With travel finally flowing more freely, the outlook for 2022 trips and travel is looking bright! Reflecting on what the new direction of travel will quite literally look like this year has been fascinating – meaningful travel, connecting people to destinations rather than just sightseeing is becoming huge.

A far-flung trip is great, but it isn’t on the cards for everybody, and when that’s the case a weekend escape, mid-week break or staycation to hit refresh works wonders.

Staycations aren’t new, but my god they’re trending. Why? Because of the huge variety of hotels, restaurants, tours and attractions in British cities you don’t have all the trials and tribulations that can go with a trip abroad, including airfare, insurance and car rentals! Hotels are an experience in themselves and many are tapping into exciting facets by partnering with top chefs, adding emphasis on eco-retreats, curated art-driven installations and even pooch-friendly features.

Whilst picking the perfect pad for that trip away is tough, we’re here to lend a helping hand with our top 15 picks from Gloucestershire to Snowdonia to Edinburgh (not in one trip of course though!). This is your go-to guide for the 2022 mini-break hotspots – the best of British, a conscious effort to travel sustainably and enjoy every second.

Let’s get going!

Burleigh Court, Cotswolds

A 200-year old 18-room luxurious country house hotel set within a Grade II listed manor in the Cotswolds that’s nestled amidst four acres of lush gardens and boasts panoramic views across Gloucestershire’s Golden Valley. This country house hotel has an incredible gem of hidden gardens, breathtaking views, and a Victorian plunge pool. The hotel is home to a 2 AA Rosette restaurant that has a strong focus on sustainable and romantic dining serving the freshest ‘Best of British’ cuisine with produce locally sourced from within a 30-mile radius and also from its own kitchen garden.

Activities: Curated Experiences which include Wild Foodie Foraging, clay pigeon shooting, biking and e-biking and wine tasting tours.

Pricing: Classic rooms from £139 for two guests with breakfast.

Bonus: Burleigh is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty with picture-postcard villages and unique market and spa towns on its doorstep

Tudor Farmhouse, Gloucestershire

An Award-Winning stylish boutique hotel nestling where Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley meet. This rural retreat is a former working farm dating back to the 13th Century, lovingly converted with 20 luxurious bedrooms and suites. Our restaurant serves homely yet inventive dishes sourced from our kitchen garden and suppliers within a 20-mile radius. Most of all, it’s a place to reflect, recharge and relax.

Activities: Try exploring the ancient woodland or hire a mountain bike or kayak. Join one of our experts on a foraging trip or wildlife safari or take a craft course in our garden room.

Pricing: Book a hatchling double room from £247 per night with dinner and bed and breakfast included for two people.

Bonus: Foraging trips are very popular. The crop depends on the season and ranges from a wide variety of edible mushrooms, wild garlic and sorrel, bittercress, pennywort, wineberries, edible flowers and wild strawberries.

The Bradley Hare, Wiltshire

The Bradley Hare is Wiltshire’s newest cosy county inn. Located on the Duke of Somerset’s Estate in the beautiful village of Maiden Bradley, The Bradley Hare has twelve bedrooms. The inn offers delicious dishes using the best local and seasonal produce and all year round al-fresco dining in glorious private gardens, surrounded by fresh fruit and vegetable patches. As the seasons change and the evenings bring a temperature drop, guests can be sure to experience a stylish, yet cosy stay due to James Thurstan Waterworth, ex-European Design Director for Soho House, having overseen the Inn’s cool, yet authentic interiors. Each bedroom is unique with 18th & 19th-century antique furniture and includes distinctive fabrics repurposed and used for the headboards.

Activities: For those who are able to be torn away from soaking in the gorgeous freestanding baths, the sumptuous beds and linens, or the candlelit dinners, why not enjoy a visit to The Potting Shed, The Bradley Hare’s secluded boutique beauty sanctuary for a wide range of holistic treatments.

Pricing: Midweek rates start from £135 per room per night and include breakfast.

Bonus: The house and estate have been the family home of the Duke of Somerset since 1688 when the land was gifted by King Henry VIII.

Ellenborough Park, Gloucestershire

A stunning 15th-century manor house in glorious parkland, Ellenborough Park is Gloucestershire’s only 5-star hotel, just a few miles outside Cheltenham and right on the gateway to the Cotswolds. This peaceful 90-acre country estate has original stone flags and wooden beams, glorious vast open fireplaces that speak to its rich history and 61 luxury guest rooms, each designed by Nina Campbell.

Activities: Guests can take afternoon tea in the Great Hall, choose from a rich menu of sumptuous dishes in The Restaurant, or dine alfresco in the Cedar Pavillion Tent and the hotel’s quirky dining carriages – fittingly reflecting the equestrian influence of neighbouring Cheltenham. The hotel also has a Boot Room from which guests can borrow a wax coat and a pair of Dubarry’s in order to explore the nearby rolling countryside.

Pricing: rates at Ellenborough Park start from £299 inclusive of VAT and breakfast based on a Cosy Double room sleeping two people.

Bonus: The hotel has a small Elemis spa and an outside pool. Dog-friendly rooms make it the perfect countryside retreat for the entire family.

Wave Garden Spa, Snowdonia

Located within the grounds of the Adventure Parc Snowdonia in the Conwy Valley – an award-winning adventure resort that is home to the world’s first inland surf lagoon – the Wave Garden Spa has been carefully designed to make the most of its natural resources and the magnificent landscapes of Snowdonia.

The Wave Garden Spa is all about pure water, fresh air and freedom. Guests will be able to relax and unwind as they enjoy the sound of waves and views of the mountains and forests, bathe in pools fed with chemical-free water and enjoy unique cleansing and purifying treatments, contemporary design and a stunning heated sensory spa garden.

Activities: Guest exclusive fitness centre at the Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia, inland surfing on the adventure parc’s world-first surf lagoon, indoor and outdoor adventures including stand up paddleboarding and freshwater swimming.

Pricing: Garden Classic mini-break for two starts from £315 which includes an overnight stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia, with breakfast, Two hours of thermal journey relaxation, Your choice of 55min treatment each, Fluffy robes and towels for your use, Wave Garden Spa flip flops to take home, Dinner for two at Zephyr’s Bar & Grill.

Bonus: Spa facilities include a vitality waterfall pool, steam room, oversized Himalayan salt sauna, hammam, hydrotherapy pool, loungers, relaxation pods, fire pits, traditional wooden barrel sauna, fragrant herb garden and yoga studio!

Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa, Lake District

The luxurious Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa, set in the northern Lake District offers guests a nature reset. Nestled within 400 acres of private woodland and deer park on the edge of Bassenthwaite Lake near Keswick, guests can escape city life for a perfect opulent getaway.

Activities: with an expansive leisure programme, guests can immerse themselves in nature via one of Armathwaite’s experiences including Forest Bathing, Alpaca Walking and Wild Swimming.

Pricing: Superior double room from £750 per night

Bonus: Forest Bathing became a popular wellness exercise in lockdown due to the need of appreciating outdoor space. Pipped to be even bigger in 2022, why not enjoy Forest Bathing in the stunning surroundings of the Lake district? Benefitting emotional, social and spiritual health and wellbeing, it is a wellness practice much like yoga and meditation.

Cary Arms & Spa, South Devon

The award-winning “Inn on the Beach” with a spectacular coastal location, boutique spa, fabulous local food, warm atmosphere and exceptional service. With six beach huts and two beach suites, each with its own entrance, you’ll be spoilt for choice in the stunning haven. The Cary Arms have dog-friendly rooms (Foxes) which include a dog bed, bowl and treats.

Activities: Guided coastal walks, sea kayaking, mackerel fishing, paddle boarding, coastal walks, classic wooden sailing yacht ‘Escape’, exploring Babbacombe, Oddicombe and Petitor Downs interconnected, attractive little bays known for their top water quality and cleanliness.

Pricing: Luxury Seaview Room starts from £275 per night B&B and from £335 B&B for a Beach.

Bonus: The hotel is committed to sustainability.

The Biltmore, London

Located in the prestigious Grosvenor Square, The Biltmore Mayfair offers opulent accommodations and a prime location for exploring the capital. Discover London’s top shopping destinations with Oxford Street and New Bond Street within walking distance. Take the Biltmore Bentley for a spin, or sample our delightful dining options designed by our Michelin-starred chef.

Featuring 250 opulent rooms, 49 curated suites, and 8 signature suites with stunning views of London’s iconic skyline. We offer personalized touches with a seamless balance of distinctive character and unrivalled service.

Activities: Rent a Bentley for the day (or two). Drive yourself for the thrill or relax and enjoy the ride while your chauffer takes the wheel to do a spot of shopping in the capital city.

Pricing: Settle into a twin deluxe room from £492 per night

Bonus: Michelin-starred chef, need we say more?

Sofitel London St James, London

Situated on the corner of Pall Mall and Waterloo Place, five-starred Sofitel London St James sits proudly in central London and blends contemporary French elegance with a bold British design scheme that recalls the creative, dynamic feel of the 1960s and 70s society and culture in the capital.

Activities: The hotel is also home to Wild Honey St James, an exciting collaboration with renowned chef Anthony Demetre and a reimagination of his iconic restaurant concept Wild Honey, offering the finest seasonal British produce and contemporary Michelin star French cooking.

Pricing: From £387 per night for a newly designed superior room.

Bonus: guests can also enjoy a cocktail or two at St James Bar, a truly decadent and intimate space, day or night.

Hotel Brooklyn, Manchester

The uber-cool Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester has been hugely successful in its first year despite closing just one month after its grand launch. Designed by Squid Inc, the name Brooklyn was inspired by the New York Borough, chosen for its resonating similarities to Manchester: its buzzing industrial growth and powerfully vibrant identity and culture.

The 189-room hotel is a pioneer in accessible design – superb design for all and careful thought to anyone needing special care: from the taxi companies Hotel Brooklyn contracts who must show that they can cater for special needs, to the design of every aspect of the rooms and bathrooms, public areas etc. There are 18 accessible rooms in total split between wheelchair and ambulant accessible.

Activities: Take a big bite of life at Runyon’s Bar & Restaurant, or a skyline barstool up at Salvation for special occasions in the hotel.

Pricing: Starting at £139 per night

Bonus: All the hotel staff will be trained and aware that all guests are different – this is a hotel that really cares about pushing the boundaries for what a hotel can offer as ‘the norm’ across the board.

The Moxy Hotel, Manchester

Marriot Bonvoy’s experiential hotel brand has officially opened in Manchester with Moxy Manchester City. This fresh neighbourhood hotel and hangout brings more style and socialising to Manchester’s Spinningfields with its 146 modern bedroom hotel, a cool living room lobby and the place to be, Bar Moxy. The hotel is pet friendly, so pooches can come too.

Moxy Manchester City is the place to be for a social staycation, offering affordable fun and endless adventure. Step into Bar Moxy – the social heart of the hotel, which also serves as the hotel’s front desk, where a cocktail is served at check-in, alongside the room key.

Activities: Bar Moxy has DJs playing every night to draw hotel guests out of their rooms and locals out of their homes. An extensive drinks menu of beers, spirits, wine, and cocktails are available – featuring Moxy specials, Got MOXY: Gin, with MOXY syrup blend, a non-alcoholic Fauxy Moxy: MOXY Syrup Blend and Chilled Tea and the star of the show, Disco Diva: the ultimate sharing cocktail served in a disco ball with Vodka, Vanilla, Limoncello, Citrus Elderflower, Pomegranate, and Prosecco.

Pricing: From just £99 per night for a club double which includes a King Size bed and free breakfast for booking on the site, it’s an offer not to be missed!

Bonus: There’s a dedicated barista counter for your coffee fix, and Grab n Go snacks and beverages are available 24/7.

The Craigellachie, Scotland

Tucked away in the heart of Speyside and placed conveniently along The Malt Whisky Trail, Scotland’s oldest whisky hotel, The Craigellachie, is home to its famous Copper Dog Pub and new outdoor terrace area to enjoy the very best of Speyside’s renowned food and drink larder and great outdoors.

Guests can dine at The Copper Dog’s newly developed outdoor terrace and explore the revamped summer menu whilst soaking up the views of the iconic River Spey. Executive Chef, Will Halsall, has worked in some of London’s most iconic restaurants, The Ivy, 34 Grosvenor Square and Le Caprice before heading to Speyside.

Activities: Picture sipping on Apple Dog, at the home of Copper Dog Whisky, or choose from the 850 single malts before relaxing on the outdoor terrace, immersed in the Scottish highland landscape.

Pricing: You can book a snug double from £175 per night and even book champagne whisky or wine to the room so it’s there on your arrival.

Bonus: Whilst here you’ll have to visit the Quaich bar – it’s considered the best whisky bar in the world. Come and discover stunning whiskies, a mean cocktail or a local craft beer.

Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland

Glenapp Castle is tucked away on the breathtaking Ayrshire coast in Scotland. In addition to its beautiful location, the Castle is renowned for offering 65 indoor and outdoor activities. With 110 acres of private estate, beautiful gardens and local woodland, plus stunning views out to sea and the famous volcanic outcrop of Ailsa Craig, Glenapp Castle provides the perfect backdrop for this inaugural retreat.

Activities: Earlier this year, the hotel introduced brand new wellness activities to its portfolio including yoga, digital detox and forest bathing.

Pricing: Glenapp Castle will be hosting its second wellness retreat this November. Pricing is £470 per night.

Bonus: You have the incredible opportunity to take a sea safari aboard a Glenapp boat and explore the Hebridean islands.

House of Gods, Cow Gate Edinburgh

House of Gods treats every guest like they’re famous, and has become known for their incredible interiors. The 22 room boutique hotel and cocktail bar – just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile – is an OTT blend of maximalist interiors, lavish fabrics and hand-finished details polarised against an easy-going vibe. Years spent working in London opened the eyes of owners Ross and Mike Baxter to a world of unapologetic luxury that was dampened by industry exclusivity, financial barriers and blown up price points.

Activities: Lilith’s lounge is our decadent hotel bar titled after the fallen Queen of The Damned, and draped in fabulous decor – the perfect hideaway for a few.

Pricing: From £136.05 per night for a gorgeous cabin room.

Bonus: Book directly on their website and receive complimentary access to their full butler service, bedtime milk & cookies, luxury breakfast hamper and bar tab on them.

Links House, Dornoch Highlands, Scotland

The UK’s most northerly luxury destination, and it’s 100 yards from the first tee at Royal Dornoch Golf Club. A stunning collection of three properties, with luxe bedrooms decorated in sumptuous plaids and inspired by the Highlands, guests can enjoy ethical fine dining at the fabulous MARA, or a delicious, but more casual supper at the nearby Courtroom in the centre of Dornoch.

Activities: Links guest relations team will tailor every aspect of your itinerary whether country sports such as shooting, stalking and fishing, or guided cycling and hiking itineraries across the majestic Highlands. The hotel is the perfect base to explore the North Coast 500 with detailed maps and some “off-the-beaten-path” route enhancements.

Pricing: Rates from £245 per night for a stay in the main house access room with bed and breakfast included.

Bonus: The Carnegie Courthouse houses Aspen Spa for beauty/massage treatments followed by The Courtroom for a welcoming Wine Bar Brasserie experience with regular live music.

Written by Kaya Cheshire for Luxuria Lifestyle London and International