The 4 best hotels in the UK revealed — with spas, Michelin food and a martini trolley

Estelle Manor, officially one of the world’s 50 best hotels (Picture: Estelle Manor)

The 50 best hotels in the world have been crowned — and you don’t have to step on a plane to enjoy them.

Four UK hotels made the prestigious list this year, which was voted for by more than 800 independent industry experts including travel journalists, hoteliers and seasoned luxury travellers. 

The 50 Best Hotels Academy crowned Rosewood Hong Kong as the number one hotel in the world for the second consecutive year, thanks to its world-leading Asaya spa and infinity pool overlooking the harbor.

But closer to home, three London locations plus one Oxfordshire hotel made the cut. Here’s what you can expect.

The Connaught, London

Try the famous bar (Picture: Shutterstock / Alex Segre)

At number 49, The Connaught just made the list. Built in 1897 in the heart of Mayfair, the judges described the hotel as a ‘bastion of refined elegance in London’s crowded luxury hotel scene’. 

It boasts 115 rooms with interiors by British designer Guy Oliver that blend traditional features with bespoke contemporary touches. Inside, you’ll find a spa, plus a cigar merchant and fitness centre.

The real draw though is the food. The hotel plays host to two of the world’s finest culinary figures: former The World’s Best Female Chef Award winner Hélène Darroze helms her eponymous three-star Michelin flagship, while French-American chef-meister Jean-Georges Vongerichten oversees two other dining spots within the historic premises.

Rooms start at £933 per night, but if your budget doesn’t stretch to a stay, at least order a martini from Connaught Bar, served from the legendary trolley. 

Estelle Manor, Witney, Oxfordshire 

The Roman-inspired bathhouse (Picture: Estelle Manor)

Set on an 85-acre parkland estate in the Oxfordshire countryside, the Grade II-listed Jacobean house of Estelle Manor has been carefully restored and expanded into a 108-room retreat, which, according to the judges, feels ‘at once historic and contemporary, blending stately grandeur with a playful edge’.

Guests can swim, play padel, or take to the estate’s woodlands for long walks. The Roman-inspired bathhouse, which opened in February 2024, is a must-visit.

‘Expect a cosmopolitan crowd seeking privacy without losing proximity to London. Members of Estelle’s wider community are regulars, though the hotel welcomes non-members too,’ the judges said.

Rates start at £673.

Raffles London at The OWO, London

A hotel with historic significance (Picture: John Athimaritis)

Raffles London at The OWO occupies the Grade II-listed former Old War Office building on Whitehall where Winston Churchill once delivered wartime announcements. 

Coming in at number 28 on the top 50 list, the hotel has an impressive nine restaurants on site serving 120 suites, plus a hidden bar located in the underground interrogation rooms once used by MI6 and MI5 agents.

Inside, you’ll also find a large pool, spa and fitness centre.

Rates start at £1,650.

Claridge’s, London

At number 13, you can’t get much more quintessentially British than Claridge’s.

The hotel has been a bolthole for celebrities since its 1856 opening and has recently had an upgrade thanks to an extensive 2022 refurbishment, which saw various designers take on responsibility for a small number of rooms each. 

The project hollowed five storeys of earth beneath the property to allow for a Japanese-inspired 650-square metre spa, a 25-metre swimming pool, a gym and a hair salon, as well as multiple event spaces and an expansion to the existing restaurants.

The hotel also has an in-house chocolatier and bakery, as well as a subterranean fitness centre.

Rates start at £896.

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