The best restaurants, spas and fun things to do at UK hotels before May 17
Hotels in England are not able to reopen until May 17 at the earliest, but all is not lost until then. With other parts of hospitality back in action from April 12, many are seizing the opportunity to offer ‘hotel-lite’ experiences in the intervening five weeks, from restaurants to self-catering pivots and even spas. Here are some of the best; enjoy!
Note that Wales and Scotland have their own timelines for reopening hospitality. See here for more information, and if hotels in these countries are able to reopen facilities in advance of full reopening, we will include them below.
The Pigs, England
Restaurants were able to open for outdoor dining from April 12, and this includes those at hotels. The Pig is offering a three-course set lunch menu on terraces and in tents at all its properties, most of which are set in vast grounds with gorgeous kitchen gardens. Called "The Big Outdoor Lunch", their pop-up restaurants will feature spring harvest produce from the kitchen garden, and meats from local farmers and fish from nearby ports – to the tune of £50 per head (thepighotel.com). Heaters, blankets and fire-pits will also be available. The new and popular Lobster Shed at The Pig at Harlyn will even have a retractable cover for rainy dates (but note they have their own menu, not the set one).
Read more: The Pig at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
University Arms, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
In Cambridge, Parker’s Tavern at the boutique University Arms has reopened Parker’s on the Piece, an al fresco restaurant set on one of the city’s most famous greens (where the rules of football were invented). A new menu features seafood platters from nearby Norfolk, plus sourdough pizzas with spring toppings, while old favourites such as the Wiltshire truffle and cream cheese and the lobster and garlic butter pizzas have returned to the menu (universityarms.com).
Read the full hotel review: University Arms, Cambridge
Homewood, Bath, Somerset
Self-catering properties could reopen to guests from April 12, and happily this includes those in the grounds of hotels. In Bath, Homewood has opened two self-catering lodges, Waterlily and Manuka, sleeping two to four, in their own private gardens with hot tubs (from £350 per night; homewoodbath.co.uk). Breakfast hampers are available, plus al fresco dinner Sunday-Thursday. Though saunas and steam rooms will remain closed in hotels until May, on-site spas could reopen from April 12 – so pools, hot tubs, gyms, and hair, beauty and holistic therapies are back. Guests staying in Homewood’s self-catering lodges may avail of its spa facilities.
Read the full hotel review: Homewood, Bath
Rooms from
£ 200
Rates provided by Booking.com
The Newt, Castle Carey, Somerset
If you're near The Newt in Castle Cary, be sure to pop by for a picnic. The Gelataria has been serving seasonally changing buffalo milk gelato and sorbet from March 8, along with takeaway coffees and food available to pre-order from the Cyder Bar, daily. Homemade cakes from the Tea & Treats Van can be picked up, and there are plans to launch a weekend series of barbecues with flame-grilled meats and fish, and produce from the kitchen garden. From April 12, the Garden Café terrace reopened for tables up to six people, every day of the week. High Tea will also be served on the hotel terrace, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (thenewtinsomerset.com).
Read the full hotel review: The Newt, Somerset
Heckfield Place, Hook, Hampshire
Hampshire hotspot Heckfield Place opened an outdoor restaurant, Marle on the Italian Terrace, from Wednesday, April 14, until May 9. Diners can enjoy lunch and afternoon tea Wednesday to Sunday, with a five-course dinner available on Friday and Saturday evenings. The terrace has views over the grounds, woodlands and upper lake and will be suitable for all weathers with a canopy, blankets, fire pits and sheepskins available (heckfieldplace.com).
Read the full hotel review: Heckfield Place, Hampshire
The Marylebone, Marylebone, London
The capital is getting in on the act too; 108 Brasserie at The Marylebone has reopened its heated outdoor terrace for brunch, lunch and dinner. Think chicken Milanese with rocket, caper, lemon and shaved parmesan, and classic vanilla creme brûlée with sun-blushed apricots, amaretto and pistachios (doylecollection.com).
Read the full hotel review: The Marylebone, London
11 Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea, London
At 11 Cadogan Gardens, city sister hotel of Cliveden, the terrace of Hans’ Bar & Grill stretches along Pavilion Road, near Sloane Square, while six new self-catering apartments are now open. The one, two or three-bedroom apartment suites – the first by Iconic Luxury Hotels – feature high ceilings, modern décor and views over the gardens (which guest can access). Guests are able to enjoy full hotel services including housekeeping, room service, the gym, lounges, and concierge, or opt for complete privacy (11cadogangardens.com).
Read the full hotel review: 11 Cadogan Gardens, London
Rooms from
£ 264
Rates provided by Booking.com
Chewton Glen, New Forest, Hampshire
For the first time ever, Chewton Glen has opened up its 14 treehouse suites as self-catering escapes. The suites are suspended on stilts 35 feet above ground, meaning views of the canopy from floor-to-ceiling windows are fantastic. Each has a private deck, wood-burning stove and access to a kitchen, should they tire of food deliveries, picnic hampers or pizzas from the Walled Garden. What's more, The Kitchen restaurant, led by celebrity chef James Martin,j has opened its outside dining space, serving the likes of tapas-style grazing dishes, wood-fired pizzas, gourmet burgers and superfood salads. Treehouses from £1,350 per night (chewtonglen.com).
Read the full hotel review: Chewton Glen, Hampshire
Rooms from
£ 365
Rates provided by Booking.com
The Hari, Belgravia, London
Dreaming of the gentle clink of ice in Aperol as you laze in dappled Mediterranean sunshine? No dice, unfortunately (well, not until mid-May at least) – but with a raft of London’s best hotel bars poised to launch destination-themed terraces, you can at least fool your senses into thinking you’ve hopped a plane to sunnier climes. If it’s la dolce vita your heart desires, head for Belgravia’s the Hari, where Sorrento lemon martinis and panuozzi with Neapolitan sausage, wild turnip tops and smoked provolone conjure the pastel-hued fishing villages and sweeping bougainvillea of the Amalfi Coast (thehari.com).
The Hoxton, Southwark, London
Perhaps you’re pining for the fiery Iberian Peninsula? A leisurely afternoon on the 14th floor of the Hoxton Southwark should set you right, thanks to the Seabird terrace’s whitewashed floors and scalloped Mediterranean tiles, generous servings of Spanish and Portuguese fare (think octopus roll with padron pepper and smoked aioli) and exotic cocktails crafted by William Elliott, bar director of Brooklyn’s much-lauded Maison Premiere (thehoxton.com).
Read the full review: The Hoxton, London
Sunborn London, Canary Wharf
French Riviera more your style? Your (almost) very own superyacht beckons, as the Royal Victoria Dock’s Sunborn Yacht Hotel reopens its three magnificent sundecks, complete with peaches-and-cream deckchairs and plenty of Laurent-Perrier, as well as heaters and awnings to see off any evening breezes. Well, even St Tropez gets chilly after sunset (sunbornhotels.com).
Read the full review: Sunborn London
Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire
This National Trust property has reopened its aptly name Spring Cottage. Seclusion is the name of the game. Not only is the three-bedroom hideaway on the banks of the Thames, but it’s surrounded by wildflowers and tangled greenery. Kenneth Grahame wrote The Wind in the Willows in 1908 in the grounds beside it, and Queen Victoria would alight here from her boat when taking tea at Cliveden. Open fireplaces, a countrified kitchen and soft furnishings add style and comfort (from £2,250 per night; clivedenhouse.co.uk). In other news, The Astor Grill, in the former stables where Lord Astor once kept his horses, has opened for 30-60 covers a day (outside).
Read the full hotel review: Cliveden House, Berkshire
Rooms from
£ 500
Rates provided by Booking.com
Hotel Café Royal, London
This grand address right on Regent St has opened two terraces for the 2021 al fresco season. Cakes & Bubbles has teamed up with Veuve Cliquot as an accompaniment to 'World's Best Pastry Chef' Albert Adrià’s signature desserts (including the must-try 'cheesecake', made of Baron Bigod cheese), on Regent St itself. Meanwhile on neighbouring Glasshouse St, the hotel's Green Bar has joined forces with New Zealand winemaker Cloudy Bar to offer sauvignon blanc and seafood (try the lobster croissant with shavings of creamy fennel) plus cocktails and other light bites. All of which is best enjoyed while soaking up rays, of course – but covers are in place in case of any adverse weather (no heaters though, so wrap up warm).
Read the full review: Hotel Café Royal
From
£ 376
per night
Rates provided by Booking.com
Lympstone Manor, Exmouth, Devon
Down in Devon, Lympstone’s Manor’s stylish new Shepherd’s Huts, which sleep between two and five people, offer outdoor decks, hot tubs, outdoor and indoor showers, wood-burning stoves, kitchenettes and free-standing bath tubs (from £409 per night; lympstonemanor.co.uk). Food – including breakfast hampers in the mornings, picnics for lunch, and "takeaway" dinners – is delivered from the main house.
Read the full hotel review: Lympstone Manor, Devon
Rooms from
£ 360
Rates provided by Booking.com
South Lodge Hotel, Horsham, West Sussex
This 19th-century neo-Jacobean beauty in West Sussex opened The Bothy Cottage in April. Not only does it feature four en-suite bedrooms, a full kitchen, sitting room with wood burning stove, dining room, private parking and secluded garden with sun loungers and seating area, but for £4,550 the price includes access to the spa. Those who are not staying over, but fancy a lockdown-busting pamper can also book the spa. Between April 12 and May 16, it will be offering “mini spa days unlocked”. This includes five hours’ access to the gym and indoor, wild and vitality pools, plus a 60-minute treatment – perhaps a bamboo massage, or a bespoke facial incorporating a scalp, hand and foot rub (from £130 per person; exclusive.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: South Lodge Hotel, West Sussex
Rooms from
£ 420
Rates provided by Booking.com
Lygon Arms, Broadway, Worcestershire
Over in the Cotswolds, the historic Lygon Arms is focusing on the local and seasonal in its courtyard. The Lygon Bar & Grill will reopen on a first-come-first-serve basis, and offer the likes of fully plant-based beet burgers and bubble and squeak to twice-baked Emmental cheese souffle and beef Wellington for two (lygonarmshotel.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Lygon Arms, Cotswolds
Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth-on-Tees, County Durham
In Durham, visitors can enjoy Rockliffe Hall's spa, which is just a short walk for those staying at the hotel's Armstrong House Apartment Suites and included in price (from £310 per night; rockliffehall.com). Breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea hampers can be delivered to guests if required. Rockliffe Hall’s spa experience begins at hand sanitisation, when a therapist will guide spa-goers through some light pressure-point therapy and breathwork before their treatment. Manicures, massages, body scrubs and wraps are available to book, and the outdoor spa garden with its dreamy infinity-edge pool are open.
Read the full hotel review: Rockliffe Hall, County Durham
The Manor House, Castle Combe, Wiltshire
From £2,450 for seven nights, people looking for a Cotswold village escape in Castle Combe can book The Manor House's Ludlow Cottage (exclusive.co.uk). Expect high-beamed bedrooms with super king-sized beds, a large lounge with oak panelling, an open fire place and stained glass windows, and a bathroom with whirlpool bath and walk-in shower. There is also access to a small garden at the rear of the cottage.
Read the full hotel review: The Manor House, Wiltshire
Rooms from
£ 290
Rates provided by Booking.com
Lucknam Park, nr Colerne, Wiltshire
This family favourite is welcoming guests for 'days out' (£170 pp). These packages include an al fresco lunch and come in spa and equine forms, as well as offering a range of outdoor activities that children will love such as archery. In addition, the hotel's three luxury cottages are open for self-catering stays (from £1,300).
Read the full hotel review: Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Rooms from
£ 395
per night
Rates provided by Booking.com
The Coniston Hotel Country Estate & Spa, nr Skipton, Yorkshire
Up in Yorkshire, The Coniston’s two private cottages – The Fogga and Thack – are both available to book. The Fogga sleeps 12 in six bedrooms, and has a wood-burning stove in the living room plus an outdoor hot tub boasting views across the Dales (from £1,650 per week; theconistonhotel.com). The Thack sleeps 10 and resembles a country farmhouse (from £1,665 per week). It also has a large hot tub.
Rooms from
£ 149
per night
Rates provided by Booking.com
Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon
The Pavilion at Gidleigh Park is a thatched cottage that sits within woodland in the hotel’s 107-acre estate, and offers guests exclusive access to Gidleigh Park. The cottage sleeps up to four, with two bedrooms and bathrooms, an open-plan panelled sitting room with kitchen diner and a private veranda overlooking the croquet lawns. A breakfast hamper can be delivered, and guests can use the grounds and tennis courts. From £846 pn with a two-night minimum stay (gidleigh.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Gidleigh Park, Devon
Rooms from
£ 257
per night
Rates provided by Booking.com
The Slaughters Country Inn, Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire
The six cottages at The Slaughters Country Inn are open, sleeping up to four, along with six self-contained garden suites sleeping two. Guests have access to the inn’s pretty riverside gardens, and there's plenty to explore in the picturesque Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter. From £202 pn with a two-night minimum stay (theslaughtersinn.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: The Slaughters Country Inn, Cotswolds
Rooms from
£ 97
per night
Rates provided by Booking.com
Claridge's, The Connaught and the Berkeley, London
The Claridge's bar as well as its Davies and Brook restaurant has opened its terraces (expect classic Flapper cocktails and seafood platters). At The Connaught, The Terrace at Jean-Gorges is serving up the likes of black truffle and fontina pizza and crispy salmon sushi. Meanwhile The Berkeley is opening its rainbow coloured Berkeley Beach Huts, inspired by the seafront staples of Whitstable and Southwold. The beach hut menu offers whole grilled lobster and chips, freshly shucked oysters, five-star scampi, and octopus, as well as gourmet 99s and ice cream sandwiches.
Sidmouth Harbour Hotel, Sidmouth, Devon
Yearning for a jaunt to the Jurassic Coast? Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa has opened its 20 Courtyard rooms (from £141 per night including breakfast). The rooms offer the perks of a hotel – think Nespresso machines, 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, complimentary gin and sherry and toiletries by The White Company – but occupy a separate building with a private entrance. Those on the top floor benefit from large balconies, while those without can make the most of the coastal views from the Upper Deck terrace restaurant, open 12pm-9pm, as they tuck into freshly caught crab, moules mariniere or bouillabaisse fish soup in an al fresco setting. Breakfast can be delivered to doors and room service is available. Guests can use the two pools (one inside, one outside) or scramble to the shore with crabbing lines, nets, buckets and picnic hampers provided by the hotel (harbourhotels.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa, Devon
Rooms from
£ 129
per night
Rates provided by Booking.com
At the Chapel, Bruton, Somerset
This west country restaurant with rooms has opened the terrace for outdoor dining, complete with covers, heaters and blankets. Open from 8am, booked-in diners can order breakfast, lunch and dinner from a spring menu offering dishes from the grill, pizzas from a wood-fired oven, and salads and puddings. The hotel is situated on the high street of arty Bruton, where design and antique shops mingle with stone houses traditional to the area (atthechapel.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: At the Chapel
Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, Winchfield
The Hampshire outpost of the Four Seasons group has created three "daycation" packages for those seeking a spot of spa therapy. A "Day Pass", from £55 per adult and £35 per child, allows guests to enjoy the leisure facilities such as the gym, vitality pool, Sharkie's Reef and fitness classes. A "Lite Spa Day", from £130 per adult, adds 60 minutes of treatments. And on top of this, book "Serenity Spa Day", from £155 per adult, and you'll get a two-course light lunch at the Café Santé outdoor terrace (if the weather allows) or a takeaway lunch box (fourseasons.com).
Read the full hotel review: Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, Marylebone, London
After the success of its temporary pop-ups on the terrace, this Churchill-inspired five-star has decided to make it permanent. The popular al fresco spot has launched as The Montagu Kitchen Summer Terrace – and will evolve with the seasons. Guests can look forward to fresh seafood and chilled wines in a setting that aims to resemble a tranquil British marina.
Read the full hotel review: Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, London
Sofitel London St James, Piccadilly, London
Guests seeking a pamper and picnic can book this Piccadilly palace’s new “Health in the City” package (running until August 31). The experience starts with either a 60-minute coaching session with Huguette Lelong, the hotel’s nutritionist, or a 60-minute personal training session with COACH, a health, wellness and performance club in St James. Following one of these sessions is an hour’s massage or facial and a picnic in the park. While you explore Hyde Park on bikes borrowed from the hotel (optional), your private butler will pick a spot in St James Park and set the spread – which includes a selection of sandwiches, salami, cheese, scones and pastries. The experience costs from £269 per person (minimum two people), or for the picnic it’s just £119 for two, bookable from April 12 (sofitelstjames.com).
Read the full hotel review: Sofitel London St James, London
St James Court, a Taj Hotel, Victoria, London
The Taj in London's Victoria has reopened its Jiva Spa. Visitors can choose from four signature Jiva experiences (£180) including “Vishuddi”, which involves exfoliation using silk gloves followed by a traditional Indian herb wrap; and “Sushupti” which combines an aromatic foot bath, scalp massage and warm raw-milk bath with rose essence and petals, plus a face massage. For fans of Temple Spa, six facials (from £145) and a selection of body treatments are also available (stjamescourthotel.co.uk).
Read the full review: St James Court, a Taj Hotel, London
Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Though the main hotel will remain closed until May, a selection of rooms with separate entrances, plus outdoor dining and some facilities including the heated outdoor pool and some spa treatments are available. So guests can expect an almost full experience. The self-contained Mews Rooms all come with four-poster beds while some offer private gardens or a patio, and are dog-friendly, so Fido can come too. Pooches even get their own welcome wagons with a muffin, dog toy, bone, bed, blanket, bowls, torch and dog towels. Outdoor dining now takes place on the Terrace and, from April 23, in five new heated and covered Carriages, which seat between four and six people for lunch, afternoon tea or dinner (ellenboroughpark.com).
Read the full hotel review: Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham
Rooms from
£ 215
Rates provided by Booking.com
Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex
Surrounded by 1,000 acres of grounds created by revered gardener William Robinson in 1885, people looking for an al fresco afternoon tea experience won't be disappointed by Gravetye Manor in East Grinstead. Think: saffron egg mayonnaise sandwiches and pistachio and rhubarb Battenburg with Sussex sparkling wine and the usual jam and scone staples, from £50 per person (gravetyemanor.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Gravetye Manor, Sussex
Bulgari Hotel London, Knightsbridge
This sleek Knightsbridge landmark hotel has reopened its spa with a rejuvenating full makeover package. The “B.Beautiful Daycation” includes access to the spa’s facilities and gym, a facial, a full body Smooth and Glow treatment, a manicure and pedicure and cut and blow dry. Guests will also take home a gift by skincare brand 111SKIN. The experience, which costs £680 per person, is available until the end of the year and once the hotel is open in May, will be offered as part of a staycation deal. What’s more, 10 per cent of the proceeds will go to the Virus Free Fund (bulgarihotels.com).
Read the full hotel review: Bulgari Hotel London, Knightsbridge
Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, Marylebone
Nobu's brand-new-for-2021 London hotel, which occupies the site of the former Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, has reopened its outdoor terrace. Expect cocktails with a local twist and a menu with Nobu classics including seafood ceviche, yellowtail jalapeño, and black cod miso. The hotel itself will be welcoming guests to stay in its 249 rooms and suites from May 17 (nobuhotels.com).
Rooms from
£ 379
Rates provided by Booking.com
Sea Containers London, South Bank
The restaurant at South Bank’s iconic design hotel, Sea Containers London, has reopened its outside terrace. Aside from river views and pretty city surrounds, guests can expect seasonal menus and as many Bloody Marys, glasses of prosecco or Champagne as they want if booking the bottomless brunch. The terrace will be open at select times from Friday to Sunday, but if you can’t wait until the weekend for a dose of hotel-lite life, the agua spa has also reopened (seacontainerslondon.com).
Read the full hotel review: Sea Containers London
Calcot & Spa, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
This classic Cotswolds country house hotel has opened its "Farmhouse Boltholes". Guests can expect self-contained lodgings with their own entrances, fully stocked pantries, and dining areas/lounges (in some) – as well as use of the indoor and outdoor gym, indoor pool, treatment rooms and spa courtyard. Between 12-2pm and 6-8pm, the hotel's al fresco offering, "Surf & Turf at The Barn", serves the likes of British seafood, woodfired pizzas, lobster thermidor and roast chicken under the covered terrace and courtyard (with blankets and heaters). Afternoon tea is also on the menu from 3-5pm.
Read the full hotel review: Calcot & Spa, Cotswolds
Rooms from
£ 239
Rates provided by Booking.com
Sopwell House, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Members and day guests will be pleased to know that Sopwell House's spa (and the club) reopened in April with new half/full-day packages and outdoor dining area. For instance, “The Refresh” experience allows use of The Club at Cottonmill’s spa facilities, a 60-minute treatment, and afternoon tea in the Spa Garden (from £180 per person). From April 26, the new “Secluded Getaway” experience (from £249 per person per night), offers guests the opportunity to stay in one of the 16 Mews Suites – think feature fireplaces, four-poster beds, roll-top baths, kitchenettes and private hot tubs. Access to the spa is included in the stay and guests can order food to be delivered to suites. Or arrange to have a barbecue on the private terrace.
Read the full hotel review: Sopwell House, Hertfordshire
Rooms from
£ 209
Rates provided by Booking.com
Barnsley House, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Barnsley House’s 12 self-contained Hideaway suites are set around the garden and stable yard area (from £778 per night based on two sharing; barnsleyhouse.com). Aside from a well-stocked pantry, breakfast hampers can be delivered to the door every day and guests will be able to book afternoon tea on The Potager terrace from 12-6pm, Friday to Sunday. If pork and fennel sausage rolls, pate en croute with red wine jelly, quail scotch egg and garden pickles don’t make your mouth water, head across the road to The Village Pub where an "al fresco" menu is served on the terrace. Think: twice-baked Gloucester cheese souffle, IPA battered fish and chunky chips and burgers. Spa access is also included with overnight stays.
Read the full hotel review: Barnsley House, Cotswolds
Rooms from
£ 369
Rates provided by Booking.com
Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland, County Durham
On the Northumberland-County Durham border, in the tiny hamlet of Blanchland which is surrounded by moors, rivers and woodland, is pub-with-rooms Lord Crewe Arms. The property has opened a garden terrace serving the likes of pies, fresh scones, cakes and sandwiches from the Bar Bait menu, with blankets, heaters and covers in case of inclement spring weather (lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Lord Crewe Arms, Durham
The Savoy, Covent Garden, London
For the first time ever, Savoy Court has turned into a pop-up. Solas, Gaelic for "light, joy and comfort" is an Art Deco picture of shimmering chandeliers (inspired by The Savoy's 62 grand chandeliers), black rocks from the Scottish coastline, natural slate and granite, gleaming brass, and extravagant artwork that sends rays of light from suspended shards of crystal, decanters and stoppers. It's all designed to reference a new collaboration between the hotel and Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, which will be served up in cocktails and short drinks. Dining is centred around a raw seafood bar. Solas is open 4pm-10pm, Monday-Thursday; and 12pm-10pm, Friday-Sunday, until June 21, 2021 (thesavoylondon.com).
Read the full hotel review: The Savoy, London
Read more: The best hotels in England
