Langdale Chase, built in 1890, was the first residence in Windermere with electricity
The Penthouse has its own terrace at Native Manchester
Native, Manchester
The cheerful Northern accents at reception, the exposed, red brick walls… Native Manchester’s home-away-from-home aparthotel concept isn’t the only warm and fuzzy thing happening in this former cotton warehouse. Grade II-listed Ducie Street Warehouse is a world unto itself, so you’ll barely need to head out into the cold. There’s a gym, bar, restaurant, boutique cinema, coffee shop and small grocery shop, so you can take supplies up to one of the 162 serviced apartments. There’s also an outdoor terrace for hardy folk who don’t much mind the cold. Solo travellers might prefer to bag themselves a studio, but it’s not a lot more to level up to a one-bedroom loft, kitted out with white goods, parquet flooring and chic Conran furniture. The Penthouse (Native’s highest category) and two-bed lofts have the comfiest, velvety L-shaped sofas for movie nights, while even the studios stump up solid dining room tables from which you can take care of business.
High Life says: Ducie Street Warehouse is a hive of happenings, all year-round. Check out the website’s cultural calendar and stop by for film clubs, art classes, pop-up markets and more.
The Grade II-listed Pig – also opening image (Jake Eastham)
The Pig at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
For seasoned surfers, the siren calls of Cornwall’s gloriously rugged Harlyn and Constantine Bay beaches are hard to resist – even in the wildest winter. A pebble’s throw from this Poldarkian coastline, the warm embrace of The Pig at Harlyn Bay makes for the most delicious reward after a choppy day at sea. Dating back to the 15th century, the main house is a labyrinth of low-lit nooks and crannies, where crackling fires thaw wind-kissed wave-hitters over a board game or institutional four-o’clock cake. Claim a spot among quirky curiosities in the aptly named Map Room or sip a fireside fizz in the impressive Morning Room – all painted in 50 shades of sea. The star of the show is a feast of local catches, from punchy Padstow crab to silky Boscastle trout tartare – all part of the rustic restaurant’s proud 25-mile menu.
High Life says: Head down for the daily tour of the kitchen garden and see for yourself the greens, herbs and roots you’ll be tucking into later.
Kimpton Blythswood Square, Glasgow
Brrrr, Scotland can be brisk when the days grow shorter, but you won’t notice a thing at Kimpton Blythswood Square, Glasgow. This five-star hotel stretches across a series of Georgian townhouses and yet, despite the Doric columns and gleaming marble floor that greet you in the lobby, you’ll feel blissfully cocooned. Perhaps it’s something to do with the smiling service; or maybe it’s the rooms, where the décor (think soothing neutrals, warm woods and faux fur throws on cloud-soft beds) hits the sweet spot between comfortable and luxe. The softly lit iasg (ee-usk) restaurant will warm your cockles, literally, with sustainable Scottish seafood prominent on the menu, and cocktails including a seaweed salt margarita and the Oyster Shell Martini. They do a hearty breakfast if you’re a wee hungover. For the ultimate indulgence, head below street level to the subterranean spa, where treatments and thermal journeys are inspired by the Scottish Hebrides, inviting guests to relax, detox, invigorate and recover. All the chilling, but without the chill.
High Life says: Catch a classic film in the hotel’s private cinema, where each of the 44 seats is decked out in a different custom Harris Tweed.
A hearty in-room breakfast at The Reading Rooms (Damian Russell)
The Reading Rooms, Margate
Amo, amas, a bath. While many stays days these days shun the tub, not so at The Reading Rooms in Margate, which champions rolltop antique numbers and mosaic-tiled walk-in showers and places them alongside locally made Haeckels products. When Louise Oldfield and Liam Nabb first opened this two-room seaside guesthouse 15 years ago, we’d argue they raised the bar for design-led boutique hotels everywhere. Partitions, paint and vestiges of a 1980s double life as a collection of bedsits were stripped away to reveal generous original Georgian proportions and one of the best stays on the Southeast coast. After a day of shopping and ambling along the seafront, return and luxuriate in the pared-back elegance of your 1780s surroundings. With bare plaster walls, cool tones, parquet and carefully chosen antique French furniture, it’s the kind of house you’ll leave Googling, ‘limewash paint’, ‘The White Company linen sale’, and ‘how to live with less stuff’. Stunning.
High Life says: The Reading Rooms is famed for its in-room breakfasts, made with gorgeous produce from local suppliers. Time it for midmorning to factor in an invigorating swim first thing at the Walpole Bay Tidal Pool.
Grove of Narberth’s history dates back to the 15th century (Owen Howells)
Hazlitt’s, London
Leather-bound books, roaring fireplaces, princess-and-the-pea-style beds, and Sir Godfrey, the resident cat: when it comes to snuggly stays in London, Hazlitt’s is the olde-worlde king of cosy. Hidden behind a small door with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sign on Soho’s Frith Street, Hazlitt’s charmingly creaky corners span three floors, including a wood-panelled library – with tomes signed by JK Rowling, Seamus Heaney, et al – and a comfy sitting room with an honesty bar. The 30 bedrooms (the Jonathan Swift room is picture above) are just as packed with antique furniture, stately oil paintings and heavy velvets, with added roll-top tubs and loos concealed behind Jacobite loveseats. Wrap up in the hotel’s plush robes, order tea and biscuits to your room and wind down under perfectly weighty duvets. Get breakfast served to your room (is there a better way?), with hearty bacon sandwiches, smoked salmon bagels and cheeky bucks’ fizz on the agenda.
High Life says: The Duke of Monmouth suite is two storeys of royalty-worthy goodness, including a private roof terrace, regal lounge with chess table and possibly one of the largest baths in London, fed by brass taps and a water-spouting bronze eagle.
The rooftop Nor’ Loft serves up Champagne, fondues and amazing views
Market Street Hotel, Edinburgh
Roaring fires and a Champagne welcome – is there a better combo? – await you at Scotland’s first member of the supremely selective Design Hotel collection. One of the youngest buildings in Edinburgh’s Old Town, this new kid on the block overlooks Princes Street Gardens and is a quick march from the Royal Mile. Inside, designer FG Stijl concocts a brilliant blend of traditional tartan, oak and marble throughout the 98 rooms, which all feature Apple TVs, woollen armchairs, Roberts radios, and oak wooden shutters that, when closed, reveal mirrors. All manner of amenities from Laura Thomas Co, based in nearby North Berwick, meanwhile, leaves everything with a glorious birch wood, green cedar and lavender scent. Head upstairs to the seventh-floor Champagne bar, Nor’ Loft – where breakfast is also served – for small plates and more than 20 types of Champagne, plus a signature cheese fondue that’s perfect for the festive evenings ahead. And all with views over the city’s World Heritage skyline.
High Life says: All rooms feature a complimentary minibar (including Tunnock’s sweet treats), plus coffee sourced from local roasters Gordon St Coffee and milk frothers, to boot.
A funky family sleeper room at Moxy
Arthur’s is a hymn to old architecture and antiques
