We love family holidays. There's nothing like enjoying quality time with the children, and seeing the looks on their little faces as they make new discoveries in exciting new places.
But not all the time.
With that in mind, and with Valentine’s Day imminent, we asked the Good Hotel Guide’s Bonnie Friend to put together a list of adult-only hotels for an escape without the kids.
The Scarlet, Mawgan Porth
This celebrated eco spa teetering atop a cliff in Cornwall is a combination of contemporary architecture, magnificent natural scenery and luxurious wellbeing. Spend time together luxuriating in the outdoor hot tub with a sea view and a glass of Champagne in hand.
Enjoy couple’s spa treatments, and dine on exquisite food – all the hallmarks of a beautiful spa hotel experience together.
www.scarlethotel.co.uk
Hazel Bank, Keswick
This multi award-winning retreat in the Borrowdale valley in the Lake District is a country house hotel with classic style and an illustrious history. The acclaimed writer Sir Hugh Walpole — a regular guest — made it the fictional home in his Rogue Herries series of novels. Surrounded by private woodland and beautiful scenery, the hotel is an enchanting retreat for couples, offering invigorating walks, luxurious food, sumptuous rooms and relaxing afternoon teas over which you can put the world to rights.
www.hazelbankhotel.co.uk
Tor Cottage, Chillaton
Escape from the world at this picture perfect retreat, complete with a warm atmosphere and its own private valley to roam in. Spend your time lounging in the heated outdoor swimming pool set beside a stream, as well as exploring coastlines, moorland and chocolate box villages. Then return to rooms bedecked in sumptuous fabrics and hospitality characterised by thoughtful touches such as a welcome trug of a sparkling treat, homemade organic Devon fudge, fresh fruit and flowers in your room.
www.torcottage.co.uk
Belle Tout Lighthouse, Eastbourne
This unique and unforgettable hotel at Beachy Head in East Sussex is a former lighthouse, built in 1832 and decommissioned in 1902. Having been part destroyed during the war and by coastal erosion, it has been lovingly restored and rebuilt to become today’s luxury hotel. Its 360 degree views of the English Channel are hypnotic, while each room is different, from The Captains Cabin to Old England and Keepers Loft. Clean and understated in style, it’s somewhere special to stay with someone special in your life — and the fact that their Instagram page is full of couples getting engaged says it all.
www.belletout.co.uk
Glazebrook House, Totnes
Fall down the rabbit hole and escape to another world at Glazebrook House in Devon. This decadent boutique hotel has Alice in Wonderland fun alongside stylish sophistication running through its veins. Carefully designed rooms are a lesson in maximalist style from hand crafted furniture to 3D effect marble tiles and objets d’art that get curiouser and curiouser. For truly special occasions tuck into six course dining and make sure you don’t leave without having an afternoon tea that even the Mad Hatter would be proud of.
www.glazebrookhouse.com
The Mash Inn, Radnage
This small but perfectly-formed restaurant with rooms is a foodie favourite. If ever you wanted to seduce someone, this culinary feast is the way to do it. Beautifully designed inside with sensitivity to the building’s 18th century roots, but every inch the modern traveller’s haven, it’s really all about spending time enjoying your meal together.
With a semi-open kitchen, there’s a sense of theatre to the experience as chef Jon Parry works with whatever he forages from the woods, selects fresh from the garden or draws from the family farm on the day. The menu changes daily, featuring fish delivered within 24 hours of landing to chilled wild garlic soup, while breakfast is all about home-baked croissants, granola and a delicious turmeric ginger beer tonic.
www.themashinn.com
Chatton Park House, Chatton
If you’re in the mood to impress, the grandeur of Chatton Park House, a five star B&B, is very much the way to go. Completely reworking the traditional concept of a bed and breakfast, this award-winning luxury Northumberland estate gives you the chance to stay in the elegant main house or a luxury cottage in the grounds for extra privacy. Tranquil and beautiful, this is very much a place to visit for uninterrupted time together.
Karma St Martin’s, St Martin
A stylish resort on the break-taking Isles of Scilly, Karma St Martin’s is just a stone’s throw from the beach and feels a world away from anything. Pet friendly, this coastal manor offers unique charm from its sumptuously designed rooms and suites to its imaginative cuisine. Watch as fisherman from Lower Town Quay bring in the daily catch of the freshest fish, lobster and crab straight from the sea, dine in the award-winning restaurant, and spend time together roaming the beautiful landscapes and watching the wildlife.
Kaywana Hall, Kingswear
A luxury bed and breakfast in Devon, Kaywana Hall is a lesson in contemporary architecture and design. Guests stay in suites detached from the main house for optimum privacy and independence during your stay. There is a Hockney-esque pool with a vibe reminiscent of the Hollywood Hills and Frank Gehry in this pretty cotner of Devon. Midcentury modern interiors run through the house, and guests can spend time simply enjoying the quiet, or taking a stroll to the ferry and over to Dartmouth to explore the popular town.
54 Queen’s Gate Hotel, London
An elegant, Victorian property close to the V&A and London’s most celebrated luxury shopping districts, 54 Queen’s Gate Hotel is a boutique hotel in Kensington with 24 rooms, a bustling bar and private terrace. It’s secluded and sophisticated whilst still being in the heart of the best that London has to offer. Beautiful craftsmanship adorns the inside, while contemporary decor enhances the traditional style of the building. It’s perfect for a romantic weekend away.
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