Places to stay
The best places to stay, including country house hotels, new openings, cosy self-catering cottages, all-inclusive resorts and boutique stays.
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Gravetye Manor review: The Elizabethan country house hotel surrounded by historic gardens of national importanceIn the 1950s, Gravetye Manor and its famous garden was converted into one of the first ever country house hotels.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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'If you think you need a television in your room, you are in the wrong place': Why sleeping under canvas makes for a complete safari experienceA tented safari will surprise even the most seasoned traveller, says Mark Hedges, and nowhere more so than in Botswana, where the rhythms of life seem supercharged.
By Mark Hedges Published
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Inside the aristocratic holiday rentals where you can (temporarily) play lord of the manorIt’s now possible to dine or even stay overnight in some of our best-loved country houses or in splendour on their estates.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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The Swan at Fittleworth review: The 500-year-old inn that’s as popular now as when Turner stayedThe Swan at Fittleworth's previous guests include Kipling, Turner and J. M. Barrie.
By Florence Allen Published
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Portofino is Italy's answer to the Garden of Eden. The Splendido hotel put it on the mapThe storied Splendido recently emerged from extensive refurbishment. Luke Abrahams checks in to check it out.
By Luke Abrahams Published
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Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino, hotel review: 'Doing nothing has rarely, if ever, felt so good’Country Life’s Editor-in-Chief is full of praise for the Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino, built next to the site of an epic battle, on the Greek mainland.
By Mark Hedges Published
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Raffles London at The OWO hotel review: How eight years and £1.4 billion transformed the birthplace of BondBut was it worth it? Emma Hughes checks in.
By Emma Hughes Published
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'We are not, this cruise company would have us believe, on a cruise': What life is like on a boat designed to rival luxury yacht charter without the price tagWave goodbye to your concerns about cruising aboard a small ship in the South of France, says Imogen West-Knights.
By Imogen West-Knights Published
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Jnane Rumi, Marrakech, hotel review: 'The most talked about opening this year — and for good reason'The Moroccan capital of Marrakech is the world capital of hotels, says Christopher Wallace — and Jnane Rumi is the latest string to its hospitality bow.
By Christopher Wallace Published
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The Manner review: This New York hotel is bringing the 1970s back to SoHo, one colour at a timeThe Manner, on one of SoHo's quieter, tree-lined streets, is proof that great hotel design can make or break a holiday.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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At His Majesty’s pleasure: A woodland retreat for rent at SandringhamWith room for six guests, and with 20,000 acres on the doorstep, it would be folly to not get booking.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Penicuik Estate review: An exclusive use house and cottages for collectors and connoisseursThe Penicuik Estate in Midlothian, Scotland is an ever-growing hospitality empire with a fascinating history.
By Steven King Published
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Sea Containers London: The 1980s called and it wants its bedroom backThe Sea Containers hotel on London's South Bank has unveiled four bespoke ‘cabin suites’, inspired by four different decades.
By Richard MacKichan Published
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The Old Bell, Malmesbury: England's oldest hotel meets Lone Star style to create something specialHow do you bring a 13th century hostelry to life, while keeping its historical charm? Ask Kim and Whit Hanks.
By James Fisher Published
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'Dartmoor is the ultimate one-billion star hotel': Why wild camping mattersFollowing the ruling from the Supreme Court, revisit Lewis Wink's argument on why the right to wild camp in Dartmoor is vital for us all.
By Lewis Winks Last updated
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The thrillingly bleak Devon house that inspired The Hound of the Baskervilles is now part of a peaceful farmyard retreatFowlescombe Farm near Ivybridge, in Devon, is a ‘complete retreat from everyday life’ — and the rumoured inspiration for one of the best known and loved Sherlock Holmes stories.
By Emma Lavelle Published
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The ‘utterly unique’ skincare brand that’s used in the ‘world’s best hotel’ spaThe Seed to Skin brand was the byproduct of one woman’s length fertility journey — it’s so good that today it’s used in a hotel voted the ‘world’s best’.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Scotland's majestic landscapes meet holistic wellness aboard Belmond and Dior's inaugural train retreatThe Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, and Dior have announced a three-night travelling wellness retreat.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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The Barnsdale in Rutland: Is this the UK’s most dog-friendly hotel?One writer and her canine sidekick check into a Rutland hotel that caters as beautifully to dogs as it does their owners.
By Octavia Pollock Published
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Is L’Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay France’s answer to the very British country house hotel?France’s great and good are flocking to a recently renovated medieval country estate just outside of Paris.
By Agnes Stamp Published
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Falcon Farmhouse: A dreamy hilltop retreat with fun on tapOverlooking a beautiful Staffordshire valley, Falcon Farmhouse is a country retreat that mixes relaxation and fun in equal measure. Toby Keel paid a visit.
By Toby Keel Published


