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 in South East
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
The Montagu Arms
Beaulieu, Hampshire
Dog Friendly Special Offer
Guests have a wide choice of individually style rooms and suites at this dog-friendly, creeper-covered hotel on the edge of the New Forest, and can opt for fine dining in the restaurant, or cheaper fare in Monty's Bar pub.
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 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.
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.
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.
The Cat Inn
West Hoathly, West Sussex
15% Discount Two Night Stay Special Offer
The quintessential local gastropub in a Wealden village never ceases to please readers, with imaginative food, four good bedrooms and a warm, friendly ambience.
The Star
Alfriston, Sussex
'Relax and Restore' Special Offer
There is star quality indeed at Olga and Alex Polizzi's updated version of a historic Tudor inn, in a charming medieval South Downs village.
Park House, Hotel & Spa
Midhurst, West Sussex
'Sunday Reset at the House' Special Offer
An Edwardian country house in long-time family ownership is run as a spa hotel, restaurant and leisure destination with facilities for golf, tennis, bowls, croquet, swimming.
The Greyhound Inn
Wantage, Oxfordshire
'Lazy Sunday Sleepover' Special Offer
This is a proper village inn with locals enjoying pints in the bar, scrubbed tables, robust food and comfortable, homely bedrooms.
Stanwell House
Lymington, Hampshire
30% Discount plus Free Cocktail Winter Getaway Special Offer
In a New Forest yachting town on the edge of the Solent, this Georgian hotel has been beautifully refurbished to create a 'very smart, well run, dog-friendly hotel'.
The White Horse
Chilgrove, West Sussex
Summer Sip and Stay Special Offer
With the Goodwood Estate down the road and the South Downs on the doorstep, this rural, dog-friendly former coaching inn is popular with Barbour-wearing country-sports enthusiasts and hikers.
More Best hotels for walking in South East
Heckfield Place
Hook, Hampshire
Life is attuned to nature at this country-house hotel in a Georgian mansion on a working estate. with walled garden, biodynamic farm, luxury spa, and two restaurants that celebrate seasonality and provenance.
Hever Castle B&B
Edenbridge, Kent
Anne Boleyn's childhood home, reimagined by William Waldorf Astor as a fairytale moated castle, stands in landscaped grounds with an Edwardian 'Tudor' village, home to this exceptional B&B.
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.
Gravetye Manor
East Grinstead, West Sussex
Amid 1,000 acres of historically important gardens, pleasure grounds and woodland, this romantic Elizabethan manor house, built by an ironmaster for his bride, forms an impressive backdrop for Michelin-starred cuisine.
Alkham Court
Dover, Kent
If you're outward bound for France, this farmhouse B&B, just ten minutes from the port of Dover and Eurotunnel, is perfect for a stop-off – but you might not want to leave. 'This didn't feel like a hotel, it felt like a home,' writes one contented reader.
The Alfriston
Alfriston, Sussex
Made over in the Signet Collection's signature style, this country-house hotel in a picturesque South Downs village has a relaxed ambience, chic, affordable bedrooms, a boutique spa, and imaginative brasserie fare with good plant-based options.
The Stag on the River
Godalming, Surrey
Historic features are seamlessly blended with contemporary styling at this riverside gastropub with indoor, outdoor and waterside dining, and a menu of pub classics alongside more inventive dishes.
Daisybank Cottage
New Forest, Hampshire
Free-roaming ponies and donkeys wander past the garden gates of this Arts and Crafts-style single-storey house in the magical surroundings of the New Forest.
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 George Inn
Sussex
Do you remember an inn, Miranda? Hilaire Belloc certainly remembered this Georgian coaching inn, from which he described setting out in The Four Men.
The Double Red Duke
Bampton, Oxfordshire
The red-and-white candy-striped parasols outside this wisteria-swagged foodie pub with beautifully styles rooms send an irresistible message: come in, it’s fun.
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Great Milton, Oxfordshire
For more than 40 years, Raymond Blanc has held two Michelin stars at this beautiful country-house hotel 'and in our opinion, it's a travesty that he hasn't been awarded three', say Guide insiders.
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.
Chewton Glen
New Milton, Hampshire
Following a stunning redesign, this family-friendly, luxury New Forest hotel and spa continues to set the standard for country-house comfort, romance, fun and superb food.
The Swan at Streatley
Reading, Berkshire
With 100 metres of waterfront, river-view bedrooms, casual all-day dining, and plenty to do, this is a fun, casual hotel with a good choice of bedrooms at affordable prices.
The Royal Adelaide
Windsor, Berkshire
So handy for Windsor Castle and Great Park, this is a friendly, affordable independent hotel with relaxed dining in restaurant and bar.
The Running Horses
Dorking, Surrey
A bus ride from Greater London, in the Surrey hills, this whitewashed former coaching inn is a good mix of friendly local and gastropub with rooms, a good base for walking, cycling and picnics on Box Hill.
The Angel at Burford
Oxfordshire
Just off the main street of this popular Cotswolds town, this family-run 16th-century former coaching inn is well liked for its three tasteful bedrooms, pub classics done well alongside more adventurous dishes, and an oasis garden at the rear.
The George Inn
Banbury, Oxfordshire
'A really nice place to stay, in a lovely quiet village setting,' this beautifully renovated 17th-century thatched inn lives anew as a local pub with rooms. Manager Claire Lenkowiec and chef Valerio Grimaldi-Plant run the show for the owners and, by George, they get it right!
The Queens Arms
Hungerford, Berkshire
In the heart of horse-racing country, beneath the ancient Ridgeway, this village gastropub has a choice of very affordable rooms and menus ranging from pub classics to seriously sophisticated fare.
The Lamb at Angmering
Littlehampton, West Sussex
Long a social hub for a thriving village between the South Downs and the coast, this family-run gastropub is highly regarded for its warm welcome, smart bedrooms and a menu that mixes pub classics with more imaginative dishes.
The Trout at Tadpole Bridge
Buckland Marsh, Oxfordshire
A family and dog-friendly 18th-century inn with riverside gardens in the Vale of the White Horse, this is now part of Butcombe Boutique Hotels, which has refurbished the six bedrooms with botanical and Arts and Crafts wallpapers, king-size beds, vintage pieces and Bramley toiletries. Menus mix sharing plates, pub favourites and some more adventurous dishes.
The Wellington Arms
Baughurst, Hampshire
A former hunting lodge on the Duke of Wellington's estate, the 'Welly' is a delightful, dog-friendly gastropub with generously supplied bedrooms that are a mix of rustic chic styling and modern comforts. Impressive food using local ingredients is served in the bar, restaurant and garden.
Lime Wood
Lyndhurst, Hampshire
A New Forest bolthole, this country-house hotel has an easy glamour, romantic and family-friendly rooms, heart-warming Italian food and top-notch spa.
The Old Railway Station
Petworth, Sussex
Occupying one of Britain's prettiest disused stations and popular with honeymooners, this excellent B&B offers a choice of bedrooms in the station building and restored, mahogany-fitted Pullman coaches, with cream teas served in the waiting room or on the platform, and a locally sourced dinner in the rare Edwardian Pullman dining car, Princess Ena.
The Gallivant
Sussex
East Coast America meets South Coast England at this single-storey, seaside-chic hotel with appealing room choices, fantastic locally sourced food, a spa cabin, beach yoga workshops, and a vast expanse of sands, washed by the English Channel, just over the spectacular dunes.
The Retreat at Elcot Park
Newbury, Berkshire
With the emphasis on laid-back luxury, this Regency mansion in parkland, once home to Percy Shelley's mother, is today a country-house hotel that is part of the Signet Collection, offering surprisingly affordable bedrooms, a swish spa, a brasserie and pan-Asian restaurant.
The Wild Rabbit
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Visitors to Daylesford Organic's farm shop can stay at this 18th-century Cotswold stone inn, a modern take on a traditional pub and the epitome of rustic chic, serving delicious and exciting dishes from a short menu of seasonal and sustainable produce.
The Bottle & Glass
Henley-On-Thames, Oxfordshire
Ten minutes from Henley-on-Thames, this chocolate-box-pretty, thatched gastropub has three swish, well-equipped bedrooms. The short restaurant menu mixes pub classics with more original dishes, while brunch, coffees, artisan pastries and simple cooked dishes are on offer at weekends in the barn.
New Park Manor
New Forest, Hampshire
An 18th-century mansion built around an older core, this family-oriented and dog-friendly hotel in the New Forest offers flexible dining, high tea for the little ones, a bistro-style restaurant menu and lounge menu, plus bedrooms mixing period and contemporary styling.



