With a new year comes new plans, and what better to plan than a trip to an exciting new spot.
Across the UK, there are an array of new openings of hotels and accommodation from January onwards, all with something unique to offer.
These are some of the very best.
The Swan Inn at Fittleworth, West Sussex, January
Following the recent reopening of this rural pub-restaurant will be a collection of bedrooms in the new year. The building dates to the 14th century, and the inn has existed since 1536, but a modern extension and restored barn and stables have transformed it into a high-end country retreat. The 12 en suite bedrooms will feature Frette linens and luxurious mattresses, with a communal larder stocked with home-baked cakes and snacks.
Guests can follow in the footsteps of previous illustrious residents including Turner, Constable and Rudyard Kipling. Downstairs, the inn will be overseen by front of house pro Angus Davies, previously of Chez Bruce, Lorne, Sorrel, and his Bib Gourmand-awarded solo venture The Hollist Arms just beyond nearby Petworth.
Doubles from £180, accessible rooms available, swaninnfittleworth.com
The Manor House Inn, Somerset, January
Wiltshire-based Chickpea Group has acquired a seventh pub, its first in Somerset. Located in the pretty village of Ditcheat near Bruton – known for its production of Barber’s cheese – The Manor House has stunning views of the surrounding Mendip Hills. The 18th-century building will have nine bedrooms with period features, as well as a classic pub menu and sourdough pizza kitchen downstairs. On tap, there will be beers from Wiltshire’s Rude Giant Brew Co, to be enjoyed in front of a number of open fires in the winter, and a beer garden in the warmer months.
Doubles from £95, manorhouseinnditcheat.co.uk
Seaton House, Fife, February
St Andrews’ latest opening should please golf fans. Seaton House is located near the first tee at the world-famous Old Course, where the first game of golf was played 600 years ago. Occupying an impressive manor house, it will offer luxurious rooms with light tones, wood panelling and subtle tartan touches, as well as golf club storage, many with views across West Sands beach.
Doubles from £185, seatonhouse.com
Z Leicester Square, London, February
Z Hotels will kick off the new year by opening its 15th property, in the heart of central London. Its Leicester Square hotel on Charing Cross Road will be the “compact luxury” chain’s flagship property. Guests can expect clean-lined, comfortable and, crucially, affordable accommodation in an area where such qualities are sometimes hard to find.
Doubles from £60, accessible rooms available, thezhotels.com
The Alfriston, East Sussex, March
The Signet Collection (Hampton Court’s The Mitre and others) is launching its fourth hotel in spring. In the picturesque village of Alfriston, it has stunning views of the surrounding South Downs, and the national park’s many popular walks on its doorstep. The award-winning Rathfinny Wine Estate is also a short walk away.
The Grade II listed building, previously Deans Place Hotel, dates to the 14th century. When it reopens, it will have 38 bedrooms as well as a restaurant, which will make use of herb and vegetable plots across the hotel’s gardens. As well as a bar and orangery serving breakfast and afternoon tea, there is a Signet spa that will include a steam room, sauna, outdoor pool and treatment rooms.
Doubles from £150, accessible rooms available, signet.ltd/our-hotels/the-alfriston
Penmaenuchaf, Gwynedd, March
This charming, Victorian stone-built hotel, at the foot of the commanding Cadair Idris and overlooking the Mawddach estuary, will fully reopen in spring. The design will be defined by “hiraeth” – a nostalgia for the place that one’s soul feels most at home – with period features and a nod to the area’s wool industry heritage in antique rugs and cosy throws. The completion of the two-year renovation will include the addition of five suites and a new lobby bar. The restaurant will serve seasonal produce, including from its own kitchen garden and surrounding woodlands.
Doubles from £230, penmaenuchaf.co.uk
Adelphi Portrush, Co Antrim, Early 2025
Currently undergoing extensive renovation, the landmark Adelphi Portrush will become the sixth hotel in the Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts collection when it reopens early next year. This grand base for exploring the Causeway Coast will be inspired by the seaside town’s golf and maritime history, using dark colours and opulent design flourishes. There will be an Italian grill restaurant, while the Royal Portrush Golf Club is just next door.
Doubles from £225, accessible rooms available, marineandlawn.com/portrush-adelphi
Bailiffgate Hotel, Northumberland, April
Occupying the former premises of a Georgian schoolhouse in Alnwick, the Bailiffgate should be opening its doors in spring after several delays. Located in the centre of this picturesque market town, it overlooks the imposing Norman Alnwick Castle, otherwise known as Harry Potter’s Hogwarts. Once complete, it will feature 48 bedrooms, suites and apartments, as well as a bar, restaurant and a private dining space, all done in contemporary style. Paying tribute to its history, the hotel has appointed a former pupil of the school as its general manager.
Doubles from £161, accessible rooms available, bespokehotels.com/bailiffgate-hotel
Murrayshall Country Estate, Perthshire, April
This historic hotel and golf course near Perth is capitalising on its vast estate by introducing 22 pod-style cabins. Designed and engineered by Scottish firm Armadilla, they look a little like an upturned boat’s hull, with modern interiors overlooking “Big Tree Country”. Some will have super-king-sized beds and private hot tubs, while others will be able to sleep a family of four. The estate’s recent developments include an adventure pursuits pavilion offering axe-throwing, quad biking and more.
Pods sleeping two from £250 a night, accessible rooms available, murrayshall.co.uk
Plas Weunydd Hotel, Gwynedd, April
Set in the former Blaenau Ffestiniog slate mine that is one of Unesco’s newest World Heritage Sites, Plas Weunydd is set to reopen as a playful adventure hub. The bright and colourful hotel will feature artwork from artists connected to the mine and décor that reflects the area’s history, with family and dog-friendly rooms.
Beyond will be mountainside cabins and shepherd’s huts with kitchenettes and wood burners. On the doorstep of Eryri National Park, the site offers access to the Ffestiniog Railway, Zip World and miles of mountain-biking trails.
Doubles from £120, accessible rooms available, plasweunydd.co.uk
The Pelican, Somerset, May
Siblings Josh and Holly Eggleton, the duo behind south-west outfit The Pony Group, have just reopened this cosy. 400-year-old watering hole in the picturesque Chew Magna, west of Bath. Next spring will bring the addition of 10 bedrooms. Guests will be able to access a shuttle service or bicycles to get to nearby attractions as well as the group’s nearby restaurant, gardens and cookery school, The Pony. Local pizza truck Soul Dough will also visit the pub at weekends.
Doubles from £150, thepelicanchewmagna.co.uk
Dakota Newcastle, Spring
This North West opening will mark the hotel brand’s sixth UK site, taking over a vacant quayside building fronting the River Tyne on St Ann’s Wharf. The 118-room hotel will retain much of the building’s original features and details, as well as adding modern touches, including a new bar and grill. Behind the scenes, renewable energy will power much of the hotel, while some rooms will have terraces for guests to enjoy.
Doubles from around £140, accessible rooms available, dakotahotels.co.uk/life/dakota-newcastle
The Waterside Hotel, Ayrshire, Spring
Less than an hour from Glasgow, The Waterside Hotel at West Kilbride is expanding. This family-owned hotel sits on the Firth of Clyde with views towards the Isle of Arran, and will unveil 17 additional bedrooms next year, as well as a state-of-the-art spa. Overlooking the beach, it will have a four-person Rasul experience, indoor thermal area with sauna and steam room. In warmer months, guests will be able to enjoy the outdoor hydro pool, cold bucket shower, sheltered firepit and seating area.
Doubles from £146, accessiblye rooms available, watersideayrshire.com
Hotel Gotham, Newcastle and Bristol, Spring and Autumn
A decade after the first Hotel Gotham opened in a former Manchester bank, an abandoned Newcastle fire station will be fully transformed into a five-star hotel, with 60 bedrooms, a dining room and private bar. Hotel Gotham Bristol follows in September, occupying the historic Guildhall building that has been closed since 2010, with 75 bedrooms, a restaurant, spa and a rooftop terrace bar. At both locations, expect a similar, opulent, Art Deco-leaning aesthetic.
Doubles from around £160, accessible rooms available, hotelgotham.co.uk
Mollie’s, Manchester, Summer
The budget offshoot of Soho House, Mollie’s is set to open its third site, in the former Granada TV Studios. It currently has two roadside motel-and-diner sites in Oxfordshire and Bristol but Mollie’s first foray into the North will be its biggest, with 128 rooms across five floors. They will range from bunk rooms, classic doubles and twins to luxe suites with freestanding bathtubs, walk-in wardrobes and Peloton bikes. Mollie’s Manchester will be part of St John’s, a new cultural neighbourhood, within walking distance of Deansgate Station, Manchester Opera House, the Museum of Science and Industry and new Aviva Studios cultural space.
Doubles from £120, accessible rooms available, mollies.com
CitizenM London Olympia, Summer
CitizenM’s new west London outpost will be part of the £1.3bn Olympia redevelopment. The chain’s fifth London property, the 146-room hotel will feature its signature tech-driven design with a nod to local history – the Apex Room, a listed part of the building, will be open to the public. The living area will retain period details, but will display contemporary artwork by local artists. Guests will be able to take advantage of the upgraded Olympia complex, which will offer a multifunctional arts space, theatre, four-screen cinema, restaurants, and cafés.
Doubles from around £130, accessible rooms available, citizenm.com
The July, London, Summer
With two hotels in Amsterdam and one more under construction, The July is spreading its wings, with new hotels slated for Lisbon, Dublin and London. The first, in London Victoria, will bring the brand’s stylish apartment-hotel set-up to the capital, just five minutes’ walk from the station. The 114 rooms will offer the convenience of an apartment (sofa, desk, kitchenette) with hotel services such as a laundry and wellness area, a restaurant, bar and deli.
Doubles from £235, accessible rooms available, thejuly.com
Grey Walls, Cumbria, Late 2025
In Lake District honeypot Windermere, a former slate and stone inn is being transformed into a modern collection of luxurious aparthotel rooms. Cradel Haus – which operates similarly styled accommodation in Bowness-on-Windermere – has acquired the former Grey Walls Hotel and is spending a reported £1m to transform it into luxurious one- and two-bedroom serviced apartments with a communal terrace.
Doubles from £145, accessible rooms available, cradel.haus
The Hoxton, Edinburgh, 2025
With hotels across Europe and the US, The Hoxton has come a long way since it opened its first venture in Shoreditch in 2006. Next year will find it in Edinburgh, in the popular Haymarket neighbourhood. Made up of 11 “sewn-together” Georgian townhouses, there will be 214 rooms, as well as three whole houses for longer stays. There will also be an on-site trattoria and a small cinema, as well as a large event space and gallery. It was originally due to open this summer, but is now delayed with a 2025 date now on the cards.
Doubles from around £155, accessible rooms available, thehoxton.com
The Feathered Nest Country Inn, Oxfordshire, 2025
This modern Cotswolds inn, in the village of Nether Westcote, will add eight new bedrooms in a standalone property nearby, with work due to start early next year. The inn’s new head chef, Rene Pinedo, takes inspiration from his Caribbean heritage and training from the kitchens of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Expect fresh seafood, brought in every day, and vegetables and herbs from the pub’s own garden in the three AA rosette restaurant. The rooms are expected to be done out in fresh, modern country style.
Rooms currently available from £160, thefeatherednestinn.co.uk
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