The Good Hotel Guide is the leading independent guide to hotels in Great Britain & Ireland, and also covers parts of Continental Europe. The Guide was first published in 1978. It is written for the reader seeking impartial advice on finding a good place to stay. Hotels cannot buy their way into the Guide. The editors and inspectors do not accept free hospitality on their anonymous visits to hotels. All hotels in the Guide receive a free basic listing. A fee is charged for a full web entry.
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Best hotels for walking
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
The Angel Hotel
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Botanical Life-Drawing Break Special Offer
Behind a neo-classical façade, this Georgian coaching inn is a happy mix of local drop-in, hotel and restaurant, with 'comfortable rooms, good food and welcoming staff', says a returning reader.
The Cavendish
Baslow, Derbyshire
'Chatsworth Experience' Special Offer
The Nare
Veryan-In-Roseland, Cornwall
'Get Away From It All' Special Offer
Overlooking subtropical gardens and sandy Carne Beach, the Ashworth family's hotel delights readers with its country-house style, superlative service and retro classics in the dining room.
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Winter Escape Special Offer
On show through walls of windows, the sea is a huge presence at this family-run hotel on the cliffs above a surfers' beach, which offers craft sessions as well as a spa and kids club.
Pen-y-Dyffryn
Oswestry, Shropshire
February/March 25% Discount Dinner B&B Special Offer
A walker's paradise on the Welsh border, the Hunter family's very dog-friendly hotel, in a Georgian former rectory with a 'beautiful garden and views', is much beloved by readers.
The Feathered Nest
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
25% Discount Two-Night Special Offer
Inventive cooking of beautifully presented dishes impress at this gastropub overlooking the Evenlode valley, with four rooms that are smart but not ostentatiously 'designer'.
The Rose & Crown
Barnard Castle, Co. Durham
'Spring Awakening Break' Special Offer
An ideal base for walking and wildlife enthusiasts, this 18th-century inn with excellent pub food stands beside a Saxon church in a stunning village in Teesdale.
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
'Two Night Spend Time Together' Special Offer
Eco values as well as enjoyment are fundamental to this cliff-top hotel, with sea thrift-covered roof, sweeping curves, reed-filtered pool and walls of windows to soak up the light and the seascape.
Cary Arms & Spa
Babbacombe, Devon
25% Discount Autumn/Winter Special Offer
A cosy beamed pub is the warm heart of this hotel, in the shelter of wooded, red sandstone cliffs that reminded the young Queen Victoria of 'a ballet or a play where nymphs appear'.
Plas Dinas Country House
Caernarfon, Gwynedd
Two Night D,B&B Special Offer
With its romantic bedrooms and views across the Menai Strait, the former country residence of the Armstrong-Jones family is 'steeped in history, love and charming details – a unique property'.
Penally Abbey
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
Three Nights for the Price of Two Special Offer
There are sublime sea views from this hilltop Gothic beauty, run by a dedicated and creative family, with elegant bedrooms and gourmet dining by candlelight.
Cuckoo Brow Inn
Ambleside, Cumbria
Two Night 15% Discount Special Offer
Whether you turn up with muddy boots or in your Sunday best, with wet dogs or children, you will be greeted with a warm welcome at this jolly country inn between Windermere and Beatrix Potter's Hill Top home.
The Dog at Wingham
Canterbury, Kent
Super Special Two Night Special Offer
In a characterful village between Sandwich and Canterbury, Marc Bridgen's gastropub with individually styled bedrooms is committed to local sourcing, with interesting seasonal menus and regular celebratory themed evenings and events.
Bodysgallen Hall and Spa
Llandudno, Conwy
'The Great Half Price Break' Special Offer
This Tudor Gothic-style Elizabethan mansion, extended over centuries, overlooks parkland with a rare 17th-century parterre, walled rose garden, cascade, lily pond and follies.
The Crown Inn
Surrey
20% Discount Midweek Stay Special Offer
History feels very present at this half-timbered medieval inn overlooking village green, with a choice of atmospheric four-poster rooms and contemporary accommodation, real ales on tap, and an eclectic menu served in a panelled dining room.
Ty Mawr
Brechfa, Carmarthenshire
'Winter Escape' Special Offer
A 17th-century country house on the edge of Brechfa Forest receives high praise for the warmth of the welcome, its ambience and top-notch, locally sourced food.
Lords of the Manor
Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
'Lords Fireside Retreat' Special Offer
Guests to the manor born find a welcome escape from the Cotswolds' tourist honeypots at this historic country-house hotel, extended in the 1800s for the Witts family, rectors and later Lords of Upper Slaughter.
Harbourmaster Hotel
Aberaeron, Ceredigion
'Sundays by the Sea' 25% Discount Special Offer
An iconic landmark on the harbour front, this bright-blue-painted former harbourmaster's house is home to a hotel with a great choice of individually styled bedrooms and an unpretentious restaurant, big on fish.
The Three Hills
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
'25% off all Rooms' Special Offer
There is a buzzy ambience to this refurbished, child friendly, dog friendly 17th-century village pub, named after local tumuli, with restaurant, smart bedrooms and alfresco dining.
Ees Wyke Country House
Ambleside, Cumbria
Two Night Stay Spring Special Offer
The Priory
Wareham, Dorset
'A Night To Remember' Special Offer
There's certainly nothing monastic about this much-loved 'olde-world hotel with charm in abundance', in a 'wonderful building with a cleverly added glass dining room' looking out over gardens bordered by the River Frome.
The Devonshire Arms
Skipton, Yorkshire
'Spring Escape on the Estate' Special Offer
A former 17th-century inn, which is part of the Duke of Devonshire's 30,000-acre estate at Bolton Abbey, is today an impressive country-house hotel, with fine dining and a spa.
Knockinaam Lodge
Stranraer, Dumfries And Galloway
10% Discount Special Offer
Where the road ends and the Irish Sea begins, this former Victorian hunting lodge with a private cove is secluded, unapologetically traditional and rich in comforts and good food.
Trefeddian Hotel
Aberdovey, Gwynedd
'Spring Escapes' Special Offer
Although the Cave-Browne-Cave family has sold its big, white hotel above Cardigan Bay, which it has operated since the days of silent film, new owners BLS UK Hotels Ltd are expected to keep things very much as they always have been, maintaining the existing management.
Hambleton Hall
Oakham, Rutland
'Winter Break' Special Offer
The epitome of country-house luxury with gourmet dining, Tim and Stefa Hart's hotel stands on a peninsula, overlooking beautiful gardens and the shining expanse of Rutland Water.
Forss House
Thurso, Highland
'Whisky Away' Special Offer
Under the big skies of Caithness, wrapped in woodland and a curve of the River Forss, this Georgian mansion offers the grandeur of Scottish country-house living but with modern-day warmth and comforts.
Shieldaig Lodge
Gairloch, Highland
'Whisky Lovers' Special Offer
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.
Hartwell House
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
'Three Nights for the Price of Two' Special Offer
A grand country house with both Jacobean and Georgain sides, Hartwell gazes over an 18th-century landscape, with Ionic temple, obelisk, and a lake spanned by an arch from the old Kew Bridge.
Headlam Hall
Darlington, Co. Durham
'Spring Revival Break' Special Offer
The real charm of this grand country house, with sweeping gardens, terraces, oak panelling and swish spa along with a convenient location in a hamlet a few miles from the A1 lies in its warm and informal atmosphere.
Widbrook Grange
Bradford-On-Avon, Wiltshire
'Stay & Savour' Special Offer
If the Borrowers opened a hotel, it would probably be something like Nick and Charlotte Dent's Georgian farmhouse, filled with upcycled objets trouvés.
More Best hotels for walking
Watersmeet
Woolacombe, Devon
'An exceptional seaside hotel', with views from the rooms and terrace to secluded Combesgate beach below, this family-friendly hotel is a former Edwardian gentleman's retreat.
The Carpenters Arms
Pensford, Somerset
In a hamlet just 25 minutes from Bath, 'the Carps' is a 'very nice country pub' offering 'very good' food, and oodles of atmosphere in the stone-walled, beamed bar, with fire and log-burner.
Yalbury Cottage
Dorchester, Dorset
Deep in Thomas Hardy country, this picture-perfect thatched cottage is a popular restaurant with rooms run with great charm by Ariane Jones and her husband, Jamie.
Summer Lodge
Evershot, Dorset
Country-house luxury abounds at this child-friendly, dog-friendly hotel, a Georgian mansion in ‘well-maintained gardens a huge joy to visit’.
Linthwaite House
Bowness-On-Windermere, Cumbria
The South African Leeu Collection's Edwardian country house in wooded, landscaped grounds above Windermere is a haven of civilised living, with casual and fine dining options, woodland hot-tub suites, and views to take the breath away.
Old Downton Lodge
Ludlow, Shropshire
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.
Bridleway Bed & Breakfast
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
In a quiet, restful setting with its own small flock of sheep and free-range hens, this rustic-chic B&B is tucked away down a farm track by an old oak wood just three miles from the city centre.
The Pear Tree Inn
Melksham, Wiltshire
A lovely, wisteria-swagged, 17th-century Bath stone inn, this is a gastropub with a wide choice of characterful rooms, a serious attitude to food, regular comedy nights and an irrepressible sense of fun.
The Angel Inn
Suffolk
This Tudor coaching inn in a picturesque village at the heart of Dedham Vale, now part of the Chestnut Group, blends historic features with modern comforts, while a changing menu of inventive dishes is served in the dining room and landscaped garden.
Corse Lawn House
Corse Lawn, Gloucestershire
A beautifully proportioned Queen Anne-style mansion overlooking a duck pond, this much-loved traditional hotel has a new owner, but, after 48 years, Baba Hine remains, overseeing restaurant, bistro and well-equipped, spacious bedrooms.
The Old Manor House
Shipston On Stour, Warwickshire
With beams, cottage-style bedrooms and beautiful gardens running down to the River Stour, this 16th-century Cotswold manor house in pretty South Warwickshire countryside not far from Stratford-upon-Avon makes a charming B&B.
Grassington House
Skipton, Yorkshire
In a 'lovely position in the town centre with a sizeable car park', this handsome Georgian house, now a restaurant with rooms, offers food that is 'tasty without being over fussy', 'unfailiingly attentive and friendly staff' and great value for money, write readers.

The Chestnut Horse
Winchester, Hampshire
In a delightful village, this 16th-century village pub, now part of the Avington Park estate with its trout fishery and leisure facilities, impresses with four beautifully presented bedrooms and some very creative dishes alongside pub grub done very well.
Chirnside Hall
Duns, Scottish Borders
There is a touch of the baronial about this pink sandstone Tudor-style 19th-century mansion, a country-house hotel with fine original features, its public rooms adorned with shooting trophies.
Another Place
Ullswater, Cumbria
Bring the dog, bring the kids, revel in the gorgeous scenery and the great outdoors at this ‘lifestyle hotel’ with private shorefront on Ullswater and plenty of activities on offer. It's the old, staid Rampsbeck Hotel reinvented (out with the chintz and swags, on with the wetsuits or hiking boots!)
The Village Pub
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
A first foray into pub-keeping by the Pig group and just across the road from a full-grown Pig, this old stone village local has six stylish bedrooms under the eaves, cosy spaces for eating and drinking, and a menu of hearty, traditional pub fare with the odd more modern dish.
The Middleton Lodge Estate
Richmond, Yorkshire
Leave the fuss and fret of the AI(M) at Scotch Corner to reconnect with the land at this idyllic hotel, centred on a Georgian coach house amid gardens, parkland and woodland.
Plantation House
Plymouth, Devon
From bread to truffles, they cook as much as possible on site in this 'very cosy and friendly hotel', in the rolling South Hams countryside between wild Dartmoor and the sandy beaches of Bigbury Bay.
The Yan at Broadrayne
Grasmere, Cumbria
Refreshingly different from some more traditional Lake District offerings, this contemporary hotel is in a beautiful setting overlooking Grasmere.
Belle Tout Lighthouse
Eastbourne, Sussex
A beacon of hospitality on a remote cliff-top between the English Channel and the rolling downs, this decommissioned 19th-century lighthouse found new purpose in 2010 as a unique B&B. It offers superb 360-degree views from the lantern room, taking in the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and the South Downs.
The Bailiffgate Hotel
Alnwick, Northumberland
There are mesmerising views of medieval Alnwick Castle from the Duchy of Northumberland's new hotel, occupying the Georgian Commissioner's house and former school, with further rooms in a modern extension, and 'top-notch' cooking in the restaurant.
Artist Residence Oxfordshire
South Leigh, Oxfordshire
A fourth venture for Justin and Charlotte Salisbury, this 16th-century beamed farmhouse-cum-local, a former haunt of Dylan Thomas's, has a range of highly individual rooms, mostly in outbuilding with outdoor seating, as well as larky modern art, upcycled, recycled and vintage furniture, a restaurant and bar serving pub food with a difference.
The Gunton Arms
Thorpe Market, Norfolk
The neon sign outside this former steward's house in a 1,000-acre deer park sets the tone for what to expect in this unique and interesting pub owned by art dealer Ivor Braka, with provocative works by artists such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst on display within.
Penbontbren
Llandysul, Ceredigion
Bedrooms with outdoor space and kitchenette occupy converted outbuildings at this unusual, dog-friendly B&B set in gardens ten minutes from the beach. A cooked-to-order breakfast is served in the Victorian farmhouse dining room.
Glengarry Castle Hotel
Invergarry, Highland
There's a romantic air to the setting of this Scottish baronial mansion overlooking Loch Oich with the ruins of Invergarry Castle in the grounds.
The Roseleigh
Buxton, Derbyshire
Both culture and nature are on your doorstep at Maggi and Gerard Heelan's 'excellent B&B guesthouse' just five minutes' walk from the Opera House in this splendid Peak District spa town.
The Cottage in the Wood
Braithwaite, Cumbria
In the magical setting of Britain's highest mountain forest, with breathtaking views, this Michelin starred restaurant with rooms continues to build on its reputation for a warm welcome and fabulous food under new owners Beth and Jack Bond.
Westmorland Hotel
Penrith, Cumbria
Banish images of fast-food outlets and slot machines when you break your journey at Tebay on wild and woolly Shap Fell, 60 miles from the Scottish border.
Sheedy's
Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare
Biggin Hall
Buxton, Derbyshire





















































































































































































