Is your idea of a grand Valentine’s treat to whisk your lady away from the stresses of daily life for a couple of nights of purely indulgent fun? If so, then you’re thinking exactly what we’re thinking at Elysium Magazine. When the need is to spoil her in utter luxury and partake in amorous escapades you need to pick the right hotel to tick all her boxes.
But of the multitude of hotel options available in the UK where exactly do to take her? It’s a question we’ve thought long and hard about. We’ve even enlisted the help of another expert, a discerning gent who goes by the name James Lohan. He’s one half of the couple behind the fantastic Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotel guide. Having stayed in more than 700 hotels in five years, he’s given Elysium his five best bedrooms in the UK to enjoy Valentine’s Day in. Go on, spoil her…and yourself!
The Playroom at Babington House – Somerset, UK
This is a relaxed country manor with the heart and soul of one of the world’s coolest members clubs – you know you’re getting an ideal escape for urbanites when it’s the rural outpost of the Soho House that you’re signing up for. It’s out with stiff upper lips here, and in with wellies and metropolitan savvy. The aptly named Playroom (adults-only), designed with couples in mind, has its own bar, a tub for two and walk in shower. Draw the curtains over the extensive views to enjoy the heavenly four-poster bed.
Rooms: 32 rooms
Rates: From £220 per night for a double, inc. tax
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Room 1 at The Wheatsheaf Inn – Cotswolds, UK
This beautiful and secluded 17th-century coaching inn in the heart of the Cotswolds stays true to its roots, retaining its ivy-clad stone façade, original features and traditional charm. The carts and horses may be long gone, but the weary traveller is as welcome as ever – this time with Bramley bath products and Hypnos beds, ideally enjoyed by two. The food is second to none with Chef Anthony Ely cooking up a storm using only the finest regional produce. Room 1 (in the ‘Excellent’ category) encourages a bit of a peep show: the vast copper roll-top tub enjoy views of the adjoining bedroom through the grand double doors.
Rooms: 14 suites
Rates: From £100 per night for a double inc. tax & continental breakfast
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Studio King Suite 803 Belgraves – London, UK
This hotel brings Brooklyn to Belgravia– exposed brick walls, casual-cool doormen and a sexy glass-fronted fire are just a few of the New York flourishes. The setting is pure London luxury – an elegant corner of affluent Sloane Square– and the scene is quietly buzzy; the well-stocked bar is helmed by cocktail aficionado Nick Strangeway. Our favourite of this sophisticated city stay’s 85 fabulous rooms is 803, a Studio King Suite: the knock-out corner location affords sweeping views across the capital, and a bathroom with a tub right by the window lets you can admire the city as you soak…
Rooms: 87 (inc. 11 suites)
Rates From £249 per night for a double, exc. tax at 20%
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Cardinal suites at Blakes Hotel – London, UK
This is the UK’s original boutique hotel so if you’re looking for a place to get lost in London, this is it. Each unique room elicits its own style, all inspired by far-off lands, from Russia and India to Turkey. Room 109, the Cardinal Suite, is the most romantic: with heavy, textured fabrics, floral artwork and the kind of ornate, crimson-draped four-poster that makes you reach for the smelling salts, it’s an essay in decorative decadence.
Rooms: 41
Rates: From £229 per night, exc. tax at 20%
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Tuddenham Mill – Suffolk, UK
For absolute privacy with your partner book a loft suite at Tuddenham Mill. These romantic wooden cabins are home to open plan bathrooms and come stocked with Elemis products and a cheeky bathtub big enough for three. Exposed beams in the suites and the large mill wheel hint at the history; the original mill was recorded in the Domesday Book. Interiors, however, are refreshingly modern and understated. The restaurant serves modern European cuisine and has already earned appreciative nods in culinary-critic quarters – bag a window seat for upstream views.
Rooms: 15
Rates: From £185 per night for a double, inc. tax & breakfast
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