Hotels in England are not able to reopen until May 17 at the earliest, but there is a snag: with other parts of hospitality back in action from April 12, many are seizing the opportunity to offer ‘hotel-lite’ experiences in the intervening five weeks, from restaurants to self-catering pivots and even spas. Here are some of the best, enjoy!
Note that Wales and Scotland have their own timelines for reopening hospitality. See here for more information, and when dates are announced, if hotels in these countries are able to reopen facilities in advance of full reopening, we will include them below.
The Pigs, England
Restaurants may open for outdoor dining from April 12, and this includes those at hotels. The Pig will be offering a three-course set lunch menu on terraces and in tents at all its properties, most of which are set in vast grounds with gorgeous kitchen gardens. Called ”The Big Outdoor Lunch”, their pop-up restaurants will feature spring harvest produce from the kitchen garden, and meats from local farmers and fish from nearby ports – to the tune of £50 per head (thepighotel.com). Heaters, blankets and fire-pits will also be available. The new and popular Lobster Shed at The Pig at Harlyn will even have a retractable cover for rainy dates (but note they have their own menu, not the set one).
Read more: The Pig at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
The Lobster Shed at The Pig at Harlyn Bay will continue with its normal menu
University Arms, Cambridge
In Cambridge, Parker’s Tavern at the boutique University Arms will reopen Parker’s on the Piece, an al fresco restaurant set on one of the city’s most famous greens (where the rules of football were invented). A new menu will feature seafood platters from nearby Norfolk, plus sourdough pizzas with spring toppings, while old favourites such as the Wiltshire truffle and cream cheese and the lobster and garlic butter pizzas will return to the menu (universityarms.com).
Read the full hotel review: University Arms, Cambridge
University Arms is the oldest hotel in Cambridge, built as a coaching inn alongside the city common, Parker’s Piece, in 1834
Homewood, Bath
Self-catering properties may reopen to guests from April 12, and happily this includes those in the grounds of hotels. In Bath, Homewood will open two self-catering lodges, Waterlily and Manuka, sleeping two to four, in their own private gardens with hot tubs (from £350 per night; homewoodbath.co.uk). Breakfast hampers will be available, plus al fresco dinner Sunday-Thursday. Though saunas and steam rooms will remain closed in hotels until May, on-site spas may reopen from April 12 – so pools, hot tubs, gyms, and hair, beauty and holistic therapies will be back. Guests staying in Homewood’s self-catering lodges may avail of its spa facilities.
Read the full hotel review: Homewood, Bath
Homewood will open two self-catering lodges, Waterlily and Manuka
The Newt, Somerset
If you’re near The Newt in Castle Cary, be sure to pop by for a picnic. The Gelataria will be serving seasonally changing buffalo milk gelato and sorbet from March 8, along with takeaway coffees and food available to pre-order from the Cyder Bar, daily. Homemade cakes from the Tea & Treats Van can be picked up, and there are plans to launch a weekend series of barbecues with flame-grilled meats and fish, and produce from the kitchen garden. From April 12, the Garden Café terrace will reopen for tables up to six people, every day of the week. High Tea will also be served on the hotel terrace, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (thenewtinsomerset.com).
Read the full hotel review: The Newt, Somerset
The Newt will be offering takeaway picnic treats
Heckfield Place, Hampshire
Hampshire hotspot Heckfield Place will open an outdoor restaurant, Marle on the Italian Terrace, from Wednesday, April 14, until May 9. Diners can enjoy lunch and afternoon tea Wednesday to Sunday, with a five-course dinner available on Friday and Saturday evenings. The terrace has views over the grounds, woodlands and upper lake and will be suitable for all weathers with a canopy, blankets, fire pits and sheepskins available (heckfieldplace.com).
Marle on the Italian Terrace at Heckfield Place will be suitable for all weathers
The Marylebone, London
The capital will be getting in on the act too; 108 Brasserie at The Marylebone will reopen its heated outdoor terrace for brunch, lunch and dinner. Think chicken Milanese with rocket, caper, lemon and shaved parmesan, and classic vanilla creme brûlée with sun-blushed apricots, amaretto and pistachios (doylecollection.com).
Read the full hotel review: The Marylebone, London
108 Brasserie at The Marylebone will reopen its heated outdoor terrace for brunch, lunch and dinner
11 Cadogan Gardens, London
At 11 Cadogan Gardens, city sister hotel of Cliveden, the terrace of Hans’ Bar & Grill will stretch along Pavilion Road, near Sloane Square, while six new self-catering apartments will also open. The one, two or three-bedroom apartment suites – the first by Iconic Luxury Hotels – will feature high ceilings, modern décor and views over the gardens (which guest can access). Guests will be able to enjoy full hotel services including housekeeping, room service, the gym, lounges, and concierge, or opt for complete privacy (11cadogangardens.com).
Read the full hotel review: 11 Cadogan Gardens, London
11 Cadogan Gardens is opening the terrace of Hans’ Bar & Grill and its new self-catering apartments
Chewton Glen, Hampshire
For the first time ever, Chewton Glen will be opening up its 14 treehouse suites as self-catering escapes. The suites are suspended on stilts 35 feet above ground, meaning views of the canopy from floor-to-ceiling windows are fantastic. Each has a private deck, wood-burning stove and access to a kitchen, should they tire of food deliveries, picnic hampers or pizzas from the Walled Garden. What’s more, The Kitchen restaurant, led by celebrity chef James Martin, will open its outside dining space, serving the likes of tapas-style grazing dishes, wood-fired pizzas, gourmet burgers and superfood salads. Treehouses from £1,350 per night (chewtonglen.com).
Read the full hotel review: Chewton Glen, Hampshire
Chewton Glen will be opening up its 14 treehouse suites as self-catering escapes
Cliveden House, Berkshire
This National Trust property is reopening its aptly name Spring Cottage. Seclusion is the name of the game. Not only is the three-bedroom hideaway on the banks of the Thames, but it’s surrounded by wildflowers and tangled greenery. Kenneth Grahame wrote The Wind in the Willows in 1908 in the grounds beside it, and Queen Victoria would alight here from her boat when taking tea at Cliveden. Open fireplaces, a countrified kitchen and soft furnishings add style and comfort (from £2,250 per night; clivedenhouse.co.uk). In other news, The Astor Grill, in the former stables where Lord Astor once kept his horses, is opening up for 30-60 covers a day (outside).
Read the full hotel review: Cliveden House, Berkshire
Spring Cottage on Cliveden’s estate is right on the banks of the Thames
Lympstone Manor, Devon
Down in Devon, Lympstone’s Manor’s stylish new Shepherd’s Huts, which sleep between two and five people, will offer outdoor decks, hot tubs, outdoor and indoor showers, wood-burning stoves, kitchenettes and free-standing bath tubs (from £409 per night; lympstonemanor.co.uk). Food – including breakfast hampers in the mornings, picnics for lunch, and “takeaway” dinners – is delivered from the main house.
Read the full hotel review: Lympstone Manor, Devon
Lympstone Manor’s Shepherds huts may look small but they have everything you need for a self-catering stay
South Lodge Hotel, West Sussex
This 19th-century neo-Jacobean beauty in West Sussex will be opening The Bothy Cottage in April. Not only does it feature four en-suite bedrooms, a full kitchen, sitting room with wood burning stove, dining room, private parking and secluded garden with sun loungers and seating area, but for £4,550 the price includes access to the spa. Those who are not staying over, but fancy a lockdown-busting pamper can also book the spa. Between April 12 and May 16, it will be offering “mini spa days unlocked”. This includes five hours’ access to the gym and indoor, wild and vitality pools, plus a 60-minute treatment – perhaps a bamboo massage, or a bespoke facial incorporating a scalp, hand and foot rub (from £130 per person; exclusive.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: South Lodge Hotel, West Sussex
Bothy Cottage at South Lodge, bookable to stay in from April 12
Lygon Arms, Cotswolds
Over in the Cotswolds, the historic Lygon Arms will also be focusing on the local and seasonal in its courtyard. The Lygon Bar & Grill will reopen on a first-come-first-serve basis, and offer the likes of fully plant-based beet burgers and bubble and squeak to twice-baked Emmental cheese souffle and beef Wellington for two (lygonarmshotel.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Lygon Arms, Cotswolds
The historic Lygon Arms will also be focusing on the local and seasonal in its courtyard
Rockliffe Hall, County Durham
In Durham, visitors can enjoy Rockliffe Hall’s spa, which is just a short walk for those staying at the hotel’s Armstrong House Apartment Suites and included in price (from £310 per night; rockliffehall.com). Breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea hampers can be delivered to guests if required. Rockliffe Hall’s spa experience begins at hand sanitisation, when a therapist will guide spa-goers through some light pressure-point therapy and breathwork before their treatment. Manicures, massages, body scrubs and wraps will be available to book, and the outdoor spa garden with its dreamy infinity-edge pool will be open.
Read the full hotel review: Rockliffe Hall, County Durham
Manicures, massages, body scrubs and wraps will be available to book at Rockliffe Hall’s spa
The Manor House, Wiltshire
From £2,450 for seven nights, people looking for a Cotswold village escape in Castle Combe can book The Manor House’s Ludlow Cottage from April 12 (exclusive.co.uk). Expect high-beamed bedrooms with super king-sized beds, a large lounge with oak panelling, an open fire place and stained glass windows, and a bathroom with whirlpool bath and walk-in shower. There is also access to a small garden at the rear of the cottage.
Read the full hotel review: The Manor House, Wiltshire
Expect high-beamed bedrooms with super king-sized beds and period features at Manor House’s Ludlow Cottage
Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
This family favourite will be welcoming guests for ‘days out’ from April 12 (£170 pp). These packages will include an al fresco lunch and come in spa and equine forms, as well as offering a range of outdoor activities that children will love such as archery. In addition, the hotel’s three luxury cottages will open for self-catering stays (from £1,300).
Read the full hotel review: Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Enjoy a day out at Lucknam Park
The Coniston Hotel Country Estate & Spa, Yorkshire
Up in Yorkshire, The Coniston’s two private cottages – The Fogga and Thack – will both be available from 12 April. The Fogga sleeps 12 in six bedrooms, and has a wood-burning stove in the living room plus an outdoor hot tub boasting views across the Dales (from £1,650 per week; theconistonhotel.com). The Thack sleeps 10 and resembles a country farmhouse (from £1,665 per week). It also has a large hot tub.
The Coniston’s Fogga cottage sleeps 12 in six bedrooms and has an outdoor hot tub boasting views across the Dales
Gidleigh Park, Devon
The Pavilion at Gidleigh Park is a thatched cottage that sits within woodland in the hotel’s 107-acre estate. It will be open from April 12, giving guests exclusive access to Gidleigh Park. The cottage sleeps up to four, with two bedrooms and bathrooms, an open-plan panelled sitting room with kitchen diner and a private veranda overlooking the croquet lawns. A breakfast hamper will be delivered, and guests can use the grounds and tennis courts. From £846 pn with a two-night minimum stay (gidleigh.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Gidleigh Park
The Pavilion will give exclusive access to Gidleigh Park
The Slaughters Country Inn, Cotswolds
The six cottages at The Slaughters Country Inn will open from April 12, sleeping up to four, along with six self-contained garden suites sleeping two. Guests will have access to the inn’s pretty riverside gardens, and there’s plenty to explore in the picturesque Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter. From £202 pn with a two-night minimum stay (theslaughtersinn.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: The Slaughters Country Inn
Stay in the picturesque Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter
Claridge’s, The Connaught and the Berkeley
The Claridge’s bar as well as its Davies and Brook restaurant will be opening terraces from classic Flapper cocktails to seafood platters. At The Connaught, The Terrace at Jean-Gorges will be serving up the likes of black truffle and fontina pizza and crispy salmon sushi. Meanwhile The Berkeley will be opening its rainbow coloured Berkeley Beach Huts, inspired by the seafront staples of Whitstable and Southwold. The beach hut menu will offer whole grilled lobster and chips, freshly shucked oysters, five-star scampi, and octopus, as well as gourmet 99s and ice cream sandwiches.
The Connaught’s Terrace at Jean-Gorges will be serving up al fresco pizzas
Sidmouth Harbour Hotel, Devon
Yearning for a jaunt to the Jurassic Coast? Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa will be opening its 20 Courtyard rooms from April 12 (from £141 per night including breakfast). The rooms offer the perks of a hotel – think Nespresso machines, 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, complimentary gin and sherry and toiletries by The White Company – but occupy a separate building with a private entrance. Those on the top floor will benefit from large balconies, while those without can make the most of the coastal views from the Upper Deck terrace restaurant, open 12pm-9pm, as they tuck into freshly caught crab, moules mariniere or bouillabaisse fish soup in an al fresco setting. Breakfast will be delivered to doors and room service will be available. Guests will also be able to use the two pools (one inside, one outside) or scramble to the shore with crabbing lines, nets, buckets and picnic hampers provided by the hotel (harbourhotels.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa
The pools will also be open at Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa, Devon
At the Chapel, Somerset
This west country restaurant with rooms will be opening the terrace for outdoor dining, complete with covers, heaters and blankets. Open from 8am, booked-in diners will be able to order breakfast, lunch and dinner from a spring menu offering dishes from the grill, pizzas from a wood-fired oven, and salads and puddings. The hotel is situated on the high street of arty Bruton, where design and antique shops mingle with stone houses traditional to the area (atthechapel.co.uk).
Read the full hotel review: At the Chapel
At the Chapel’s terrace will open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
The Hampshire outpost of the Four Seasons group has created three “daycation” packages for those seeking a spot of spa therapy after April 12. “Day Pass”, from £55 per adult and £35 per child, allows guests to enjoy the leisure facilities such as the gym, vitality pool, Sharkie’s Reef, and fitness classes. ”Lite Spa Day”, from £130 per adult, adds 60 minutes of treatments. And on top of this, “Serenity Spa Day”, from £155 per adult, adds a two-course light lunch at the Café Santé outdoor terrace (if the weather allows) or a takeaway lunch box (fourseasons.com).
Read the full hotel review: Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire has created three spa day packages
Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, London
After the success of its temporary pop-ups on the terrace, this Churchill-inspired five-star has decided to make it permanent. From April 12, the popular al fresco spot will launch as The Montagu Kitchen Summer Terrace – and evolve with the seasons. Guests can look forward to fresh seafood and chilled wines in a setting that aims to resemble a tranquil British Marina.
Read the full hotel review: Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill
The Terrace at Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill will launch on April 12 as The new Montagu Kitchen Summer Terrace
- Read more: The best hotels in England