The UK’s cosiest autumnal hotels

Surrounded by 500 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside, this drop-dead gorgeous 18th-century Georgian manor is autumnal bliss wrapped in oak panelling, flickering fireplaces and tartan throws. The whole place smells like heaven, thanks to the hotel’s signature scent – available as a candle, so you can take that warm, fuzzy feeling home. After a canal-side stroll or a visit to the estate’s adorable horses, unwind in the orangery-style spa with sauna, steam room, vitality pool and the signature Ku Nye massage, a nurturing Tibetan-inspired treatment using estate-grown botanicals. Rooms come with Four Seasons mugs, fresh hydrangeas and minibars stocked with Cartwright & Butler treats. Breakfast in bed? Expect golden eggs, fluffy blueberry pancakes and local jams – best enjoyed in a robe, with a garden view and zero obligations. When hunger strikes later, Wild Carrot’s Executive Chef Talha Barkin impresses with seasonal delights like aged acquerello risotto and lime and banana sticky toffee pudding. For something extra cosy, book a table for pod dining under the stars.

High Life says: The Library Bar is a blissfully quiet retreat (no kids or phones) where mixologist Surinder Virk crafts cocktails inspired by the manor’s past. His martini–margarita hybrid? A revelation. As are his theatrical cocktail-making classes.

This Chelsea bolthole is pure drama – in the best, cosiest way. Tucked inside two elegant Georgian townhouses on Sloane Street, it brings country-house comfort and Japanese elegance to one of the capital’s bougiest neighbourhoods. Each of the 14 suites channels a different theatre in London – the Coliseum Room is a standout – with rich fabrics, curated playbills and bold, theatrical flair. But it’s the small touches that make you want to hunker down: Bamford bath products, help-yourself whisky decanters, personalised mini-bars and hand-drawn neighbourhood maps for wandering (or not). Downstairs, the Fuji Grill plates up Japanese dishes such as prawn tempura with spicy mayo and a heavenly miso rice pudding. The twinkly, Art Deco Sir Frank’s Bar is perfect for curling up with a punchy cocktail – don’t miss the Fuji Cloud served with cotton candy. There’s a snug library filled with London-centric reads, while personal assistants can organise everything from in-room massages to tickets for top West End shows.

High Life says: Guests get exclusive access to the residents-only Cadogan Gardens, just over the road – perfect for a leisurely stroll through autumn foliage.

If your idea of heaven is a wild Yorkshire coastline, a roaring fire and a robe you never want to take off, Saltmoore is calling. Snuggled just outside Whitby in Sandsend (recently named the best beach in the North of England by The Times), this boutique escape is cooler‑season comfort at its finest, where the moors meet the sea. Mornings start gently in the Orangerie, with garden views, soft light and the scent of fresh coffee. Later, sink into a lounger by the indoor pool, try the cryotherapy chamber or warm up in the eucalyptus steam room or Himalayan salt sauna. Up the wholesomeness further with a Wildsmith massage or facial, then grab a smoothie (or perhaps a soft-serve ice cream?) from the Wellness Café. Evenings start with aperitifs in the Lounge Bar before dining in The Brasserie, where Head Chef Adam Maddock, with a sprinkle of Tommy Banks magic, creates comforting dishes like twice‑baked cheese soufflé and cider-battered fish & chips. There’s also the Pizzeria at The Beach House, just steps from the sand, for sourdough served with a sea breeze.

High Life says: Book a Moorland View room for golden sunrises, waves lapping nearby and the tub of dreams. Local favourites Fish Cottage (for fresh seafood) and Mary’s (for drool-worthy sandwiches) are worth a detour.

Welcome to the epitome of Welsh warmth. Burrowed within 26 acres of well-tended garden and wildlife-flushed woodland, this luxury country house hotel dates back to the 15th century and has just 25 rooms spread across the main house and four cottages, all adorned in the local style. This means vintage lace and patchwork quilts on the walls, and pottery and antiques throughout. Even better, each cottage has its own conservatory or private garden. Grab your gloves and venture a little further, taking an hour’s drive to Stackpole Estate in Pembrokeshire for a stroll through changing landscapes (namely tranquil wooded valleys, dramatic red sandstone bays and broad, golden-sand beaches). For ultimate contentment, you’ll return to a glowing fire inside your suite or cottage and a drink from the complimentary minibar. Refuel at the relaxed Artisan Rooms Brasserie overlooking Grove’s apple trees, or at 4 AA Rosette restaurant Fernery with a seasonal seven- or five-course tasting menu – both spots show off fresh produce from the hotel’s colour-themed garden.

High Life says: Try the local specialities, especially the laverbread (a delicacy made from laver seaweed), and award-winning Velfrey sparkling wine.

The Caledonian brings serious cosiness to the Scottish capital, especially in autumn, when its grand interiors glow with old-world charm. Once a Victorian railway hotel, it has been elegantly reimagined following a £35m refurbishment with deep velvet armchairs, soft lighting and a lobby scented with oak and whisky. Castle View Rooms offer postcard-worthy vistas of Edinburgh Castle through misty windows, best enjoyed from the comfort of bed with a morning coffee. The intimate spa, with its heated indoor pool and sauna, is a perfect retreat from brisk city walks. On the first floor, 195 at The Pompadour serves up Scottish seafood fine dining classics – a treat after browsing nearby boutiques. It’s all glamorous, private and wonderfully snug, so no surprise Taylor Swift reportedly stayed here during her visit to Scotland.

High Life says: For a fireside moment straight out of a music video, head to social hub The Court at dusk, where low lighting, plush sofas and live piano make it feel like your own autumn soundtrack.

Few places feel as effortlessly restful as The Balmoral in autumn. Set where Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns meet, this grande dame wraps you in warmth from the moment you step through the door. The Deluxe Castle View Rooms offer front-row seats to Edinburgh Castle, often shrouded in golden mist at this time of year, and interiors blend rich fabrics, dark wood and muted tartans to cocoon you against the city chill. Downstairs, a fire crackles in the Palm Court, where afternoon tea feels particularly indulgent on crisp afternoons. Later, retreat to SCOTCH bar – low-lit, oak-panelled and lined with more than 500 whiskies – for a dram that’ll thaw even the briskest evening. The spa is a haven, too, with its sauna and steam room the perfect end to a blustery walk along Princes Street.

High Life says: Order tea and biscuits to your room and watch the castle lights blink on – pure autumn magic from the comfort of your bed.

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 193 apartments and hotel rooms. There’s also an outdoor terrace for hardy folk who don’t much mind the cold. Solo travellers to Manchester 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.

Walking into Arthur’s is like opening your arms for a big, gentle hug. Half an hour by car from Belfast, the cosy-quaint coffee house and boutique hotel, set on Royal Hillsborough’s handsome Georgian high street, has been meticulously restored by its owners, with its 12 jewel-toned suites blending the neighbourhood’s rich history with all mod-cons. The first thing that catches your eye is the oversized headboard (each is covered in a different bold print), with original fireplaces, sumptuous furnishings and a big bathtub to add to the cosseting. The temptation would be to never leave this snug-as-a-bug scenario, but drag yourself away you must, for the downstairs café is delightful. Take a table by the fire and indulge in the excellent breakfast – will it be bircher muesli and fresh fruit, Paddington’s French toast or the full Ulster fry-up? Afterwards, wrap up and work it off with a stroll around the village, taking in the grandiose stately home of the Marquesses of Downshire and the pretty-as-a-picture lake as you go.

High Life says: After hours, the café space is often used for cocktail nights, wine tastings and private chef experiences – surely a bonus to any stay.

Amo, amas, a bath. While many stays 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 16 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 1770s 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.

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 kindly 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 boardgame or institutional four-o’clock cake. Claim a spot among quirky curiosities or sip a fireside fizz in lounges painted in 50 shades of sea. And the food? It’s a celebration of the Cornish coast, with local seafood and the hotel’s own greens all part of the rustic restaurant’s proud 25-mile menu. Christmas visitors can expect an extra-generous helping of indulgence, from rich roasts to decadent puds.

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.