You look like you need a vacation.
From ultra-boutique to less posh accommodations, we’ve got a list of five stellar places to stay. Each offers something unique… these aren’t your garden-variety lodgings.
So forget about the faceless hotels or fusty bed and breakfasts – if you look hard enough, you’ll find accommodations around the UK just as quirky as its people.
Crazy Bear, Beaconsfield
The Crazy Bear is an ultra-boutique hotel nestled in the swanky London satellite town of Beaconsfield, built within the oldest building in the town – a fifteenth century coaching inn. Not that you would know it – blacked out windows make the Crazy Bear seem more brothel than borstal.
Within, however, the Crazy Bear sports the kind of cheeky opulence that would make a harlot blush, with plenty of diamonds, leather and taxidermy strewn about. With just ten bedrooms, the Crazy Bear is nowhere near cheap – though the two fine dining restaurants are, surprisingly.
Four and a half years in the making,the crazy bear beaconsfield opened in 2008 - to spectacular international reviews including condé Nast’s red hot list for best new hotels in the world.
Definitely not bland. Worth checking out. Much like the next hotel on our list…
Martello Tower, Suffolk
One of several mini forts built to deter Napoleon, Martello Tower in Suffolk is a cozy rental best enjoyed by those of a nautical bent.
Why?
Well, given that it was built to combat the French, not the elements, it’s not entirely waterproof – hence special decorative canopies are draped around the place to keep inhabitants warm and dry. Sure, the soldiers stationed here back in the day probably hated it, but now that it’s free of bedbugs and syphilis, and capable of serving up a full English breakfast rather than weevil-ridden hardtack biscuits, it’s a seaside delight.
For those castle buffs out there… this fortress was built in the shape of a quatrefoil to house four heavy guns, nearly a million bricks were used in its construction.
Livingstone Safari Lodge
Harkening back to colonial days, the Livingstone Safari Lodge is a little slice of savannah smack in the middle of rural Kent. Packed with rhinos, zebra, wildebeest and other animals that surely don’t
appreciate the British winter, the Safari Lodge aims for authenticity with its safari tours and African dining. It’s just like a trip to Kenya, except it’s affordable and will likely rain the whole time.
But the best part?
No tsetse flies.
The Old Railway Station, Petworth
An abandoned railway station might seem more suited to morlocks or cultists celebrating Black Mass, but the Old Railway Station nestled in the sleepy hamlet of Petworth aims to be more charming than creepy.
Granted, fully-restored Orient Express carriages are hardly the setting for a horror, but still, it’ll be hard not to imagine mutated half-men peering hungrily into the windows when it’s dark. Sleep well.
La Corbière Radio Tower, Jersey
Hitler built a lot of stuff. What many Brits are unaware of is that he managed to build quite a few things on their very isles too. Things like the La Corbière Radio Tower in then-occupied Jersey, part of the Furher’s 15,000-strong Atlantic Wall defences.
Hitler likely wouldn’t approve of the luxury on offer – the tower has been remodelled in the Bauhaus style and sleeps six people and features a fully-equipped kitchen, not to mention spectacular 360 views over the Celtic Sea from its living room. Given Jersey’s proximity to both Britain and France, cheap airfares are a given.
More UK Hotel and Spa Break Options…
In case one of the five unique hotels above didn’t catch your eye, we have more options for you to find something that fits what you’re looking for. Be sure to check out hotel spa breaks in the UK here. You can choose between options like Ardencote Manor in Warwickshire. Pimms and fruit platters included!
If you’re looking for something of the Scottish variety, be sure to look into spa breaks in Scotland. Chances to relax in Edinburgh, Argyll and Loch Lomond abound!
Photo courtesy of OOSP.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
These are all fabulously quirky
Love it, lol. Will have to remember these the next time in the UK; thanks for sharing!
I agree. Great little list. When staying in the UK you definitely need to make the effort when it comes to accommodation. For me traveling is all about memories and interesting new places so some quirky hotels are worth the extra cost! I’d add The Bradford Old Mill in Bath to the list though. It kept reminding me of the the Lord of the Rings films somehow!!