The Best: Luxury Hotels to spend the Night

The Great West Way is home to some of England’s very best hotels. From Michelin star dining rooms in elegant country house hotels to soothing spas with crystal-lit swimming pools and natural thermal waters, follow this five-star trail along the Great West Way and you’ll be pampered all the way.

Bristol Harbour Hotel 
Once the headquarters of Lloyds Bank, and with a gorgeously ornate exterior inspired by a 16th century Venetian library, this opulent address reopened as a hotel in 2017 – and was immediately in every national newspaper. The Harbour Hotel set a new standard for Bristol, one that is five-star all the way. The 42 bedrooms have views out over the historic city centre, luxurious drapes and bedding and complimentary decanters of gin and sherry. Some also have rolltop baths and all guests have use of the HarSpa down in the vaults, with its hydrotherapy pool. The Jetty restaurant serves an afternoon tea of just-baked homemade scones, clotted cream and jam, then in the evenings brings out an a la carte menu of fresh seafood dishes such as moules marinere and South Coast crab on toast.

The Bath Priory
You’re still only a short stroll from Bath city centre here but you’d hardly know it. The Bath Priory is a Georgian house in honey-coloured local stone set in four acres of mature gardens. Those gardens have plenty of quiet nooks for an English country garden escape, not to mention a kitchen garden that supplies the hotel restaurant. Dining here is a gastronome’s delight, with produce from right outside the very window you are sitting in – and all those fresh veggies mean vegetarians and vegans are extremely well catered for, each even having their own tasting menu. The rooms are named after flowers in the garden and are romantic in style – think four-poster beds, marble bathrooms and open fireplaces. 

Gainsborough Bath Spa
Just one hotel in the UK has access to natural thermal waters and it’s this one. The Gainsborough Bath Spa is set around Spa Village Bath with its circuit of natural thermal pools and aromatherapy treatments, and the whole place has a relaxed, distinguished vibe. The hotel occupies two Listed buildings, with Georgian and Victorian facades and sits in the heart of Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site – nothing is far from your front door here. The rooms were custom-designed in 2015 and are understated, with neo-Georgian touches and a soothing colour scheme. In some rooms you can run a bath with the thermal waters. The Georgian style continues in the restaurant, where a fine-dining a la carte menu of dishes such as roast duck and loin of venison is served. 

Whatley Manor
Whatley Manor calls itself a “grown-up getaway” and its location in 16 acres of gardens near Malmesbury in the Wiltshire Cotswolds makes it the ideal base for a romp through quintessentially English countryside. You’ll want to work up an appetite, the Dining Room here has a Michelin star and a superb chef’s tasting menu that can be served with matching wines. There’s also a more low-key brasserie and, in the summer, tables on the terrace outside in the kitchen garden. The 23 bedrooms are individually styled but all share an elegant décor, with rich fabrics and earthy textures. The Aquarius Spa has an indoor/outdoor hydrotherapy pool and there’s a cinema for private hire and Sunday screenings. 

Lucknam Park
Lucknam Park is the sort of hotel you mean to use as a base for exploring but end up not leaving for several days. There’s so much to do at this five-star, from classes at the cookery school and horse riding around the 500-acre estate to hydrotherapy in the spa, as well as one of the Great West Way’s best restaurants – Restaurant Hywel Jones. Time slows right down here, as you make your way up the mile-long drive between the beech trees and settle into the drawing room for cocktails. The signature tasting menu has Loch Duart salmon, braised halibut and pork from nearby Roundway Hill and there’s a vegetarian tasting menu and wine matching to boot. It has held a Michelin star since 2006. Rooms in this Palladian mansion are supremely comfortable and the whole experience feels like staying with (very wealthy) friends. 

Cliveden House
Few hotels are as famous as Cliveden – setting of the Profumo affair – or as romantic. Take a room in the Garden Wing and you’ll get views over the spa garden and – in some – a hot tub tucked privately into your terrace. There’s also a wonderful restaurant from chef André Garrett, where English ingredients star on the eight-course tasting menu. The trump card here though is the 376-acre National Trust estate that surrounds the hotel, its formal gardens the sort of place you could happily lose yourself in for days. There’s direct access to the River Thames for a jaunt and a spot of lunch on a vintage boat, and plenty of pleasant walks to work off the essential afternoon tea, served in the imposing Great Hall. 

Coworth Park
Coworth Park is five-star from its crystal-lit swimming pool right down to its impeccable service. This is a 21st-century country house hotel and rooms are beautifully chic, with a cream colour palette and contemporary furniture. The grounds are extensive and there’s a Polo Academy and Equestrian Centre offering riding lessons and off-road hacks. The spa is one of England’s best, set into the countryside and offering dreamy treatments, and the Drawing Room serves a fabulous afternoon tea of scones and freshly made cakes from the pastry team. For dinner, elegant Restaurant Coworth Park has a Michelin star and a showcase of a tasting menu, which features dishes such as Cornish turbot with salted grapes and Highland wagyu short rib. 
 

For more information and help on planning your journey along the Great West Way, take a look at our suggested itineraries and wellness guide as well our luxury break. Alternatively, you can take a look at our hotels page under Stay.