The most romantic Honeymoon Hotels in the UK
By Hannah Rose
Planning a wedding is fun, but it can certainly take its toll. What better than to look forward to a romantic break away with your partner?!
With a rise in the cost of international travel, more couples are turning towards the idea of honeymooning in the UK. Whether you are looking for a cosy bolthole on the coast, a luxurious spa, or incredible views of London, these are some of my favourite honeymoon staycations.
The Scarlet, Cornwall
This adults-only hotel in Cornwall is the ultimate escape after a busy wedding day. Nestled on a cliffside and boasting endless blue vistas, the Scarlet also happens to be one of the most eco-friendly places to stay in England.
Couples can lay back and enjoy treatments inside lantern-lit rooms at the eco spa, before kicking back and relaxing in suspended cocoon pods. Also at the spa is a glass-sided indoor pool, an outdoor natural reed pool, a clifftop cedar wood sauna, and a steam room.
Whilst Cornwall really comes to life in summer, winter offers guests the chance to cosy up in front of the fire and explore the sights of Cornwall with barely another soul around. Rainy days only make the atmosphere more romantic, and what better of an excuse than to spend the morning curled up in bed?
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Lake District
The Lake District is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, so where better to spend your first few days of marriage?
Set within a breathtaking 20 acre estate, the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House continues to find itself being recommended for UK-based honeymoons and minimoons.
There are 30 guestrooms, most with their own hot tubs, alongside several restaurants, a Champagne Bar, spa, and of course I can’t forget to mention the resident llamas. If you really want to go all out, the hotel offers five detached spa lodges.
The spa rooms are located within cedar-clad lodges, including king size beds, beautiful bathrooms, and the cherry on top of the cake, a private en-suite spa along with mood lighting, fires, and floor-to-ceiling electric blinds. The free-standing stone bath is perfect for honeymoons, as well as the outdoor sauna and hot tub, all located within a walled garden.
Philham Water Cottage, Devon
If fancy restaurants, turn down service, and valet parking are not your vibe, then look no further…
We have all seen the Holiday, right? This gorgeous little cottage in North Devon offers ‘The Holiday’ experience, but with even more romance.
Located on a quiet country road close to the breathtaking Hartland Cliffs, Philham Water Cottage is rumoured to be the oldest cottage in the county. It stands next to a gentle stream and offers a small but colourful garden.
The cottage is small, intimate, and extremely romantic, especially for those who want to feel as though they are living on the pages of a storybook. The lounge is completed with a woodburner to keep you warm on chilly nights, and upstairs you will find an adorable bedroom with a view over the garden.
The biggest perk? You don’t need to leave your dog at home!
Eagle Brae, Scottish Highlands
With breathtaking landscapes, rugged mountains and shimmering lochs, the Scottish Highlands can be your own private paradise. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions of Great Britain, and as long as you don’t arrive at Glencoe on a Saturday lunch time, you often have the scenery all to yourself.
Eagle Brae is a magical place to stay, tucked away on a quiet hillside close to the banks of the River Glass. Each lodge offers luxurious private accommodation for guests looking to get away from it all and simply immerse themselves in the serene nature of the Highlands.
A hamper full of goodies awaits you inside, and if you truly want to rug up and simply do nothing, you can even get home-cooked meals delivered straight to your lodge door.
Some people want to relax on their honeymoons, others want to explore. Eagle Brae offers the opportunity to do both, offering canoeing, dog sledding, and clay pigeon shooting, not to mention the gorgeous hikes through mountains.
The Rookery, London
The Rookery Hotel in London is hidden away in a corner of Clerkenwell, a unique neighbourhood filled with historic streets and lots of stories to tell.
This delightful boutique hotel offers a more personal approach than most London hotels, providing a great option for a couple in love. Think wood panelling, four poster beds, stone flagged floors and open fire places, that is the kind of period charm that fills The Rookery.
The Rook’s Nest is the ultimate romantic suite, a two-storey Penthouse with unrivalled views over St Paul’s and the Old Bailey. A Victorian bath tube balances on a raised plinth in one corner of the room, whilst a hand painted four poster bed sits in another. The only concern here is you have London at your fingertips, but you may just want to stay inside.
Barnsley House, Cotswolds
Surrounded by delightful gardens, Barnsley House is a country house hotel with a twist. More than just history, afternoon tea and gardens (although it does all these brilliantly…), Barnsley House is home to one of the best spas in the Cotswolds.
The Barnsley Spa is an ideal retreat for couples in love, located in a secluded corner of the hotel’s gardens. With an undisturbed view over the countryside, the only non-hotel guests that will be joining you is the local herd of cows.
Newlyweds can enjoy a dip in the outdoor pool before heading into one of the treatment rooms for a couples massage or refreshing facial.
Away from the spa is a number of private suites set up for an indulgent romantic staycation, some with their own hot tubs and private courtyards.
This post has been written in collaboration with Hannah Rose, travel photographer and author of Postcardsbyhannah.