Where to stay in the UK's south east region
With miles of beautiful coastline, two national parks, a handful of pretty market towns and acres of greenery, Hampshire is one of the UK’s best staycation spots. Planning your next autumn retreat? Read on for the C&TH pick of Hampshire’s best hotels.
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Best Hotels in Hampshire
Reviews are taken from this year’s Great British & Irish Hotels Guide, you can read the full reviews online or purchase your print Hotels Guide here.
The Montagu Arms, Beaulieu
Combining all the attributes of a traditional country house hotel – roaring log fires, oak panelling, pretty gardens and warm, comfortable bedrooms – with the pleasures of a picturesque village setting, The Montagu Arms makes an ideal base for a break. Browse Beaulieu’s pretty high street, take a riverside walk to Buckler’s Hard or explore the surrounding New Forest National Park. Back in the hotel you’ll find a dark oak hall that contrasts with the bright, cream-panelled sitting room, leading in turn to a sunny conservatory and flower-filled gardens.
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+44 (0)1590 612324 / montaguarmshotel.co.uk
Careys Manor, Brockenhurst
When life’s cares start to pile up, escape to this New Forest bolthole for a weekend of spoiling and relaxation in Hampshire – it’ll be just the ticket. The spa hotel occupies a striking redbrick Victorian manor in neat gardens on the outskirts of Brockenhurst and is the sister hotel of The Montagu Arms. The reception room has oak-panelled walls and an open fire to welcome you in. Seventy seven large, comfortable bedrooms await you upstairs, combining modern amenities with traditional country house style.
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+44 (0)1590 624467 / careysmanor.com
Four Seasons Hampshire
Just one hour from London, Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire will transport you to another world. Embrace country living and enjoy watching the hotel’s horses frolicking in paddocks in the 500 acres of beautiful nature on the Dogmersfield Park Estate. Immerse yourself in abundant activities – including croquet and clay pigeon shooting – or wind down at the large, light-filled spa, while children let loose in the playground. The world-renowned Four Seasons service is exemplary, and food offerings from the Wild Carrot restaurant make for memorable meals. Sunday lunch is a highlight, featuring entirely local produce from the heart of Hampshire.
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+44 (0)1252 853000 / fourseasons.com
Chewton Glen, New Forest
Chewton Glen – a privately-owned five-star hotel and spa situated on the edge of the ancient New Forest – is a true English original. Choose from a variety of guestrooms and luxurious suites, or opt to spend the night among the trees in your very own secluded Treehouse Suite (they even come with al-fresco hot tubs). Savour delectable cuisine and afternoon tea in The Dining Room, or enjoy a relaxed meal at The Kitchen, overseen by chef James Martin. Whether it’s unwinding in the fabulous indoor and outdoor pools and the indulgent spa, receiving cooking lessons from the resident chef himself, or golfing on the nine-hole course, there’s something to satisfy everyone.
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+44 (0)1425 282212 / chewtonglen.com
East End Arms, Lymington
Welcome to the New Forest, 145 square miles of ancient heath and woodland, where ponies, donkeys, pigs, cattle and deer still freely roam and where the East End Arms makes the perfect affordable base. The owner is Dire Straits’ bass guitarist John Illsley. When he bought the pub in the mid- 1990s, he received a letter from the regulars, saying: ‘Hands off our public bar’. ‘They wouldn’t even let me repair the hole in the ceiling and when we repainted, it had to be exactly the same colour. Fine by me,’ he says.
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+44 (0)1590 626223 / eastendarms.co.uk
The Manor at Sway
Six years ago, young hotelier Tim Holloway and his wife Edlyn Cunill decided to swap London for the peace and quiet of the New Forest, with happy results for anyone looking for an affordable yet stylish rural trip. In the village of Sway, surrounded by open heath and woodland that’s ideal for walking, horse riding and cycling, they found The Manor, built in 1906. With the help of interior designer David Bentheim they’ve given the solid brick Edwardian house a stunning makeover.
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+44 (0)1590 682754 / themanoratsway.com
The Grosvenor, Stockbridge
This historic gem, The Grosvenor, sits proudly at the heart of England’s smallest town, Stockbridge. Lovingly restored to its former glory over the past few years, it’s a delightful, relaxing hotel, where you can celebrate and unwind – and dogs are welcome, too. 34 beautiful bedrooms mix antiques with contemporary pieces, and five fantastic eateries – headed up by Sebastian Smith – promise a delectable stay, from the elegant Market Room Restaurant with live music, to the fabulous new 1822 bar. The Grosvenor offers an abundance of sporting pursuits to boot, including fly fishing (ask the hotel for a delicious Kingfisher hamper), shooting, walking and cycling. What could be better?
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+44 (0)1264 810606 / thegrosvenorstockbridge.com
Lime Wood, Lyndhurst
It’s all about attention to detail at this ravishing, deeply luxurious New Forest lair. Oak doors are thick, paint finishes fresh and soft floor lights switch on as you walk into the bathroom from your quietly opulent bedroom. Stylised sitting rooms melt one into another, pale lemon into sage green, each with an open fire. In the sybaritic Herb House Spa, you can do yoga on the rooftop herb garden, take in forest views from the massive sauna and eat inspired raw food in the Raw & Cured café.
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+44 (0)2380 287177 / limewoodhotel.co.uk
New Park Manor, Brockenhurst
The 17th and 21st centuries fuse impeccably at this New Forest hotel, part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection. The manor was Charles II’s favourite hunting lodge and still has its original fireplaces, panelling and oak leaf-patterned doors, alongside all the contemporary comforts that you – or your children – could possibly need. The 25 bedrooms are divided between the manor and a modern wing, which also houses an indoor pool and Elemis spa with an outdoor hot tub, pool and thermal rooms.
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+44 (0)1590 623467 / newparkmanorhotel.co.uk
The Pig at Brockenhurst
Many hotels boast kitchen gardens, but few are as central to operations as that of The Pig. Here, it’s an imaginative edible paradise from which the chefs source much of their daily produce. Indeed, this abundant patch was the inspiration for the original concept of The Pig and its subsequent drove of hotels in the rustic Home Grown Hotels. This handsome Georgian shooting lodge stands in a clearing in the New Forest, with walking, foraging and spa treatments on offer.
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+44 (0)1590 622354 / thepighotel.com
Heckfield Place, Hook
Heckfield Place has elegantly blossomed into life. You can swim in the lake, picnic in the woods, or wander around the hotel’s own biodynamic market garden and organic farm. Inside, there’s a flop-down homeliness, with lime plaster walls in natural colours, linens, and matting woven from sweet-smelling River Ouse rush. There’s also a discreet wellness spa, a library of books, and the authentic and delicious cooking of celebrated chef Skye Gyngell at the Marle and Hearth restaurants, plus afternoon tea in the beautiful Glass House.
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+44 (0)118 932 6868 / heckfieldplace.com
The Pig in the Wall, Southampton
If The Pig – at Brockenhurst is the country house, then this is its town house cousin, just 20 minutes away in Southampton, charmingly embraced by the city’s defensive walls. It’s gorgeous, affordable and makes a great choice for a hassle-free short break, easily reached by train. Hole up in one of its faultlessly chic bedrooms with their retro radios, telephones and alarm clocks, rain showers and roll-top baths, superb beds, well-stocked fridge ‘larders’, bare floorboards, painted wood ceilings and pretty fabrics.
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+44 (0)2380 636900 / thepighotel.com
Main image: Getty Images.
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