Introducing the world’s hottest hotels for 2019
FINGAL, LEITH
Joining the Royal Yacht Britannia family in Edinburgh is this former lighthouse support ship, now improbably a luxurious hotel. It boasts a maritime theme and 23 opulent cabins, including a terraced penthouse suite. Where: Close to Britannia on Alexandra Dock in the hip portside district of Leith. Check in: January. USP: An outdoor cocktail deck and a romantic restaurant featuring floor-to-ceiling windows facing out to sea. Best for: Sybarites and seadogs. Price: From £300 per room, per night, including breakfast. fingal.co.uk
MONKEY ISLAND, BERKSHIRE
Monkey Island’s conversion to a luxury hotel is the latest chapter in its exotic history. Manicured gardens now flank 27 rooms across two grand, Palladianstyle buildings containing Wedgwood plasterwork. Where: On the Thames near Bray, where a trio of Michelinstarred restaurants include Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck. Check in: February. USP: Though the name probably derives from a nearby monastery, there are monkeys here – or at least wacky paintings of them. Best for: Epicures. Price: From £225 per room, per night. monkeyislandestate.co.uk
THE LANGLEY, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
The Langley occupies two listed buildings – a Royal hunting lodge and an ex-brewhouse – and has retained grand staircases and baroque fireplaces during a five-year revamp. A formal restaurant and cognac-andcigar bar are both new. Where: Iver, west of London, and within a 500-acre estate landscaped by Capability Brown. Check in: February. USP: The Langley is less a hotel with a spa than a spa with a hotel. Partnered with Sisley, its subterranean wellness world includes an infinity pool and women-only thermal area. Celebrity trainer and Mail on Sunday columnist Matt Roberts has overseen the fitness offerings. Best for: Health fans. Price: To be confirmed. thelangley.com
CAER RHUN HALL, NORTH WALES
Caer Rhun opened in August but this late-Victorian manse isn’t fully operational yet – 44 rooms are coming in 2019. Where: Deep in Conwy Valley by Snowdonia National Park. There are direct weekday trains from nearby Llandudno Junction to Euston Station in London. Check in: Now. USP: The 32 bedrooms – some of them with copper bathtubs in bay windows – and woodpanelled drawing rooms conjure up a romantic, private-house atmosphere. Best for: Couples. Price: From £76 per room per night, including breakfast. whisperhotelscollection.com
THE FIFE ARMS, BRAEMAR
After being revamped by its new art-world owners, dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth from the Hauser & Wirth galleries, the Fife Arms has gone glamorous. The inn now cosily mixes Victoriana with a refined, weathered-wood style. The restaurant serves Scottish produce and the portrait-lined public bar majors in whisky. Where: Braemar, Aberdeenshire, at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Check in: Now. USP: Art is a predictable focus: commissioned works include bold, colourful ceiling paintings by contemporary artists Zhang Enli and Guillermo Kuitca. House tartans and tweeds honour the local area. Best for: Hill walkers and romantics. Price: Rooms from £130 a night, including breakfast. thefifearms.com