The details that make a bedroom that warm kind of cosy? It’s all
down to the components of a bedside table, and it’s a good job our
old pals down the New Kings Road agree. Aragon House has 15
boutique bedrooms, each fitted with one-drawer chests that showcase
an iceberg-blue rotary phone, gold tassel-fringed lampshade and a
hefty Roberts radio. Downstairs, there’s the polished Arthur’s Bar,
where gallery-esque walls hung with abstract art, red leather
banquettes and vintage glass pendant lights make for a top spot for
a bloody mary. The food is consistently delicious (three cheers for
head chef Gary Smith), but the Sunday menu takes things to a new
level. Our order? The rolled pork belly, mushroom and cashew nut
wellington, followed by apple tart drizzled in an extra-sticky
caramel sauce. Things to note: a weekly tasting evening invites
foodies to a wine and cheese pairing session. As for the beer
garden? Easily the best in the west.

What it costs: From £139 a night

Okay, we hold our hands up, this address might not be a
centuries-old boozer as such, but it is a converted farmhouse
offering seriously snug guest rooms, a neighbourhood gastropub and
dazzling destination restaurant. The Oxfordshire Artist Residence, the fourth
outpost from hoteliers Justin and Charlotte Salisbury, serves up
all the ingredients that make for an idyllic home-from-home
retreat: think original oak beams, masonry fireplaces and wooden
floors. But it’s the extra trimmings that steal the show, including
plush sofas decorated with bolster cushions, vintage rugs and
ornate lampshades, copper rolltop baths and the kind of jewel-toned
tiled walls you can’t help but stroke. The in-house pub, Mr
Hanbury’s Mason Arms, is where to savour an extra-large negroni
come happy hour.

What it costs: From £156 a night

There are few places we’d trade our own bed for, but when it
comes to The George & Heart? Just whisper the words and our
bags are packed. The former Margate coaching inn was sensitively renovated by
owners Kelly Love and Dan Williams, a creative couple who
celebrated the property’s history while injecting a fresh, playful
look – think distressed walls, reclaimed furnishings and swish
upholstery. The drinks list, brimming with local craft beers,
seasonal cocktails and low-intervention wines, is joined by a menu
of dishes made with ingredients harvested from the on-site garden.
There are six bedrooms to choose from, each vastly different in
character and style. We love Studio Margate, partly for its bed’s
blush-pink, half-moon headboard, but largely for the subtle nods to
its seaside surrounds. Things to note: that killer playlist you
loved during your stay? It can be streamed (for free) on
Spotify.

What it costs: From £95 a night

Resting on the banks of the River Tay – deep in the
lesser-trodden town of Dunkeld – The Taybank makes for a slick,
Scandi-chic staycation, thanks to its pared-back bedrooms and
eclectic menus. It was back in 2019 that local lad Fraser Potter,
set his sights on the tired bar in which he spent much of his youth
sinking pints. One makeover later and the pub is not only home to
Perthshire’s coolest beer garden, but offers accommodation with
swoon-worthy mid-century interiors. Cosy rooms offer a serene
sanctuary, with polished-concrete walls, leather armchairs and
super-soft faux-fur blankets. Come morning, a breakfast hamper
bursting with fresh, seasonal delights is delivered straight to
your door. As an added bonus, a sauna and cold-water plunge tank
are on hand to set sore heads straight.

What it costs: From £170 a night

Enveloped in a blanket of ivy, The Beckford Arms is the kind of
place we Brits long for when far from home. Step inside to find a
bar bordered by chalkboard menus and dried florals, round tables
topped with candlesticks, and ceilings clad with excessively large
chandeliers. The pub is renowned in local circles for its food
offering. We strongly suggest trying the beef and mushroom pie –
served on a bed of creamed mustard mash with garden peas – at least
twice during your stay; the homemade bread and tapenade is a strong
choice, too. Rooms are on the romantic side of snug, with clawfoot
baths within arm’s reach of beds and slouchy sofas perfectly
positioned alongside wood-burning fires.

What it costs: From £125 a night

Yep, we’re still obsessed with the Cotswolds. Escape to the honey-hued streets of
Barnsley, where this village pub awaits. Last year, a renovation
headed up by the late furniture designer Timothy Oulton saw the
addition of six light-filled (dog-friendly) bedrooms. The bar got
some TLC, too, with decorative details such as hippo skulls,
fossilised artefacts and chairs upholstered in William Morris-like
prints. The drinks are guaranteed to hit the spot, and food is just
as impressive, with head chef John Jewell putting a contemporary
twist on all the best-loved British classics, from cod cooked in a
cider batter to maple-and-chilli sweet potatoes.

What it costs: From £180 a night