The very best of British
We exclusively reveal the hotels of the year
A200-year-old Irish harbourmaster’s house, a ferry inn on the shores of a Scottish loch, an old Welsh coaching inn and a derbyshire longhouse are among this year’s winners of the Good Hotel Guide’s Cesar awards. The 2020 oscars of the hotel industry are revealed exclusively here . . .
BARONIAL CHIC: COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL Old Downton Lodge, Ludlow, Shropshire
A STYLISH conversion of barns and farm buildings deep in the countryside is laid out around a beautiful formal garden. old stables make an inviting guest lounge.
The dining room, reminiscent of a medieval great hall, with dovecote windows, dates from the Norman conquest.
The owners, Willem and Pippa Vlok, are hands- on, while welltrained staff make for a relaxing stay — and the three-course tasting menu (£50) is memorable.
DON’T MISS: ludlow, just six miles away, described by John Betjeman as ‘the most perfect town in england’.
DETAILS: B&B £155-£245, (01568 771826, olddowntonlodge.com)
ALL LOVED UP: ROMANTIC HOTEL Southernhay House, Exeter, Devon
A GEORGIAN town house on a fine square just a short stroll from the cathedral. It combines heritage, urban cool, and charm. owned by deborah Clark and Tony orchard, who formerly ran Burgh Island Hotel, it hits all the right notes. Bedrooms range from intimate to superking size, while the menu includes heritage tomato salad, whipped feta and polenta croutons.
DON’T MISS: a free glass of champagne if you book directly.
DETAILS: B&B £110-£283 (01392 439 000, southernhayhouse.com)
YACHTIE HEAVEN: BEST NEWCOMER North House, Cowes, Isle of Wight
JUST minutes from the yachtfilled Solent lies this chic, immaculately run boutique hotel.
Its hands-on owners, luke Staples and lewis Green, preside genially over locally sourced food and charming staff. There is a pretty garden for outdoor dining and a swimming pool. a fine example of how a small hotel should be run.
DON’T MISS: Cowes harbour, with its 250 fully serviced berths. DETAILS: B&B £145-£245 (01983 209453, northhousecowes.co.uk)
VALLEY VIEWS : B&B WINNER Underleigh House, Hope, Derbyshire
A LONGHOUSE overlooking Hope Valley in the Peak district National Park, this delightful B& B is run with attention to detail and impeccable green credentials.
Three of the four well-equipped bedrooms are suites. There is a log burner in the lounge; breakfast is a social affair, served communally at a refectory table in a beamed former cattle shed, with a delicious array of fresh and local produce.
DON’T MISS: Chatsworth House, the grandest of 17th-century houses. DETAILS: B&B £80-£130 ( 01433 621 372, underleighhouse.co.uk)
FOODIE DELIGHT: INN OF THE YEAR The Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton, Yorkshire
JAMES and Kate mackenzie’s former coaching inn has held a
Michelin star for over ten years. Thehe light-filled restaurant has Barnsleyey chops, lamb-bellied boulangèrere and venison tartare (right) as specialities. But this gastropubub also wins plaudits for its five comfortable, mms well-equipped bedrooms with striking modern décor.
DON’T MISS: The fine garden whereere everything from parsley and sagege to roses and rosemary is used by James in his kitchen.
DETAILS: B&B £170-£260 (0143030 810246, pipeandglass.co.uk)
LOCHS AWAY: SCOTTISH LUXURY The Airds Hotel, Port Appin, Argyll and Bute
FROM a cream tea by the fire to drinks on the shores of Loch Linnhe, this former ferry inn, now a chic gourmet relais and Chateaux hotel, is a place of indulgence. Bedrooms have designer fabrics and Bulgari toiletries. The talented chef works wonders with West Coast produce. There are fine views of the Morvern mountains.
DON’T MISS: The Jacobite steam Train with breath-taking scenery from Fort William to Mallaig.
DETAILS: B&B £285-£550 (01631 730236, airds-hotel.com)
COASTAL CLASSIC: SEASIDE HOTEL The Old Coastguard, Mousehole, Penzance, Cornwall
RELAXED and classy, this Cornish fishing village inn buzzes with guests and locals. The friendly style of the inkin brothers, edmund and Charles, is the secret of its success. enjoy seaviews and locally landed fish on the terrace in the palm- filled garden. The inn is rebuilding after a devastating fire; it will reopen early in 2020.
DON’T MISS: The Barbara Hepworth museum, in st ives, which has the largest collection of her sculptures.
DETAILS: B&B £110-£250 (01736 731222, oldcoastguardhotel.co.uk)
LOCAL HERO: WELSH HOTEL The Angel, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
A MODEL of a town hotel, this family-owned former coaching inn has friendly staff, eclectic menus, modern artworks and a splendid
Two of the best: (clockwise from top) The Southernhay, Devon and The Old Coastguard, Cornwall
bar much patronised by locals. The comfortable bedrooms have top bathroom fittings (Villeroy & Boch), aromatherapy toiletries and extra fluffy towels. The hotel’s afternoon tea with cakes from the bakery is famous.
DON’T MISS: The 11th- century circular Abergavenny Castle, scene of many a bloody siege.
DETAILS: B&B £109-£259 ( 01873 857 121. angelabergavenny.com)
PROPER CHARMER: IRISH B&B The Quay House, Clifden, Co. Galway
GENEROSITY of spirit abounds at Julia and Paddy Foyle’s fun B& B, formerly the harbour master’s house built in 1820.
The bedrooms have great character filled with auction finds from a bust of napoleon to a Marie Antoinette clock. Most overlook the harbour with a terrace or balcony. Breakfast in the vine-hung conservatory has freshly-squeezed orange juice, home-baked bread, perfect poached eggs, breakfast cakes and irish cheeses.
DON’T MISS: A cruise around Killary Harbour, where, with luck, you will see dolphins.
DETAILS: B&B £100-£120 ( thequayhouse.com)
DINING TREAT: RESTAURANT WITH ROOMS Read’s, Faversham, Kent
THIS stylish restaurant-with-rooms in a Georgian manor house on the outskirts of a market town is the place for foodies. David Pitchford, its classically trained chef, uses produce from the walled kitchen garden alongside local game and meat. The fish arrives straight from Whitstable. The superb dishes include skate wing with capers and lime and thin slices of serrano ham and caramelised figs. Afterwards stagger up to a traditional-style bedroom furnished with antiques. At breakfast enjoy the home-made jams and lemon curd. DON’T MISS: Leeds Castle, a spectacular norman stronghold, the home of six medieval Queens. DETAILS: B&B £140-£210 (01795 535344, reads.com) The Good hotel Guide is for sale at £16 including p & p ,a discount of 20 pc off the normal shop price. com/buy-the-guide.