Celebrate the festive season in style and let someone else do the cooking. Tuck into traditional fare, exchange gifts and enjoy the merriment with loved ones as the nation’s hotels and pubs-with-rooms welcome you to relax and unwind in convivial style.
Here, the experts at the Good Hotel Guide share 10 of the top UK hotels for Christmas 2022.
The Cottage in the Wood, Worcestershire
The Cottage in the Wood hits all the magical high notes with lip-smacking festive meals, indulgent afternoon teas, or a spectacular three-night stay including a five-course Christmas feast. Set high above Malvern with dramatic views, this enchanting hotel is a laid back and tranquil place to spend time, quite literally taking the holidays to new heights.
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Hartwell House, Aylesbury
Fancy being lord and lady of the manor this Christmas? The magnificent Hartwell House invites guests for a three-day house party in their stately home over the holidays, starting with a Champagne reception, including carols sung by the local choir prior to dinner.
The event includes midnight mass, mince pies, port, multiple magnificent meals, gathering for the King’s speech in the library with tea and Christmas cake on Christmas Day, and a black-tie dinner on Boxing Day as well. If you’re going to do something, do it properly – that seems to be the motto here!
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The Priory, Wareham
Christmas in wonderland. By the River Frome beside the Saxon priory church, The Priory at Wareham is a much-loved hotel surrounded by four acres of gardens. Historic on the outside and luxurious on the inside, the pretty retreat is the best of heritage style and modern hospitality.
Over the Christmas season, its festive menus are at the ready and available to book throughout December, including Christmas itself. There’s a house party vibe for the occasion, complete with traditional charm and old-fashioned courtesies. Enjoy traditional fare and an itinerary including afternoon tea, champagne, live piano music, an invitation to Midnight Communion at the Lady St Mary Church adjacent to the hotel and plenty of food and drink.
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The Pig in the Forest, Hampshire
This luxury foodie venue, that manages to combine muddy boots and chic country style, is the best home away from home that anyone could ask for over Christmas. The Pig in the Forest (the New Forest to be precise), invites you into the reinvented Georgian hunting lodge to enjoy luxury surroundings and superb celebrations. Over the holidays it’s all about festive feasting with roaring log fires, cosy corners and plenty of quaffing. Tuck into seasonal fare, plenty of fizz and bring those wellies for a walk to blow away the cobwebs in the afternoon.
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The Lygon Arms, Worcestershire
Cosy up by the fire at this picture-perfect Cotswold inn over Christmas. Few places could set the scene for a traditional Christmas quite like this honey-stone building with its grand rooms and historic features. Combined with luxury modern facilities, like their contemporary spa, it’s feel-good-factor in abundance.
At the Lygon Arms, the holidays see the place bedecked with glittering trees and nostalgic decorations. A fire glows in the hearth and the Christmas period itself is a celebration of fun, relaxation, sumptuous food, and fine wine. They are currently offering a three-night festive break from December 24, complete with multi-course meals, lots of champagne, and gifts in your room as well as for children and dogs and afternoon teas.
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Seaham Hall, Co. Durham
This elegant, luxury hotel with its state-of-the-art spa glitters all year round, but Christmas on the dramatic Co. Durham cliff tops is something else. Celebrate under gleaming chandeliers at this country house getaway on their three-night seasonal stay complete with a Champagne reception and a five-course dinner on Christmas Eve, a full breakfast, Christmas lunch, and a supper of cheese and charcuterie delivered to your suite on Christmas Day. There’s even a free spa treatment on Boxing Day to enjoy.
We highly recommend booking the split-level Ada Lovelace suite with two slipper baths overlooking gardens and grounds for an extra special stay.
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Bingham Riverhouse, Surrey
What could be more festive than a stroll to see the deer in Richmond Park before settling into a festive weekend of food and celebrations? Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond-upon-Thames is within easy reach of central London but feels a world away. By the water, it’s a smart, multifaceted hotel in a Georgian house.
For Christmas they are going all out, with a winter garden transformed with dining domes for up to 10 guests, and a fire pit for toasting marshmallows – although you can also dine more conventionally in Steven Edwards Restaurant. On Christmas Day there will be drinks by the fire in the drawing room and a tasting menu with optional wine pairings, while the Garden Rooms menu includes roast turkey (or veggie Wellington). In the run-up to the festivities, on selected dates, you can stay overnight on a Christmas at Kew package, including cocktails and breakfast.
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Augill Castle, Cumbria
A fairy-tale retreat if ever there was one, Augill Castle in Cumbria is a Victorian-folly castle complete with towers and battlements. Decorated in sumptuous style, it is also relaxing and welcoming, complete with a level of whimsy and warmth that makes it a favourite for families as well as couples.
For the five days from December 23, you can book for an extended, self-catering house party. Before that it will be Christmas as usual for overnight guests. From December 1 the interiors will be decorated, December 4 will be comedy night, and from December 7 the Christmas menus will be available, including a Christmas afternoon tea, which includes cranberry and brie panini, pigs in blankets, and a mini, iced Christmas pudding. It’s so tempting you could imagine Santa himself turning up.
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Chewton Glen, Hampshire
This quintessential English country house in Hampshire is the stuff that dreams are made of – both for adults and children, and never more so than at Christmas. From treehouses to a luxury spa, the five-star hotel has it all, along with enchanting gardens to explore as well.
Over Christmas the hotel turns into a twinkling wonderland, especially with their Christmas House Party. From December 24 to December 27, the three-day experience invites you to enjoy delicious dining, Laurent-Perrier Champagne, and a jam-packed range of things to enjoy as you choose. There are sumptuous meals, plenty of mulled wine and mince pies, presents from Father Christmas, a festive trail and outdoor activities, movies to watch, games and even a visit from Santa himself.
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Double Red Duke, Oxfordshire
The Double Red Duke is a new addition to the Good Hotel Guide this year, and what a delicious find it is. This Oxfordshire retreat owned by Georgie and Sam Pearman, is a 17th-century Cotswold stone inn, that’s received rave reviews. Stylish and welcoming, it’s got to be one of the most perfect spots for a traditional Christmas lunch.
This year, their Christmas menu starts with a glass of mulled wine, followed by a feast of delicious options ranging from lobster and crab salad to start, to traditional turkey or beef Wellington for main, and plenty of chocolate, Christmas pudding, port and cheese to cap things off.
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