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The most romantic hotels in the UK to book for Valentine’s Day
From grand country estates to intimate cabins, these are the best stays for a stylish couples’ break for 2026
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, romantic getaways and escapes that offer something extra special for couples are front of mind.
The good news is that the UK does hotels for lovers preposterously well. A boutique hotel just off Sloane Square that feels more like a residence? A dreamy Oxfordshire country house hotel with its own tranquil Roman Baths-inspired spa? A chic seafront property in Brighton? All present and correct.
Whether romance for you and your beau means taking a walk along a wind-whipped seafront, clinking champagne glasses in the sand dunes, or holing up in a seductive bedroom on a city break, there’s a romantic hotel that will suit you down to a tee.
For a Valentine’s Day break, or a more spontaneous getaway later in the year, these are the most romantic hotels in the UK. Be warned: you’re bound to fall in love with them.
The best romantic hotels in the UK 2026
At a glance
- Best spa hotel: Estelle Manor hotel
- Best luxury hotel: Broadwick Soho hotel
- Best boutique hotel: Crafted at Powdermills hotel
- Best adult-only hotel: Outbuildings hotel
- Best seaside hotel: The Gallivant hotel
- Best for honeymooners: Gleneagles Townhouse hotel
- Best countryside hotel: Cliveden House hotel
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1. At Sloane hotel
Chelsea, London
Were it not for the dapper doorman, it’d be easy to miss the sign-less entrance to At Sloane. Step over the threshold of this 19th-century brick-fronted townhouse and a sensual 30-room boutique hotel, with the ambience of a personal residence, reveals itself.
Transformed by hotelier Jean-Louis Costes – behind Paris’ Hotel Costes – and designer Francois-Joseph Graf, it fuses Arts and Crafts elegance with Parisian flair.
Visits start with an informal check-in at the candlelit Néo-Grecian living room, where ever-gracious staff welcome guests beneath a hand-painted, Constable-inspired ceiling mural of a tempestuous sky. More exquisitely designed spaces then unfurl as though giving a flirtatious beckon – a brush-up-against-one-another Parisian-style lift; corridors decorated with tasteful nudes; and bedrooms which nail sexy elegance.
Custom-made French fabrics, whimsical antique lighting and bespoke oak furniture adorn rooms, and the walls feature photography of famous lovers mid-embrace. To up the romance there’s a “Pillow Talk” card deck to help spark intimate conversations, and some suites have hidden doorways in timber-panelled walls (for subtle entrances or exits), or bathtubs with ample room for two.
Dinners in the top floor Dining Room deliver architectural wow and top-notch Parisian-Asian fare. Plus, there’s further hedonism (and excellent martinis) to be found in the dimly-lit, oxblood red speakeasy – where DJs spin vinyl from Wednesday to Saturday. Snugs with cashmere curtains, and tables on a jasmine-scented terrace with black and white striped parasols both invite clandestine conversations.
Price: From £537
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2. No. 124 by GuestHouse hotel
Brighton
With a plum seafront location, and views out to West Pier’s dramatic ruins and Brighton’s mermaid purse-strewn pebbly beach, this 32-room boutique bolthole has more coastal amour than most.
Spread across four Georgian and Victorian townhouses, bedrooms feature peach-painted wooden flooring, apricot silk-topped bedside lamps, and Crosley record players (leaf through the vinyl library at reception, or bring “your song” along).
While bathed-in-light, sea-facing rooms on higher floors at No.124 have extra magnetism, it’s hard to beat ground-level apartment “The Hideout” if you’re planning a loved-up liaison. Accessed by a door hidden in a dusky-pink wall, or its own private on-street entrance, it has a lounge, half-canopied bed, freestanding tub, and best of all, an open-air courtyard hot tub.
The hotel’s communal areas invite lingering too. Sip nori-infused seaside martinis perched by helter-skelter sculptures, nestle into palm-fringed window nooks, or play chess fire-side in the bar.
Dine on grilled-over-fire dishes in Gatsby-esque surrounds at Pearly Cow restaurant, then stop by the help-yourself pantry to fill pink striped paper bags with retro sweets for midnight snacking.
A couples’ must-do for max zen is the FieldTrip Spa’s “Copper Cove” ritual, where glasses of Chapel Down accompany soaks in a shared copper bathtub. Scrub one another with rose-infused Himalayan salts, before enjoying side-by-side, back, neck and shoulder massages, followed by a foot scrub and massage, or facial and scalp massage, in a private treatment room.
Price: From £239 (room-only) £279 (B&B)
Read more: My friend is getting divorced – so I took her on a romantic getaway
3. Sea Containers London hotel
South Bank, London
There’s plenty of culture on the doorstep at Sea Containers London, which has long-established itself as a stellar romantic stay.
Right by the River Thames, its design is inspired by golden-era 1920s cruise liner glamour. Spaces include a gleaming copper-clad, hull-inspired reception and the retro-glam Lyaness bar, where boundary-pushing cocktails are whipped up behind the green marble bar.
Four recently-opened Cabin Suites have taken overnight slumbering options to the next level. Each has been decked out with vintage antiques, sourced by design whizz Jacu Strauss in partnership with Vinterior, offering a step-back-in-time stay that’s great for couples with a penchant for fantasy.
Accessed by a corridor with carpet and walls in a crimson hue, the river-facing “Art Deco Cabin Suite” is the stand-out choice with its own telescope for star — or skyline — gazing. It has a bed with theatrical Burlwood headboard, a freestanding nickel bathtub and 1930s sofa reupholstered in snuggly white boucle.
Coming a close second, is the across-the-corridor “Dynasty Cabin Suite”, all OTT 1980s opulence with white-on-white decor and gilded touches. There’s a white leather Vico Magistretti Maralunga Sofa and a suggestive framed print of scarlet red lips on the lounge wall.
All Cabin Suite stays include an at-door negroni experience — a dapper bartender will wheel up a trolley to craft a tipple — and the option for a lazy, in-room champagne breakfast in bed.
Price: Cabin Suites from £800 a night, B&B
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4. Estelle Manor hotel
Oxfordshire
Estelle Manor is reached by an imposing oak-lined driveway which leads to a Jacobean manor house ringed by parkland. It boasts a terrace with a 25-metre al fresco pool, which is an ideal place to sip champagne and canoodle beneath striped parasols. In short: the vibe here will suit lovers down to the ground.
The swish Oxfordshire country-club-meets-hotel, from the team behind Mayfair members’ club Maison Estelle, has cemented itself as an A-list magnet thanks to its discreet service and warm “hosted home” ambience (indeed, Eve Jobs and Harry Charles held their star-studded wedding reception here last summer).
Couples after a relaxing spa experience should head to adult-only Eynsham Baths, a Roman-style 3000sq metre bathhouse, which is all Neoclassical-style marble panelling and stone columned grandeur. A 180-minute “Thermal Journey” takes in an imposing bathing hall, thermal pools, steam room and hay sauna. Plus, there’s a secluded breathwork pool, which is partially open-air and glorious for after-dark stargazing.
Couples’ treatments include the “Ceremony for the Soul”, combining a hammam experience, two hours’ of bespoke treatments and a bathing ritual in a marble-clad bath inside a private suite.
Top things off with a Chinese feast at adult-only The Billiards Room, sinking into snake-shaped velvet banquettes underneath Murano glass chandeliers, or enjoy wood-fired pizzas and create-your-own-sundaes at lantern-filled The Glasshouse before retreating to opulent bedrooms.
Plump for “Manor House” rooms for four poster beds and a grown-up ambience; under 13s aren’t allowed here after 8pm.
Price: From £695; B&B
Read more: The best cheap holidays for couples, from weekend breaks to beach holidays
5. Broadwick Soho hotel
Soho, London
Capturing the theatrical spirit of the West End, this riot of a hotel brings the sensuality of Soho to life in full technicolour.
The 57-room townhouse, Broadwick Soho, with design by Martin Brudnizki, nails maximalism that riffs on Studio 54 and the disco era in equal measure.
At rooftop bar-restaurant Flute there’s shimmering silver ceiling tiles, a wraparound terrace and tables curtained off by velvet drapes. And at its blush-pink onyx bar, cocktails and glasses of Billecart-Salmon Le Blanc de Blancs are served with bumps of Osciètre caviar. There’s always something going on here, from DJs playing Wednesday to Saturday nights, to tarot readings – ideal for the spiritually-minded to peek into the future of their relationship.
Top suites feature marbled wallpaper, elephant-shaped brass mini bars and Pierre Frey rugs, and there’s art aplenty throughout the property, by the likes of Andy Warhol and Bridget Riley.
Entered via a darkened staircase illuminated by neon blue artwork, Dear Jackie is a titillating spot with cosy booth seating, and pasta dishes worth getting passionate about – ricotta agnolotti with Amalfi lemon, for one – and desserts including amaretto tiramisu.
Broadwick Soho’s clued-in concierge can help bag hard-to-find theatre tickets, and the property runs regular tickets-and-stay packages with the most-talked about West End shows – such as raunchy “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”. The offer includes top seats, and a pre-theatre menu at Dear Jackie.
Price: From £525, B&B
6. Crafted at Powdermills hotel
Battle, East Sussex
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For couples whose love language is taking part in playful activities together, 55-room boutique hotel and members’ club, Crafted at Powdermills, in historic Battle is just the ticket. There’s padel courts and a seven-acre lake for paddleboarding, kayaking and wild swims, as well as a lakeside sauna and dip-if-you-dare cold plunge pool. Oh, and for those who fancy recreating that pottery wheel scene from Ghost, ceramicist in-residence Holly Dawes leads sessions in the art studio.
For downtime, there’s an abundance of stylish hangout spaces in the Grade II-listed country house — a former gunpowder mill — which are decorated in flamboyant modern folk style by House of Dré.
Highlights include the pub, perfect for cosying up over a pint or plum martini, and a colourful lounge where vinyl spins. The marble-floored orangerie-style restaurant has an accomplished “fiercely seasonal” menu of dishes. Think spinach and ricotta raviolo with Owley Farm mushrooms and sage butter, and freshly-baked madeleines for after. Hotel guests also get access to members’ spaces, including a chic cocktail bar.
Terracotta colour palettes, beds dressed in tactile Warp Textiles covers and sustainable wood furniture by Seb Cox give bedrooms a grounding feel. Lakeside rooms with patios are the most romantic – on clear nights, you can step straight outside and stargaze.
While the hotel is still in its early days, and landscaping is bedding in, by late spring a lounger and parasol-lined lakeside wooden decking will make things even more appealing.
Price: From £250, room-only
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7. Outbuildings hotel
Bridport, Dorset
Outbuildings is a gloriously grown-up stay. Cocktails are delivered straight to the door thanks to a “text for a tipple” service, and a private bubble-jet hot tub in the woodland boasts a cheeky “Crank for champagne” add-on for a bottle of Furleigh Estate fizz to accompany soaks.
The former dairy farm turned family-run farm hotel just outside Bridport has 11 charming accommodations including a revamped former barn and outbuildings.
As well as stellar locavore dining by the fireside at The Cart Shed restaurant, another highlight for loved-up twosomes is quirky cinema experiences, which take place in a fairy light-filled barn. Pick which film to watch on a big screen then snuggle up in a zhuzhed-up sheepbox, under heated blankets with help-yourself pick’n’mix and popcorn.
Adding even more allure for 2026 are two brand new “Shelter cabins”, with grassy green and dusky pink colour palettes, which are rich in elevated 1970s glamour (Taylor Swift in her Life of a Showgirl era would fit right in).
Fluted oakwood panelling and a ruched velvet headboard make the emperor-size bed hard to leave, while floor-to-ceiling glass windows invite views of the countryside in. Plus there’s a log burner to hunker down by.
The bathroom is the crowning glory, with an easily-fits-two walk-in rainfall shower, huge William Holland brass bathtub (with jets) and sliding glass doors, which can be flung open to give the feeling of bathing al fresco while retaining your privacy.
Price: The Shelter 1 and The Shelter 2 are from £438
8. The Double Red Duke hotel
Clanfield, Cotswolds
This 17th-century coaching inn in Clanfield – in Bampton, of Downton Abbey fame – brings together step-back-in-time romance, contemporary interiors and seriously good food.
A vision in honey-coloured Cotswolds stone, The Double Red Duke is a former merchant’s house draped in wisteria. It has a pretty lavender-edged lawn dotted with red and white striped parasols, and a not-to-be-missed restaurant where head chef Matt Cuthbert serves elevated pub grub with a cooked-over-fire focus.
Foodie couples can pull up a stool at the kitchen counter to wonder at the chefs at work, opt for a banquette in the sociable dining room, or bag a table in the conservatory. The menu spans the likes of rump steak and triple-cooked chips, and beetroot rice with labneh and treacle, which can be followed by caramel apple crumble with charcoal honey ice cream.
A multitude of lounges, decorated with tactile velvet sofas, flickering fires and shelves lined with vintage hardbacks are ripe for post-prandial nightcaps. Sip on rum, raspberry and blackberry-infused Midnight Havana cocktails.
The 19 bedrooms channel bohemian hedonism, marrying original timber beams and emperor headboards with flea market furnishings. The most romantic have roll top baths in jade green and vermillion shades, alongside wildflower-scented 100 Acres toiletries to accompany leisurely soaking sessions.
Price: From £200, B&B
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9. The Tawny hotel
Staffordshire, Peak District
Lovers of the great outdoors will adore this “deconstructed hotel” in the Peak District. Quirky accommodation includes shepherd’s huts, treehouses and boathouses, scattered throughout the 70-acre grounds of the Consall Estate in rural Staffordshire, and all have bubbling outdoor bathtubs that are roomy enough for two.
Boathouses at The Tawny are best for birdwatching, with floor-to-ceiling windows and lake views, while skylights in shepherd’s huts invite from-bed stargazing.
Couples who want to delve further into the cosmos can book on to astronomer-led mindful stargazing strolls, which take place after-dark. Stop-offs under the star-spangled sky are kept cosy thanks to blankets and marshmallow-topped hot chocolate.
Hours can be spent wandering the woodland – the weather-vane topped bandstand is a popular proposal spot — and dipping in the steamy, Roman baths-style outdoor pool.
The spa does Temple Spa treatments inside a quaint thatched cottage, while meals at leafy-walled Plumicorn Restaurant, with giant bauble lighting and passion-flower adorned furniture, feels like dining in a magical rainforest.
Charming staff can also arrange picnic hampers to be set up in the grounds, as a lovers’ surprise, or deliver movie night hampers filled with sweet treats.
Price: From £280, B&B
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10. The Gallivant hotel
Rye, East Sussex
With Camber Sands’ rolling golden dunes on the doorstep and Rye’s cobbled streets a short drive away, the location of adult-only boutique hotel The Gallivant is hard to beat. Surroundings aside, this 20-room bolthole holds its own as a romantic destination, in no small part due to its dreamy Hamptons-style bedrooms. They range from cosy, timber-walled cabin suites with beachy colour pops, to luxury garden rooms. Choose the latter for bathtubs revealed by sliding panels, inviting beds framed by beach hut-look cabinetry, and French doors leading to a pine-filled garden.
Couples who are keen on yoga can take advantage of morning classes, or instead settle in for chess in the candlelit lounge.
The dining room has days-gone-by seaside glamour, with white linen tablecloths, upcycled wooden furniture and framed vintage swimwear sourced from LA costume houses on the walls. Food by chef Matthew Harris at Harry’s restaurant includes Maldon oysters, Rye bay hake, with fennel, red onion and blood orange and roast delica pumpkin with pistachio and stracciatella.
For extra special sunsets, guests can book “Drinks in the Dunes”, where staff will pack a hamper with a blanket and homemade margaritas, hot toddies or rum coffees for two – ideal for barefoot, blissed-out sundowners.
Read our full review of The Gallivant hotel
Price: From £165, room-only
Read more: The best cheap hotels in London for a budget-friendly city break
11. Gleneagles Townhouse hotel
Edinburgh
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Sitting on St Andrew Square in Edinburgh, the little sister outpost of Scotland’s most famous countryside retreat is an on-the-money reimagining of the former Bank of Scotland.
At the heart of Gleneagles Townhouse is the grand restaurant The Spence, set in the old banking hall underneath a magnificent glass dome. It’s a lively space as appealing for curled-up chats over coffee as to clink whiskey. Or try the Scottish strawberry, jasmine and rosé cocktail inspired by France-Lise McGurn (her artwork decorates the walls). Meals here are ones for the books; Elliot Hill’s dishes — onion soup with truffled Anster cheese, sharing grilled lemon sole with brioche croutons — show off Scotland’s natural larder with a focus on provenance and seasonality. And, that’s before the roving dessert trolley rolls up – laden with strawberry tarts and hand-piped doughnuts.
Slumbering wise, no two of the 33 rooms are the same, but all have charming touches, including fairytale-style canopied beds, antique lighting and rugs, and clawfoot bathtubs.
You can expect across-the-board attention to detail at this luxury bolthole – from engraved ice cubes at rooftop Lamplighters bar to warm hospitality from staff who know the city inside out.
Price: From £495, B&B
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12. The Samling Hotel
Lake Windermere, Lake District
Few spots in the UK are as romantic as the Lake District, with its poetry-inspiring peaks and shimmering meres, tarns and waters. One of the loveliest spots to bed down in is The Samling, a 12-room bolthole on a hillside on the fringe of Lake Windermere.
Horticulturally-minded lovers will adore rambling through its 65 acres of fellside, hay meadows and bluebell-sprinkled woodland, and discovering the ornamental garden and its cascading ponds.
Accommodation is divided between the main manor house and a clutch of revamped cottages and farm buildings where the Lakes’ calming surroundings are reflected in blue, green, lilac and dove grey bedroom palettes.
The rooms to book are “Thirlmere”, which has two windows offering a full spectrum of views and silvery-mauve decor; or “Windermere”, a split-level cottage with a slate wall, wrought-iron staircase and private terrace.
At the striking glass-fronted restaurant, Robby Jenks’ multi-course lunch and suppers – featuring the likes of Iberico ham and Jerusalem artichoke, and straight-from-the-orchard apples with white chocolate and tonka – are as impressove as the views.
Lovers can also take advantage of a soak in the hotel’s hillside hot tub, with hour-long private slots bookable for all guests.
Price: From £390, B&B
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13. Cliveden House hotel
Berkshire
Cliveden marries wholesome outdoor pursuits, with 376 glorious acres of National Trust rose and lavender-filled gardens to ramble, and scandal — its walled garden pool is where Christine Keeler, after emerging from a moonlit dip, first caught the eye of John Profumo, sparking the Profumo affair.
Couples can take in the grand country estate while giggling through its hedgerow maze, admiring the Parterre lawns and Carrara marble Fountain of Love sculpture, or following in the footsteps of the powerful politicos with a stay at one of its plush 47 rooms. Housed inside an impressive Italianate mansion decorated with period features and antiques, every British monarch since George I has bedded down here, as has Meghan Markle — who opted for the rather whimsical Lady Astor Suite, with periwinkle blue canopied bed and matching chaise longue, for the night prior to her nuptials.
Adding extra special occasion zhush, some rooms have their own hot tubs on terraces. Private cruises along the Thames — accompanied by champagne afternoon tea — can be booked aboard beautifully-restored vintage boats, and seven-course “Cliveden journey” tasting menus show off best of British produce, served under sparkling chandeliers at 3AA Rosette The Dining Room.
Price: From £445, B&B
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Why trust us
The hotels featured in this list have been carefully selected by The Independent's hotels expert Ianthe Butt, an award-winning travel writer. When picking which hotels to include, she considered her own experience staying in the hotels and evaluated location, facilities, service and all the other details that make for an exceptional stay for all types of traveller.
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