Book one of these three British boutique breaks for a stylish spring break
With the days getting longer and temperatures rising, it’s time to start thinking about getting out and enjoying the British countryside. Easter is just around the corner and is the perfect time to throw off the winter shackles and embrace the new season. Give your heart and soul a spring clean with three of the best British boutique hotels for a stylish spring break. Or, just have a drool…
At The Chapel, Bruton, Somerset
BEST FOR Art appreciating and antique hunting
Since the arrival of hot right now art gallery Hauser & Wirth, Bruton has truly got it going on as a hip weekend destination. With antique shops a plenty for vintage hunters and picturesque ambles along the banks of the River Brue it’s the ideal West Country escape. It’s also home to At The Chapel, a former 17th-century coaching inn turned chapel turned eight bedroom boutique bolthole. Ecclesiastical touches like the arched windows, lofty ceilings and choir balcony give a flavour of its past although the altar has been reinvented as a cocktail bar. There’s also a restaurant, wine shop and bakery on site that are proving to be a big hit with the locals.
Paired back bedrooms have 17th century lancet windows.
Underfloor heating makes for a sumptuous bath time.
BOOK IT From £100 for a double room (atthechapel.co.uk)
Salcombe Harbour Hotel, Salcombe, South Devon
BEST FOR Escaping spring showers
The sandy beaches and coastal paths of Salcombe come alive in the spring sunshine but when the heavens inevitably open the freshly refurbished Salcombe Harbour Hotel provides a welcome retreat. Warm up in the Harbour Spa with a dip in the indoor pool, an Espa treatment (seaweed exfoliation, anyone) and a massage. Indulge in a movie matinee in the cinema room but go easy on the popcorn as there’s a seafood feast in the Jetty restaurant. Adventurous foodies should roll up their sleeves for the “catch it, cook it, eat it” experience led by local fisherman who teach you how to take your catch from sea to table. For those of us lacking sea legs the bay side views from the coastal chic bedrooms will do nicely.
Cool oceanic blues layered over classic neutrals offer a fresh take on the contemporary coastal look at Salcombe Harbour Hotel.
BOOK IT From £155 for a double room (salcombe-harbour-hotel.co.uk)
The Wild Rabbit, Kingham, Oxfordshire
BEST FOR Organic retreating
Fans of Daylesford farm and its signature organic produce flock to The Wild Rabbit for the full lifestyle experience. The 18th-century limestone building has 12 individually designed rooms packed with country cool furniture and all mod-cons including Nespresso machines, iPod docks, soft toys for the kids, Volga linens on the beds and indulgent Bamford bath and body products for a damn, good pampering. Downstairs the restaurant balances the traditional, rural inn vibe with innovative cooking and a tempting list of biodynamically produced wines. Beyond the garden’s rabbit topiary, the gentle roll of the Cotswolds offers plenty of opportunity to walk off your lunch or build up an appetite for dinner. Remember to pack your wellies.
Exposed beams, rafters and limestone walls give the rooms at the Wild Rabbit their great bones.
BOOK IT From £105 for a double room (thewildrabbit.co.uk)
For more great design hotels, see housetohome.co.uk/livingetc
