Our Favourite Romantic Spa Hotels in the UK

Our Favourite Romantic Spa Hotels in the UK

February means one thing: baecation season. We check out the UK’s most romantic spa hotels, offering everything from rooftop plunge pools to seaweed-infused facials – plus, cookery classes, candlelit meals and comedy clubs that cater to every type of love language



February
is on the horizon, which means it’s just a matter of
time before the heart-shaped chocolates and rose-petal baths start
cropping up on the timeline. Whether you’re happily loved-up or a self-loving singleton, we’d argue
that there’s no better time to take a trip to some super-slinky spa
than now – insert images of fluffy robes and toe-kissing slippers,
the kind of sweetly scented treatment oils you want to drink and
picture-perfect plunge pools in the most spectacular of settings.
On that note, we’ve found the UK’s hottest hotels for a baecation, spanning shepherd
hut spas and holistic studios to cookery classes, candlelit meals,
comedy clubs and the kind of craft workshops that will see you
adding part-time artist to your CV. Whatever your love language
looks like, these are the nine addresses to have on your romance radar.

The UK’s top romantic spa hotels

Scarlet Hotel, Sauna

hotel

Scarlet Hotel

Cornwall

If there was ever a hotel that had the ability to make us fall
in love for the first time again, we’re fairly certain it would be
the Scarlet. Anchored on the craggy cliffs of North Cornwall’s
Mawgan Porth bay, the adults-only abode houses 37 sea-facing guest
rooms, a super-swish spa and stellar in-house restaurant. While all
rooms come complete with their own outdoor terrace, it’s the deep
relaxation room we’re obsessed with – a low-lit space where
suspended egg chairs stuffed with cushions and throws make for a
sublime nap spot. Flit between the barrel sauna, rooftop hot tub,
plunge pool and hammam, or settle down for a dual detox with your
main squeeze in a couple’s massage or guided meditation session.
Come sunset, get to work on the slow-grown, sustainable sharing
plates.

Address

Tredragon Rd, Mawgan Porth, Newquay TR8 4DQ

Fife Arms Hotel

hotel

Fife Arms

Scotland

Located in the Scottish town of Braemar, cocooned by the rugged
Cairngorms National Park, this former coaching inn underwent a
sensitive renovation back in 2018, when owners Iwan and Manuela
Wirth set their design-driven sights on it – art enthusiasts will
recognise the dynamic duo as the creative powerhouse behind
world-renowned Hauser & Wirth galleries. Retaining many of its
original features, the quintessentially British bolthole sees antiques, opulent fabrics
and dark woods paired with art deco furnishings amid a happy
mish-mash of playful artwork. We suggest making one of the royal
suites your boudoir of choice, where four-poster beds are topped
with tartan quilts and plush armchairs perfectly positioned beside
a roaring open fire. An ever-changing events timetable sees bespoke
facials, whisky tastings, guided hikes and creative writing
workshops all at guests’ disposal.

Address

Mar Rd, Braemar, Ballater AB35 5YN

Birch Cosy Reception
Photo credit: Adam Firman

hotel

Birch

Hertfordshire

If you’ve ever wondered where London’s coolest couples head for
a staycation, it’s Birch. Just a 30-minute drive from the capital,
the 140-key stay prides itself on looking like a hotel but behaving
like a festival – a union we can absolutely get on board with.
Interiors, crafted by the architecture studio Red Deer, made use of
existing materials in a bid to avoid waste and champion the beauty
of age. This concept plays out in minimalist bedrooms that choose
to prioritise practicality over decorative accessories. Elsewhere,
there are two farm-to-fork restaurants and an artisan bakery headed
up by award-winning chef Robin Gill, a wellness space offering
tailored facials and muscle mobilsing treatments, a chic co-working
den, stylish event studios, an old-school cinema decorated with
pin-striped deckchairs, baskets of popcorn on hand, and art rooms
for craft workshops. If, like us, you cringe at the thought of a
rose-petal bath, look to try one of the cooking classes, comedy
nights or journalling clubs.

Address

Lieutenant Ellis Way, Cheshunt, Goff’s Oak, Waltham Cross EN7 5HW

University Arms, Cambridge

hotel

University Arms

Cambridge

Plotting a romantic escape to the characterful city of Cambridge? Make the University Arms hotel your sanctuary. Step past
its trio of handsome, forest-green front doors and you’ll find
carpets patterned with university ties and olive-washed walls
punctutaed by portraits of legendary Cambridge alumni. Upstairs,
period charm is effortlessly fused with contemporary flair across
all room types: think bookshelves stocked with the classics,
light-filled bathrooms showcasing huge claw-foot bathtubs, and
private balconies flaunting views across the famous Parker’s Piece
green. Locals have embraced the in-house restaurant, Parker’s
Tavern, where head chef Tristan Welch plates up the likes of spicy
tempura cauliflower, roasted squash wellington and cinnamon-laced
apple tarts. But it’s the recent addition of the treatment rooms
that we’re visiting for, specifically, the immune support massage,
during which breathwork and steam inhalation are used to combat
congestion.

Address

Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1AD


hotel

King Street Townhouse

Manchester

It’s been seven years since King Street Townhouse floated
Manchester’s first rooftop pool, and we’re
still not over it. The inviting slate-grey installation can be
found gracing the hotel’s seventh floor, where it practically
kisses the spires of Manchester Town Hall’s clock tower. After a
dip, make a beeline for the state-of-the-art steam room, before
winding down in the relaxation area. Spa credits aside, the
property’s 40 rooms are light and airy, with floor-to-ceiling
windows and powder-blue walls. The best bit? The freestanding tubs,
just a towel’s throw from the king-size bed. If you’re in town on a
weekend, be sure to taste-test the brunch menu: we’re still
dreaming of the eggs benedict served atop a flaky croissant.

Address

10 Booth St, Manchester M2 4AW

The Pig Dorset, Bedroom

The Pig on the Beach

Dorset

Hip hotel group The Pig has been shaking up our romantic
retreats since it first entered the accommodation chat back in
2011. It’s the Dorset outpost we’re making tracks for this
February, which occupies a butter-yellow, 16th-century manor house
that drinks in views of the dramatic Jurassic Coast. All 23
individually designed guest rooms carry a country-home vibe, with
stowaway larders, decadently upholstered benches and dried potted
plants. In true Pig style, a seasonal, sourced-within-40km menu
(that changes daily for lunch and dinner) uses ingredients plucked
straight from the kitchen garden – along with seafood gathered from
the local coastline. Post-feast, slip into the bar to find a spirit
menu brimming with independent bottles and botanical cocktails.
What you’re really here for, though, is the spa, and it doesn’t
disappoint. Two shepherd huts resting in a sheep field are the
setting for hot-stone massages and radiance-boosting facials. We’ll
meet you there for a seaweed-infused sesh.

Address

Manor Road
Studland
Dorset
BH19 3AU

Another Place, Cumbria Pool

hotel

Another Place

Cumbria

Sister property to Cornwall’s popular Watergate Bay Hotel,
Another Place sits on the banks of the
sail-flecked Ullswater lake, amid some seven hectares of the Lake
District National Park. Spread across two adjoining buildings, 47
bedrooms, two dining spaces and a super-slinky spa make for a
nurturing, nature-rich retreat. The Swim Club spa complex houses a
20m pool, treatment rooms, sauna and an outdoor heated plunge tub,
which changes temperature seasonally. You’ve also got the lake,
where kayaking, moonlit dips and stand-up paddleboard yoga take
place. For an off-grid getaway, go for one of the newly opened
couple’s shepherd huts. Highlights include a freestanding copper
bathtub, log burner, well-stocked pantry and snug sofa set-up, with
the added bonus of a private manicured garden – complete with an
enormous fire pit.

Address

Watermillock, Ullswater CA11 0LP


hotel

Beaverbrook

Surrey

One glance at Beaverbrook’s state-of-the-art spa and you’ll be
turning the volume up on Marvin Gaye’s greatest hits. Right on the
doorstep of central London, this storied hideout was once home to
publisher – and close friend of Winston Churchill – Lord
Beaverbrook, who was known to host dinner parties for the high
society of the day. Today, the hotel has become something of a
honeypot for city dwellers seeking a countryside retreat, thanks to
its impressive dining options: there’s the Japanese Grill, plating
up vegetable tempura and spicy salmon sushi rolls; The Pizzeria,
serving stone-baked specials and ice-cream sandwiches; and garden
kitchens that put a devilishly indulgent spin on British classics.
Then, there’s the fantastical Sir Frank’s Bar, named after
Beaverbrook’s creative director, Frank Lowe, and its slick
signature cocktails. Chuck in an indoor and outdoor swimming pool,
gym, sauna and steam rooms, plus a slew of holistic treatments, and
you’re set for a seriously romantic rendezvous.

Address

Reigate Rd, Leatherhead KT22 8QX

Thyme, Cotswolds

hotel

Thyme

Cotswolds

Food is our favourite love language, and no place sings the
language better than Thyme – a restored historic Cotswolds manor
and farm with a cookery school that’s spoken about far beyond the
honeycombed hamlet. Treat your partner in crime to one of the
two-hour classes, where you’ll cover everything from field-to-plate
farming to nailing the perfect dish presentation. After that,
you’ll want to muddle along the garden path to the Meadow Spa to
reward yourself with a soul-soothing treatment, followed by a dip
in the open-air, chlorine-free springwater pool. Rooms, meanwhile,
feature velvet headboards, vintage wallpapers, beaded mirrors and
the sort of stylish lampshades you’ll have to resist slipping into
your carry-on, all making for a luxurious rural retreat.

Address

Southrop, Lechlade GL7 3NX

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Andrew Edmunds, Exterior

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