11 best festive hotels to celebrate Christmas in the UK
Searching for the perfect hotels for Christmas? There are certain hotels that simply feel made for the festive season, and booking a night or two at one of our favourite hotels in the UK – whether it's on the very cusp of the season to kick-start the celebrations, or for a three-night escape over the main event itself – can set the tone for a December to remember. We've made choosing a little more straightforward and whittled it down to the best of the best.
These editor favourites promise festive decor, traditional eats and a schedule of jovial events, and span everything from cosy spots in the Cotswolds to sprawling top-class estates in Scotland. From outlandish showcases and photo-ready Christmas tree installations at some of London’s best-dressed properties, to pop-up ice rinks and wholesome foliage workshops in the heart if the countryside, each booking comes with the promise of dreamlike escapism and a sprinkling of magic. Expect Father Christmas appearances, candlelight carol services, and course upon course of exceptional food – all ho-ho-hosted (and tidied away afterwards) for you. Here's our pick of the best hotels for Christmas in the UK. For more inspiration on where to stay, visit our edit of the best hotels in London for Christmas.
Editor's top picks:
Best in London: Claridge's
Best for a truly indulgent, utterly wholesome experience: Gleneagles, Scotland
Best for roaring fires in the Cotswolds: The Lygon Arms, The Cotswolds
Best for family fun: Four Seasons Hampshire
Best for a festive seaside escape: The Pig at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
Best for a classy Christmas: Cliveden House, Berkshire
hotelGleneagles, Scotland
Best for: a truly indulgent, utterly wholesome experience
Gleneagles is somewhere special, no matter what time of year you visit, so come Christmas, you can expect the 850-acre estate to pull out all the stops. For the 2025 festive season, an ice rink, axe throwing, whiskey tastings (in that order, please), as well as cheese and wine pairings are all on offer, and for the kids, pony grooming sessions and plenty of outdoor activities. Guests staying over Christmas itself should expect bonus visits from the man in red and storytelling by the fire. This really is a place to embrace festivities and enjoy the double Bank Holiday in the knowledge that all dining, activities and entertainment are included in a stay. And what sounds more enjoyable than a trip where the thinking is just about done for you? Tag on a night in Gleneagles townhouse, Edinburgh ,to soak up the city's take on tradition before bracing the crisp cold of the Scottish countryside.
Address: The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder PH3 1NF
Cliveden House, Berkshire
Best for: a classy Christmas
At Cliveden House, celebrations start early, and we love to see it. In mid-November, it's set to open an Après Ski Terrace serving indulgent fondues as well as heartier winter-appropriate dishes in a cosy cobbled courtyard. In the dining room, a festive afternoon tea. Guests checking in on Christmas Eve will be welcomed by a champagne reception and carol singers ahead of the ultimate Christmas Day feast on the 25th. What's more? The house looks utterly beautiful, and its decorations are both traditionally elegant and befitting to their surroundings.
Address: Taplow, Maidenhead SL6 0JF
The Pig at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
Best for: a festive seaside escape
The Pig hotels go all-out at Christmas and on set Saturdays in December this year, The Pig at Harlyn Bay will host festive floristry masterclasses accompanied by a glass of local bubbles and (the best part?) platters of signature Piggy Bits. If you're not creative by inclination, there's plenty of reason to be here, too. The seasonal menu truly shines in winter, making a solid case for seafood's place on a festive table. Once you've had your fill, wrap up for a walk along the sand, coffee in hand, and let the sound of the waves wash away that afternoon lethargy. Or, if you've booked the three-night Christmas stay, head out at sunrise while the tide is out and the landscape looks eerily beautiful. There’s something special about spending Christmas by the sea, and if you’re yet to experience Cornwall in winter, 2025 could be your year.
Address: Harlyn, Padstow PL28 8SQ
Four Seasons Hotel, Hampshire
Best for: family fun
Four Seasons Hampshire is a hub of activity all year round, but come Christmas, things escalate. The Christmas Tree Lighting is an event in itself (booked for the 29th November 2025), and as well as the usual hotel goings’ on, the pop-up winter restaurant, Off Piste, returns (think cheese fondue, bratwurst and sharing platters). It's also one of our top recommended family-friendly hotels in the UK, so if you're booking a stay with kids, then this is the place to head for. A 3-night festive stay here promises hand-delivered stockings, carriage stays across the estate, and plenty (and plenty) of food – as well as the typical menu, there's an afternoon tea served during the King's speech.
Address: Dogmersfield Park, Chalky Ln, Hook RG27 8TD
hotelClaridge's, Mayfair
Best for: living your Home Alone festive fantasies
Claridge’s is always magical, but come Christmas, it's practically glistening in fairy dust. There’s always a fashion designer-decorated tree, and festivities as jolly as you’d imagine. Come here for a holiday-inspired afternoon tea, while sweet-cheeked singers from the Southend children’s choir serenade. There's plenty to keep children happy, from arts and crafts with Sharky & George to a horse-drawn carriage ride with hot chocolate and marshmallows. All of which leaves you free to retreat to the Lalique-panelled Fumoir with a bottle of Champagne before Christmas lunch is served in the elegant French Salon and Drawing Room, or, if you choose, the grandiose Mirror Room. The best part? Stockings are left for adults, as well as children.
Address: Brook Street, London W1K 4HR
hotelHeckfield Place, Hampshire
Best for: hunkering down in the English countryside
As with all the hotels in this line-up, Heckfield is the kind of place you can go with the intention to stay put. It's big, and there's enough to do to fill a few days – even soaking up the interiors and popping into the lounge to explore what delicious homemade cake is on offer each afternoon feels like time well spent. But over Christmas, expect outdoor sleigh rides with Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve, and a chance to warm up watching The Polar Express in the late afternoon. Live jazz music and a choir will set the tone for a sophisticated evening, and cloudlike beds promise a good night's sleep. On Christmas Day, falconry before lunch and on Boxing Day, duck herding – this is not your average Bank Holiday.
Address: Heckfield Pl, Heckfield, Hook RG27 0LD
hotelThe Lygon Arms, Cotswolds
Best for: roaring fires in the Cotswolds countryside
If your idea of the perfect Christmas is reminiscent of a British rom-com, and you have visions of pulling up to a snow-coated cottage in the Cotswolds (but without the drafty windows or broken cooker), then any one of our favourite hotels in the Cotswolds is sure to deliver this festive season. But it's The Lygon Arms that gets our stamp of approval for unquestionable cheer (and great food) in 2025. The postcard-perfect yellow-stone property will be dressed in its finest decor throughout December, serving up hearty pub grub in the restaurant and creating a cosy atmosphere that feels specific to this part of the UK.
Guests booking a stay between the 24th and 26th can expect food and drink to flow – this really is the draw, so if you're less intrigued by entertainment and activities, and more in the market for something that feels like a better version of home, then this is the pick for you.
Address: High Street, Broadway WR12 7DU
The Ned, London
Best for: jovial events and festive cheer
The Ned naturally lends itself well to ‘Christmas’ and when it comes to London hotels, this is one of our favourites come December. The towering Christmas tree in the entrance hall is a marvel in itself, and the promise of a raucous carol concert led by Gareth Malone each Sunday night for the month brings guests back year after year. Get into the spirit of things early with a festive afternoon tea at Millie’s Lounge, but save space for the real culinary star on top of the tree – the Christmas Day feast. Expect unlimited roasts with fresh lobsters, oysters, salads and more, all accompanied by live music and a cheerful buzz that lasts the whole day long. Staying here is like waking up at Hogwarts; the architecture, the interiors and the magical atmosphere might just make you want to don a hand-knitted jumper and open a box of every-flavour beans to celebrate.
Address: 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
Courtesy The Fife ArmshotelThe Fife Arms, Scotland
Best for: a taste of tradition
When it comes to festive transformations, The Fife Arms leads the charge. Its location and general vibe are well-suited to Christmas, but that's not to say it doesn't go all-out with decor and events in the run-up. The Fondue Hut arrives early – late October, in fact – and sets the tone for cosy season. In December, it embraces its Scotish roots with traditional Yuletide celebrations: Christmas carols, winter walks in the woodlands, string orchestras by candlelight… the list goes on. This, plus the usual plethora of activities (clay pigeon shooting, horse riding and e-biking), means there's a lot to get involved in. Or not, if your MO is to relax surrounded by the untouched, weathered surroundings of Braemar.
Address: Mar Road, Braemar, Ballater AB35 5YN
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hotelSlieve Donard, Newcastle
Best for: a sprawling estate at the foot of the Mourne Mountains
Slieve Donard is the northernmost golf resort at the base of the Mourne Mountains. If it's city escapism you're looking for, this is it. A festive afternoon tea launches in the run-up to Christmas, and there's a special Sunday in December, the hotel will play host to a carvery lunch accompanied by a live musician and a visit from Father Christmas, who will hand out gifts to every child in attendance.
Address: Downs Road, Newcastle BT33 0AH
Mr. TripperhotelCowley Manor Experimental, Oxfordshire
Best for: a Christmas fuelled by celebratory cocktails
In the best possible way, there's always something otherworldly about an Experimental Group hotel, and Cowley Manor brings that magic to the quieter side of the Cotswolds. What better place, then, to escape everyday life and fully detach over the festive period than here, the 19th-century house with boutique hotel mannerisms and a creative yet sophisticated nod to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland? 3 nights should do the trick, and if you choose your dates well, you'll be privy to an in-room Christmas tree and many an elaborate feast. On Christmas Eve, a creative and elaborate dinner awaits, but the main dining event is on the 25th, when no fewer than five courses, accompanied by Champagne, await. As is true of all Experimental hotels, the cocktails here will not disappoint – the challenge will be choosing which to try next. Guests can expect surprise in-room gifts and surprise entertainment throughout their stay.
Address: Cowley Manor, Cowley, Cheltenham GL53 9NL
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