It’s always a wonderful thing to discover a wonderful new hotel, and this year our editors have been hard at work, scouring the country for hidden jewels. From country inns to Georgian manors, each of these hotels has something unique to offer, be it all fresh local ingredients in the restaurant, a warm friendly environment, or spectacular design and attention to detail. These are the Good Hotel Guide’s top 10 hotel discoveries this year.
2020 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
The Devonshire Arms - 'Three Night Summer Slowdown' Special Offer
Skipton
Works of art from the collection at Chatsworth hang on the walls of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s Dales country house hotel, which joins sister property The Cavendish in the Guide, with special praise from our inspector for the chef and sommelier.
The Lord Poulett Arms
Hinton St George
West Country fixtures The Beckford Arms and The Talbot have a new sister here, a historic thatched village pub with stylish bedrooms, high-class cooking, lovely courtyard gardens, and – such novelty! – a Basque pelota wall and a pétanque piste.
From £65 per night
23 Mayfield
Edinburgh
A rave report from an inspector for Ross Burnie’s family-run B&B gains it full Guide status. From rosemary water and home-made fudge in the bedroom to a candlelit breakfast, everything at this Victorian merchant’s house is splendid.
The Coach House
Brecon
With Georgian elegance, modern comforts, plus pikelets and rarebits for breakfast, Kayt and Hugh
Cooper’s Georgian coach house turned contemporary town house B&B ticks all the boxes for trusted readers. A Brecon beacon of warm hospitality.
Cooper’s Georgian coach house turned contemporary town house B&B ticks all the boxes for trusted readers. A Brecon beacon of warm hospitality.
The Ship Inn
Elie
Rachel and Graham Bucknall continue to innovate at this seaside pub with its own beach cricket team, promoted to a full entry after our inspectors pronounced it a corker. A new sea-view private dining room doubles as a pavilion.
The Old Manor House
Shipston-on-Stour
Serendipity led trusted readers to Jane and William Pusey’s 16th-century manor house B&B. They found a winning combination of attention to detail, a perfect balance of historic character and modern convenience, and a friendly ambience.
The Duncombe Arms
Ashbourne
A heartening tale of a village inn saved from ruin by locals. . . Johnny and Laura Greenall have done a bang-up job, transforming a Victorian boozer into a stylish pub with annexe rooms and first- rate cooking, earning the nod from our inspectors.
The Pig at Bridge Place
Canterbury
A Jacobean manor house has become the latest in the Pig family. Every part of this Piggy was quite all right with our inspectors, from the shabby chic aesthetic to the kitchen-garden menus. We’re fans of the Pig brand. Honk if you support us.
2019 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
Blue Hayes
St Ives
Unabashedly luxurious, this 1920s retreat on the hill above Porthminster Beach impressed our inspector in every detail, from the hospitality tray’s fresh milk
and bone china teapot, to the chef’s way with local seafood, to breakfast’s devilled kidneys.
and bone china teapot, to the chef’s way with local seafood, to breakfast’s devilled kidneys.
The Punch Bowl Inn
Kendal
Rooms at this popular gastropub in a pretty Lakeland village are named after past vicars of the adjacent church. The young chef works with Cumbrian produce to create dishes that pack a punch. Comfy sofas, a log burner, beamed ceilings, bags of atmosphere.
Summer Lodge
Evershot
Thomas Hardy, with his architect’s hat on, had a hand in extending this former dower house, today an exceptionally well-run hotel. Rooms have such pleasing touches as fresh flowers, fruit and shortbread. There is high-quality cooking, too.
From £60 per night
The Gunton Arms
Thorpe Market
Damien Hirst in the ladies’ loo, David Bailey in the gents’, a deer park strewn with sculptures… This pub delights art-lovers and novelty-seekers. Under the dining room’s arched wooden ceiling, an open fire serves for grilling and smoking.
The Wellington Arms
Baughurst
A former hunting lodge today delights as a comfy country pub. Bedrooms have espresso machine and minibar. There are
honey bees, laying hens, home-grown and local produce – and Wellington teapots with a knitted cosy to buy as a souvenir.
honey bees, laying hens, home-grown and local produce – and Wellington teapots with a knitted cosy to buy as a souvenir.
Bayards Cove Inn
Dartmouth
There is a warm welcome at this former merchant’s house turned pub-with- rooms, behind a half-timbered facade, near the waterfront. Winding stairs lead to bedrooms with low, beamed ceilings. Inspectors enjoyed local crab in a lovely, pub atmosphere.
Twr y Felin Hotel
St Davids
A former temperance hotel built around a working windmill has been transformed, at vast expense, into ‘Wales’s first contemporary art hotel’. A showcase for local, seasonal Welsh produce and for over 100 pieces of specially commissioned art.
2018 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
Shieldaig Lodge - 'Food Lovers Package' Special Offer
Gairloch
Whale-watching, spectacular sunsets and starry, starry nights are among the wonders at this Victorian former hunting lodge on a wooded estate lapped by Loch Gairloch.
The Pig at Combe
Honiton
The Gloriana of Robin Hutson’s Pig hotel collection (see other entries), this Grade I-listed Elizabethan beauty stands in ‘wonderful grounds in a special location’ in the peaceful Otter valley.
Sign of the Angel
Lacock
In a National Trust village, this is the quintessential olde English inn, timber-framed, with jettied gables, a horse passage, a tiny bar, five rustic-chic bedrooms, sitting room, garden, gastropub menu.
The Crab & Lobster
Sidlesham
Overlooking the reed beds and salt marsh of Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve, this ‘lovely little pub’ is not a local boozer but a very good restaurant-with-rooms.
The Inn at Loch Tummel
Pitlochry
Spectacular views across Loch Tummel to the iconic peak of Schiehallion can be seen from this ‘characterful and quirky old coaching inn’ ten miles from Pitlochry in Perthshire’s big-tree country.
The Pipe and Glass Inn
South Dalton
In an enchanting village, this coaching inn impresses with its cosy beamed bar, indulgent bedrooms with private patio, and Michelin-starred chef James Mackenzie’s spin on classic British dishes in the restaurant.
Llanthony Priory Hotel
Abergavenny
It’s not big on modern luxury, but you can find absolute peace and natural beauty here in the prior’s quarters, beside the picturesque ruins of an Augustinian priory under the Black Mountains.
No.15 by GuestHouse
Bath
The three Guest brothers made their first bold foray into hospitality with this boutique hotel and spa occupying three Grade I listed town houses on a splendid Georgian terrace.
2017 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
The Gallivant
Camber
The name says it all: a place to skip along Camber Sands, enjoy backgammon in the bar, chill in the garden or relax with yoga – and with no children to disturb the peace.
Penally Abbey
Tenby
A foodie destination and family-run hotel, this enchanting Gothic house stands above gardens tumbling to the sea, with interiors created by the designer hostess, calming bedrooms, marble bathrooms, and lovely views.
Goldstone Hall
Market Drayton
‘In the middle of nowhere down narrow country lanes’, John and Sue Cushing’s Georgian manor house hotel sit among five-acres of brimming gardens, a prolific source of fruit and vegetables, cut flowers and perennial joy.
The Devonshire Arms
Langport
Behind a handsome 18th-century façade, this former village inn overlooking the green is a contemporary drop-in bar and restaurant with stylish rooms, offering a mix of pub classics and more imaginative dishes.
Chapel House
Penzance
Gorgeous interiors and a friendly, informal ambience are a winning combination at Susan Stuart’s beautiful B&B, where every bedroom has a sea view, and breakfast is quite special.
The Dial House
Norwich
Highly idiosyncratic and seriously fun, this hotel features bedrooms themed on the Georgian Grand Tour and Victorian global gallivanting.
Forest Side
Grasmere
Ten minutes from Wordsworth’s Grasmere, a Victorian mansion has been completely made over to create this super-luxury hotel with Michelin-starred dining and superb accommodation.
The Red Lion
Babcary
There’s a wealth of olde worlde character at this 17th-century village inn, with smart contemporary bedrooms in a purpose-built barn, exciting gastropub cooking and wood-fired pizzas in summer in the lovely garden.
2016 Discoveries
Editor’s Choice Hotel Discoveries
Knockendarroch Hotel - Book 2 nights and get a 3rd half price Special Offer
Pitlochry
On the leafy edge of Pitlochry, with views to the Perthshire hills, Struan and Louise Lothian’s hotel has the feel of a Victorian country house in town.
Newbegin House
Beverley
The 'ridiculously good value' offered at this B&B astounds readers, who love staying at Walter and Nuala Sweeney's Georgian town house, where personal photographs and heirlooms complement the handsome original features.
Old Downton Lodge
Ludlow
Amid rolling hills, where Shropshire nudges Herefordshire, Pippa and Willem Vlok’s restaurant-with-rooms comprises a picturesque set piece of medieval and Georgian farm buildings.
The Bridge Inn at Ratho
Ratho
Expect a cheerful welcome at this gastropub-with-rooms, which stands by a bridge over the Union Canal in a conservation village.
Eckington Manor
Eckington
Amid water-meadow pasture, this foodie restaurant with beautifully presented rooms and a cookery school are spread across an ancient, timber-frame farmhouse and converted outbuildings.
The Carpenters Arms
Thirsk
With far-reaching views over the Vale of York, this village inn blends olde-worlde beams, cottage-style bedrooms and luxury Scandi-style garden suites, while pub classics sit alongside creative modern dishes on eclectic menus.
The Seaside Boarding House
Burton Bradstock
A playful mix of Edward Hopper’s Cape Cod and Edwardian seaside hotel, this white-painted villa above Chesil Beach has an easy-going stylishness, conducive to fun.