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If decision-making isn’t your strong suit, planning a holiday can feel like a daunting task. Would swish five-star digs or a quaint boutique B&B be best? What about a rustic country farm? Or a spa stay? Luckily for indecisive staycationers, one of Time Out’s best hotels in 2026 offers all of the above and more.
Our team of editors and travel experts has roamed the nation to find the plushest pillows and most banging breakfasts the country has to offer, compiling the best of the best into a conclusive list of the 20 best hotels in the UK. Edinburgh’s Gleneagles Townhouse – the chic urban sibling of five-star luxury hotel Gleneagles in Scotland’s Ochil Hills – topped the list in 2026 thanks to its stellar restaurant and swanky decor.
As for the title of best boutique hotel, that accolade went to The Newt in Somerset. A sprawling estate in the heart of the West Country, the hotel is part working farm, part cider orchard, part deluxe hotel and spa and part members’ club. Oh, and it also has a croquet lawn and indoor/outdoor pool. Yep, turns out you really don’t have to choose.
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Hadspen House, a historic 17th-century mansion, is the centrepiece of the estate’s 300-hectare grounds. Inside, alongside the 23 guest rooms and suites, expect to find a library with a roaring fire, a drawing room dedicated to delectable afternoon tea and a hotel bar serving up live jazz well into the night.
Guests can also hunker down in the nearby converted Stable Yards, or, for a more secluded stay, The Farmyard, a whole other encampment on the far side of the estate with its own family-friendly pool, lounge bar and more casual, all-day restaurant.
‘There’s really been no expense spared at The Newt. From the immaculate grounds to the in-bedroom steam rooms, everything here feels lavish but never pretentious. Luxury and self-sufficiency – you’ll never need to leave the grounds during a stay here – are integral, and the friendly, professional staff are proud of the mission,’ Time Out travel expert Sonya Barber said of her stay at the lavish digs.
As with any accommodation that boasts spa potions infused with botanicals grown in an on-site ‘medieval herb garden’, a stay at The Newt will set you back a pretty penny, and rooms start at £750 a night.
Looking for less eye-watering prices? There are plenty of affordable options on Time Out’s list of the best city stays to country escapes for 2026.
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