The hottest new hotels in the UK

From a trio of interesting Scottish openings to a revamped nauticool charmer in East Sussex and a louche new London bolthole, introducing six of the UK’s hottest new check-ins.

Adding more than a touch of kookiness to the fringe of the City in London is Sun Street Hotel, a 41-room property spread across six Georgian houses. While the locale – opposite the mid-construction One Crown Place development – mightn’t scream quirky, Bespoke Hotels’ latest opening is a design riot. 

On the ground floor, a series of inviting lounges flow into one another, one dimly lit with maroon walls, dark wooden cabinetry, gilded frond lampshade and studded velvet armchairs, another featuring deep leather sofas scattered with dinosaur-patterned cushions. Hung on the walls are original artworks of Vincent Cartwright Vickers’s fantastical Google birds (no tech connection; in 1913 the then-governor of the Bank of England published an illustrated book of surreal, imaginary birds and children’s verse). The overall vibe is Agatha Christie-esque dark glamour meets His Dark Materials-type fantasy. Jewel-box burgundies and cobalt blues dominate bedrooms, colourful tiled showers are lined with Penhaligon’s toiletries, and house-bottled negronis sit next to gilt-edged mirrors.

Downstairs the glass-ceilinged Orangery is all playful jaunt, with wallpaper featuring skittering lemurs, toucan and flamingo-shaped salt and pepper shakers and excellent Mirabelle cocktails (pepper-infused gin, cherry heering and apple). Meanwhile, there’s modern British on the menu in the wood-panelled restaurant; don’t miss the black truffle and burrata tortellini, and the warm, drizzle-your-own chocolate cookie.

Doubles from £250, room-only

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With East Sussex’s dramatic shingly coast on the doorstep, The Relais Cooden Beach not only has a fantastic setting but it’s conveniently just a two-minute walk from the train station. The familiar whitewashed mock Tudor facade of this heritage property remains, but inside hotelier Grace Leo and Paris-based designer Pascal Allaman have transformed the space with a shot of beachy, south-of-France refinement.

Decor at the Rally Bar and Restaurant – named for nearby Bexhill, the birthplace of British motor racing – is impeccable. Expect vermillion-striped walls, coiled rope lamps, heather-filled planters and rolling Channel views. Come summer, the terrace and garden, and striped navy deck chairs, will come into their own. The food offering – catch of the day, superfood salad – isn’t yet quite as polished as the interiors, sitting in the pleasant pub grub category.

Forty-five appealing bedrooms feature sharp design, with either cantaloupe or sky blue palettes, chevron-pattern carpets, and mid-century look daybeds, but the corridors leading to them need a finesse. After coastal there-and-back strolls to St Leonards or Bexhill, the wraparound circular fireplace in the bar is an appealing place to warm up.

Doubles from £194, B&B

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After a staggered opening, Virgin Hotels’ first UK outpost is now in full swing in  Edinburgh’s Old Town. For its UK debut, the brand – already well-established in America – has gone big, transforming the landmark India buildings into a sociable 222-room affair.

Touches of Virgin’s signature postbox red are abundant, adorning bedroom doors, neon lights and plenty besides – but doesn’t feel too OTT. In bedrooms, creamy palettes are pepped up with Lālla London rugs, made by women’s weaving cooperatives in Morocco, and crimson SMEG minibar fridges packed with peaty whisky, Irn-Bru, Lime & Lind gin and complimentary Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers.

Each sleeping space is split from the dressing and shower area by a sliding door or curtains, and while “lounge beds” – with an ergonomically designed headboard to make working from bed easier – are comfy, the ground floor’s unstuffy library with punny artwork, tables and roaring fire hold more appeal for laptop tappers.

Elsewhere, at Commons Club, guests can dine in a more sultry, stone-arched space or a brighter open kitchen, shelves lined with Italian produce. At sprawling bar Eve, expect picante palomas, contemporary art-splashed walls and live entertainment several nights a week. Guests should sign up to loyalty programme “The Know” ahead of visiting for a free daily cocktail and the ability to control bedrooms’ lighting from their phone via an app.

Doubles from £300, room-only

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The popularity of aparthotels shows no sign of slowing in 2023, and sliding seamlessly into the Glasgow scene is the latest offering from big-hitting Accor brand Adagio. With Glasgow Central station and St Enoch’s underground both within a five-minute walk, this 162-room property twins convenience with affordability – rooms are from under £70 a night.

Unfussy but stylish bedrooms deliver a home-away-from-home feel, kitted out with crockery and coffeemakers in mod-conned kitchens, as well as dishwashers, and vibrant rose pink and baby blue soft furnishings. A great pick for those on business, or a budget city break, the social hub is the library – which has a foosball table and glowing neon signs – while other practical facilities include a gym and laundry room.

Keen on local connections, the city’s thriving art scene will be celebrated at the aparthotel with artwork inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s famous rose, reimagined by talented students at Glasgow Art School.

Doubles from £69, room-only

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Another Scottish property making waves is golfers’ favourite Schloss Roxburghe. Around an hour’s drive from Edinburgh or Newcastle in the Borders, it’s best known for its championship golf course and packed roster of countryside pursuits, including archery and clay pigeon shooting.

While the historic manor house had a top-to-toe revamp in 2019, the property’s room numbers have doubled thanks to a new estate house. Its 58 bedrooms are contemporary with opulent gold, green and sapphire palettes and modern-style four-poster beds. Other fresh draws include a clutch of one and two-bedroom cottages set in the 300-acre grounds – ideal for gaggles of golfers and families – and an 1,100sqm spa with heated outdoor infinity pool (listen out for music from underwater speakers as you dip), fitness centre and larch-clad Finnish sauna.

New restaurant Charlie’s has an “estate to plate” ethos, and a “Scottish bistronomy” menu that includes the likes of Haggis Scotch egg with Borders distillery whisky and apple broon sauce.

Doubles from £230, B&B

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Another property looking sharp after a hefty, year-long refurbishment – courtesy of new owners Beales Hotels – is the Grade-II listed Bell Hotel in Suffolk’s Saxmundham. Local outfits Brooks Architects and Cotton Tree Interiors have ramped up its appeal with comfy banquette seating and abstract wallpaper with colours inspired by Suffolk’s coastal heathland in The Heath restaurant. Here, Chef Garry Cook’s menu focuses on top-notch Suffolk suppliers, using Salter & King’s grass-fed Suffolk beef, alongside the likes of glazed goat’s cheese with homegrown beets, East Anglian cheese plates and lemon posset with blackberries.

For now, seven bedrooms are open, with eight more to follow. Kitted out with Hypnos beds, some rooms have statement headboards, decorated with a whirl of florals or pheasants, while others subtly conjure up sea and sand with soft cornflower blue throws and flax-coloured cushions. The swankiest suite, meanwhile, has an olive freestanding tub and statement glass lighting.

With Aldeburgh and birding haven RSPB Minsmere an easy drive away, it’ll suit both seaside and nature lovers down to the ground.

Doubles from £130, B&B

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