The best budget hotels for UK city breaks
An expert guide to the best cheap hotels for UK city breaks, including the top places to stay for city-centre boltholes, al fresco bars, rooftop swimming pools and impressive spas, in Bath, London, York, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Bath
With sweeping, honey-stone Georgian crescents and terraces spread over a green and hilly bowl, Bath is a strong contender for England’s most beautiful small city. It has a fascinating and easily accessible history, from the Roman Baths to the life and times of former resident Jane Austen. Interesting, digestible galleries and museums – including the revamped Holburne and One Royal Crescent – are many and varied, while shopping is also a major draw. Bath’s Achilles heel used to be used to be a surprising dearth of good, affordable places to eat, but that is no longer the case. The foodie transformation of a number of the city’s pubs has been the most significant improvement in years.
Where to stay
The Kennard
Bath, Somerset, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Built in 1794, The Kennard is a fine example of a tall Georgian townhouse. It's spread over five storeys, with chandeliers and period-style prints and paintings over the eight flights of stairs (note that there is no lift). There's a quaint little sitting area on a half-landing with chaises longues and baskets of books, a pretty recreation of a Georgian garden. Read expert review From £82per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
York
Few cities in the world can rival York for history and character. This picturesque riverside city is encircled by a ribbon of ancient walls, and has a fascinating provenance that stretches back 2,000 years. Roman emperors were crowned here, William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace’s head decorated the battlements and cannonball scars from the English Civil War pockmark the stonework. Nonetheless, the city has aged well; from the medieval stained glass of its great Gothic cathedral to the Roman roads beneath your feet, the past is delightfully inescapable.
Where to stay
Hotel Indigo York
York, Yorkshire, England
8Telegraph expert rating
This is a lovely, solid, button-smart and surprisingly well-designed boutique hotel in Walmgate, York’s most up-and-coming area. The furnishings and decorative touches reflect elements from the history of the building (a brewery) and the neighbourhood, providing an engaging twist. Read expert review From £78per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
London
There can be few more cosmopolitan cities on earth in the early 21st century and people pour in from across the world to visit, work or live. The range of restaurants, bars, theatres, sports, pop-ups, performance art and large-scale events is astounding. The City of London is where it all started: the Romans set up shop here 2,000 years ago, attracted by easy moorings and fresh water. Right here, right now, London is somewhere you have to be.
Where to stay
Myhotel Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury, London, England
8Telegraph expert rating
A well-priced urban conversion on the corner of a fine Bloomsbury terrace, ideally placed for brainy London and fashionable Fitzrovia. The well equipped rooms are enlivened with dark Asian woods and splashes of colour from throws, silk cushions and leather bedheads. Compact bathrooms feature subway tiles, mosaics and Anyah amenities. Read expert review From £134per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• The best hotels in central London
Edinburgh
It is not difficult to understand how local boy Robert Louis Stevenson came to write Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, growing up as he did in a city of such extraordinary variety. From the history-soaked medieval tenements, vennels and wynds of the Old Town to the sweeping elegance of the Georgian New Town, Edinburgh deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful and compelling cities in the world.
Where to stay
24 Royal Terrace
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
When Alan Campbell’s remarkable collection of contemporary art outgrew his house, he didn’t buy a gallery; he bought a small hotel and filled the walls with pictures worth half a million pounds. A black and white chessboard floor leads to a river of red carpet sweeping up a graceful staircase, the soaring walls a compelling, colourful gallery of paintings stretching to a glass cupola high above. Read expert review From £50per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• The best hotels in Edinburgh
Manchester
There’s always something going on in Manchester, whether an international festival, a Premiership football match or a high-profile musician performing in one of the city’s many venues. The buzz of the place is contagious, and new bars and restaurants are opening every week, serving everything from cicchetti to sushi. Even if you have visited Manchester several times or lived in the city for years, there is always something new to discover – from peaceful green spaces in the suburbs to a new music venue in the city centre.
Where to stay
Motel One Manchester-Piccadilly
Manchester, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Motel One,around the corner from Piccadilly train station, is a great option for travellers on a budget who don’t want to compromise on style. The ‘Madchester’/Britpop-themed bar has disco balls and Manc-Hattan cocktails, and staff are chatty and enthusiastic. Rooms are simple and have everything you need. Read expert review From £69per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
