THE travel team have stayed at hundreds of hotels across the country, from budget stays to blow-out luxury.
So we’ve revealed our favourite ones we’ve ever stayed in to add to your 2025 bucket list.
The Swan, Lavenham
Looking at the sleepy medieval village of Lavenham in Suffolk today, you’d never guess that 80 years ago, more than 350,000 US Army Airforce troops were based in the surrounding fields and countryside.
In the heart of the village lies The Swan at Lavenham Hotel – a magnificent 15th century timbered building with a cosy, luxe interior where the building’s period features shine, from oak beams and flagstone floors to open fires and cosy nooks.
Harry Potter fans should enquire after the tiny door under the stairs which opens into an enchanting bedroom.
Its Airman’s Bar is named after the British and American servicemen who used the pub as their local when stationed at nearby RAF Lavenham.
The intimate boozer is stuffed full of military memorabilia but most haunting is a wall covered in the signatures of over 1,000 servicemen.
And make sure to dine at the Gallery restaurant, with its soaring beamed ceilings and minstrel’s gallery, serving up sophisticated British bites.
Rooms start from £170 a night including dinner and full Suffolk breakfast.
Head of Travel, Lisa Minot
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The Retreat, Berkshire
My only regret when I visited The Retreat at Elcot Park in Berkshire earlier this year was not arriving at the crack of dawn to take advantage of the beautiful patch of countryside that this hotel sits on – not to mention the excellent facilities.
The whole place has a chic Cotswolds members club vibe, with cosy rooms occupying the upper levels of a characterful 18th century Manor House and coat-wearing pooches padding through the lobby where a large fireplace is roaring at all hours of the day.
A handful of the rooms are dog friendly (£30 per dog per night which includes a dog bed, two dog bowls, some doggie treats and a handy dog towel) and pooches are welcome in certain restaurants, including the Atlas Room and bright Orangery.
Doggie people will know that Muck Boot wellies trump all other brands for a proper country walkies – and guests can borrow a pair for free from the hotel’s “welly wall”.
Don’t forget your swimmers either! There’s a lush spa on site as well as an outdoor pool overlooking a well manicured lawn and parkland.
Rooms start from £120 a night.
Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski
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Artists Resident, London
London is hardly short of amazing hotels – home to the both the most expensive and biggest in the UK.
But my favourite is one that makes you feel like you are staying at your cool mates pad, with a few extra treats which is where Artists Residence enters.
Having opened their first one in 2008 in Brighton, it has now spawned another four across the UK in Cornwall, Bristol, Brighton and London.
Their London branch is one of my favourites, found in Pimlico.
There are just 10 rooms, but each is designed by owners Justin and Charlotte, full of retro art prints, thrifted furniture and exposed brick walls.
And I’m still dreaming of the food, gorging on rich gnocci, fresh foccaci and some of the best seafood I’ve had in a while.
Rooms start from £158 a night.
Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey
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Warwick Castle Hotel, Warwick
Hotel stays can often be very bland with big-chain brands having the same personality-deprived features like a lonely wardrobe, a stale desk and a rock-hard bed.
Luckily, the newly-opened Warwick Castle Hotel didn’t get the memo, much to my relief.
From the lobby and the rooms to the huge banquet hall, the Warwick Castle Hotel is a place where history, literature, myths and legends all seamlessly collide to create a fun-filled family-friendly overnight stay.
One of my favourite features has to be the huge animatronic knight on horseback that sits in the lobby, but I was equally impressed by other medieval motifs like a coat of arms and tapestry-inspired artwork that decorates the walls.
Rooms are equipped with comfy beds, a set to bunk beds and other practical features like a desk area, vanity mirror and USB and USB-C charging ports.
There are lots of adventures to be had outside the room too, including a host of activities for younger guests like a tiny training camp for would-be knights and an archery station.
When you’ve worked up an evening appetite, hotel guests can head to the Knight’s Village, a medieval banquet hall with a carvery buffet station – there’s also pots of pasta and hash brown bites, for pickier eaters.
It’s a total family-friendly delight.
Rooms start from £159 per night.
– Travel Reporter, Hope Brotherton
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