, textured wallpapers and statement colours used throughout the hotel, which nod to different branches of art and design celebrated in Bath such as fine art, print, architecture and photography.

This excellent restaurant offers 5 boutique rooms upstairs (four with sea views).

A traditional bucket-and-spade holiday hotel since the 1970s, Watergate Bay now, run by the next generation of the same family, does its job of appealing to all ages with great style and its Extreme Academy for watersports makes the most of its location on one of Cornwall’s best surfing beaches. Interiors are cleverly designed to draw on the landscape and views.

Charismatic staff and funky décor in an exhilaratingly unpretentious hotel, whose quirkiness perfectly reflects that of eccentric and arty Penzance. Its bar-lounge, with wood-burner, log-piles, super-comfy retro sofas, and salvaged tables is a hub of town life, attracting people of all ages. With some rooms designed by artists, and others looking like an upscale rum shack, the style is resolutely eccentric.

Hotelier and designer Olga Polizzi spent two years re-designing the hotel, which opened in the summer of 1998. Tresanton still stands as a reflection of her personal style. Olga’s vision combines antiques, art, sculpture and colour pops of fabrics to evoke a stylish, relaxed and welcoming coastal retreat, with an eclectic mix of antique and contemporary furnishings, as well as artwork and sculpture from Cornish artists including Barbara Hepworth.

A collaboration between owner Susan Stuart and architect Keith Bell, saw a two-and-a-half-year renovation project transform an 18th-century Georgian townhouse into a stylish boutique guest house. With its classic, light-filled Georgian proportions, simple lines and symmetry, period furnishings fuse with mid-century modern, creating a clean aesthetic to a backdrop of blues and grey hues. It's a serene retreat that is comfortable and welcoming.

Expect harbour views and culinary thrills at this beautifully renovated Victorian townhouse-turned-hotel. Previously a Seamen's Mission, it retains much of its original character, offering a backdrop to relax over champagne, seafood and striking river vistas, in one of Cornwall's liveliest harbour towns.

Set in the former North Warehouse at Liverpool’s Stanley Dock, Titanic Hotel is an industrial chic hotel with exposed brickwork and vaulted ceilings. Although referrals to the Titanic theme are found throughout the hotel, the look is not so much Edwardian but decidedly contemporary. The city's attractions, such as the Echo Arena, Albert Dock, the Cavern Club, various shopping centres and the Empire Theatre are all within a 10-minute drive.

Hope Street Hotel is set in a landmark building from 1860 in Liverpool’s historic Hope Street quarter. Originally home to the London Carriage Works, in the style of a Venetian Palazzo, it now provides the perfect setting for this four star design hotel. Recently the hotel expanded into the neighbouring School for the Blind. The extensive use of wood, stone and glass complement the original exposed brickwork, beams and cast iron columns.

Housed in the Grade II-listed, former Royal Insurance Building, Aloft Liverpool is located in the city centre, less than 1 mile away from Liverpool Central Railway Station. Recently opened, it is part of a four-year £18 million regeneration project and features a restaurant, cocktail bar, fitness centre and spacious rooms.

As a refreshing antidote to the corporate hotel experience, the Town House, part of the independent Peach Pub Company, feels like an exclusive home. Guests are provided with digital entry codes for the front door and bedrooms. The listed building’s original 1860s’ features have been retained, complemented by antique walnut and mahogany furniture. The muted aqua and grey colour scheme is enlivened by bright fabrics and hand-painted English wallpaper.

The Crescent was the centrepiece of the Fifth Duke of Devonshire’s plans to establish a fashionable Georgian spa town in Buxton. The grade 1 listed building is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in the country. It includes a 81-bedroom 5* spa hotel occupying the majority of the Crescent and incorporate the magnificent Assembly Rooms and a thermal natural mineral water spa in the Natural Baths.

A new wing in this art deco boutique hotel takes its total bedrooms from six to 20. Large monochrome rooms have high ceilings, sash windows and freestanding baths. There are three cocktail lounges with inventive cocktail lists. On sunny evenings, drinks are served on the champagne terrace, recently doubled in size. The focus is on booze, but there is a simple food menu and a popular afternoon tea.

This 18th-century red-brick townhouse fuses old and new elements with its original façade and sympathetic modern extension behind. Chic but unceremonious public spaces, an alfresco seating area and stylishly moody bedrooms combine with unfussy bistro food to create a relaxing hotel.

Harking back to the retro 1950s American diner, Soho House’s latest is the modern roadside chic Mollie’s Motel & Diner, located in founder Nick Jones’ hometown of Oxford, England. The 79-room throwback motel, which guests check-in to online or by mobile app, is a daring departure—and more affordable option—from the trendsetting brand’s typical posh offerings.

As an ale house, the site of the Swan predates the Adnams brewery by about 200 years, but the two have been in partnership since 1872. Style-wise, it may fit into this moneyed part of Suffolk with ease – there are plenty of velvet sofas in jewel colours and artfully scorched mackerel on offer within its generous Georgian proportions – but it’s not too sanitised. The Swan still backs on to the brewery, but the neighbouring buildings also house Southwold’s distillery, with spirits and…