DESIGN HOTELS IN THE UK

Emma Love

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When it comes to choosing a hotel, one of the biggest factors (alongside location) is often the design. Traditional or contemporary. Bold colours or muted shades. Cosy corners or clean, geometric lines. Perhaps one of the most important considerations is whether somewhere feels rooted in its location, or has cohesive interiors that reflect the building itself. Here’s our round-up of design-led hotels for your next UK getaway.

The Reeds at South Lodge, Horsham, Sussex

When the spa at South Lodge was added six years ago, it made the headlines as much for its sustainable oak-clad structure that integrates seamlessly with the landscape as it did the treatments on offer. It makes sense then that the company responsible, Sparcstudio, was also tasked with designing The Reeds: eight eco-lodges reached via a woodland walkway. Biophilic design principles have been used in the double-height sanctuaries, with nature-inspired colour palettes (either the mossy green and yellows of spring or the terracotta and russet tones of autumn) and plenty of plants that brings the outside in. Natural materials are woven throughout, from the illuminated timber feature headboard behind the mezzanine-level bed to the kitchen countertops made from upcycled waste. Six have a private deck cantilevered over the edge of a wild swimming lake; the two larger spa lodges are set further back from the water and come with an infrared halotherapy sauna and, on the sun deck, a freestanding copper bath for long relaxing soaks under the stars.

Salthouse Harbour Hotel, Ipswich, Suffolk

This contemporary hotel opened in a converted red-brick Victorian warehouse over two decades ago as a major part of Ipswich waterfront’s regeneration (since then, it has expanded, adding a mostly glass-fronted building next door). Inside, Trevillion Interiors are behind the contemporary bedrooms with an urban warehouse twist: think exposed brick walls, battered brown leather Chesterfield couches, bronze bedside lights. The best also has views of the marina so you can gaze out at the boat lights twinkling at night (penthouse suits have a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows). There are more marina vistas from The Eaterie at the Salthouse which is open all-day – from the full Suffolk breakfast (as well as continental options) in the morning to dishes such as Suffolk spring braised lamb shank and beer battered haddock (caught by fishermen in nearby Old Felixstowe) with triple cooked chips for dinner.

The Nici, Bournemouth, Dorset

There’s an Art Deco vibe to this Miami inspired hotel on West Cliff, a zig-zagging path away from Bournemouth’s seven-mile stretch of sandy beaches. Owned and designed by the Nicolas James Group, rooms and suites feel modern and fresh, with palm tree prints, contemporary artworks and playful accents such as a gold-edged drinks trolley. Some come with a sea view and private terrace, others overlook the garden and have an outdoor hot tub. On the ground floor is the all-day dining South Beach Bar & Restaurant with a suntrap terrace, and breezy beachside restaurant Old Harry Rocks, for Mediterranean-bites and DJ sets at the weekend. The real star of the show at this design hotel though is the heated outdoor pool, lined with cabanas and candyfloss pink and cream umbrellas – the latest design phase that was completed in summer 2023, alongside the destination spa.

This restored Georgian manor house is the serene vision of Michelin-star chef owner Michael Caines who collaborated closely with Meraki Design on every interior decision, from the layout of the three intimate dining rooms to the coral and shells objet d'art in glass dome display cases opposite the curving, copper bar. This luxury country house hotel feels entirely rooted in its location, so the colour schemes of the rooms are inspired by birds found on the Exe Estuary (you can also sleep in shepherd huts at the bottom of the vineyard, each named after a woodland creature) and there is a delicate watercolour landscape painting by local artist Rachel Toll on the walls of the staircase. Alongside the main fine dining restaurant (the eight-course tasting menu showcases Caines’ signature dishes, including seabream ceviche and Cornish seabass) is a more casual pool house bar and restaurant – perfect for sundowners after a swim, or games of tennis or croquet.

Estelle Manor, Witney, Oxfordshire

A country house hotel and members’ country club on an 85-acre estate that caused a Cotswolds stir when it opened in 2023, Estelle Manor is the brainchild of Sharan Pasricha, the founder of fast-growing hospitality giant Ennismore. The grade II-listed Jacobean manor house has been transformed by the combined creative forces of Roman & Williams, Olivia Weström and Ennismore Design Studio who have blended original features – stripped-back hand-carved oak panelling, stone fireplaces – with contemporary art and mid-century Italian furniture. Velvet and rattan, antique mirrors, sisal rugs, vintage and modern furniture are all layered together in rooms that are split across the manor house, Walled Garden and Stables. The neoclassical Roman-inspired spa, The Eynsham Baths, is anchored by the tepidarium with its high ceiling and hand-sculpted stone columns (you’ll also find five thermal pools and a pink marble hammam). Restaurants run the gamut from a Chinese menu in The Billiards Room with its serpent-shaped banquettes and Murano glass chandeliers, to The Glasshouse, for weekend breakfasts at marble tables, surrounded by greenery.