The very best places to stay in
Small island, huge heart: there’s nowhere quite like England. It’s a patchwork of green and gold fields, rolling hills and rugged coastlines; of quaint market towns, sleepy villages and buzzy cities, all stitched together by hedgerows and history. A place where where mist hangs over wild moors in the morning and golden streetlamps beckon you home at dusk.
From the honeyed villages of the Cotswolds to the salt-crusted coves of Cornwall, England brims with contrasts. You can dip a toe in turquoise seas (yes, really!), hike through fern-filled forests, and feast on Michelin-worthy plates in converted barns. There’s a sense that you’re never far from something lovely and a little unexpected: a sculpture in a field, a café with velvet sofas and the best brownies in the world, a waterfall that only locals know about.
And then there’s the atmosphere — that subtle, unmistakable English magic. It’s in the blackbirds singing at dawn, soft drizzle that makes everything glisten, and the camaraderie of strangers chatting at a village fête. England isn’t about grandeur; it’s about gentle charms. Cups of tea, Sunday roasts, cricket matches, Victoria sponges and the scent of freshly mown grass. See our quintessentially English things to do, below.
Discover our design-led places to stay in England, from romantic cabins with a hot tub and dog-friendly cottages in the country to boutique barn conversions and coastal retreats. Whether it’s a group getaway, a family adventure or a solo retreat – you’ll find what you’re looking for here with endless inspiration for your next UK staycation.
Featured stays in
Curate your England stay
Taste under-the-radar wine.
Try the vineyards of East Sussex — Rathfinny or Tillingham — English fizz that rivals Champagne (and smugly local bragging rights).
Walk a coastal path.
Lace up your boots and follow one of England’s spectacular coastal paths. Our favourites? The South West Coast Path for dramatic cliffs and hidden coves, the Northumberland Coast Path for castles and seabirds and a sense of splendid isolation, the South Downs’ chalk cliffs or Yorkshire’s Cleveland Way, where moorland spills into sea in cinematic sweeps.
Visit beautiful Brizzle.
Our home town: come for Banksy’s first street art (his home town too), Gloucester Road (the UK’s longest street of independents), Brunel’s glorious Suspension Bridge and the annual balloon festival.
Find a Sunday sanctuary.
Find a village church at evensong. Even if you’re not religious, the stillness and choral echoes are pure balm for the soul.
Explore museums & markets.
Duck into the Tate on a rainy afternoon, then balance it with rummaging through a flea market in Lewes or a modern gallery in Frome or St Ives.
Go to a festival.
Forget Glastonbury (unless you know someone who knows someone). We prefer End of the Road, Beautiful Days, Green Man or a simple local cider fest — smaller, stranger, utterly joyful.
Roam ancient woodlands.
Sherwood, Epping, the New Forest — tangled, storybook places where deer move like ghosts and the air smells of rain and moss.
Dare wild swims.
Dip into rivers, tarns, and tidal pools — from the River Dart to the Lake District’s Buttermere. That first gasp of cold? It’s your spirit waking up.
Classic pub nights.
There’s no better way to meet England than over a pint. From the smugglers’ taverns of Devon to speakeasies in Bath, each has its own story (and eclectic locals propping up the bar).
Soak up Cotswolds' charm.
England as you dreamed it would be. Golden-stone cottages, crooked lanes, and the kind of stillness that makes you wonder if the clock stopped in 1820.
Why book a England holiday with
We endlessly research and curate the very best places to stay across the UK: all gorgeous and great value. Beautiful, unique style is a must for us but it’s the thoughtful detail and owners who really care that make our hideaways so special.
Our design-led hideaways include cabins with hot tubs, dog-friendly cottages, romantic treehouses and family-friendly houses.
Be the first to discover new hideaways, flash offers, and last-minute escapes you’ll want to drop everything for.