The Best Family-Friendly Stays in England
Room to spread out, pools to splash in and a welcome that means it. The English stays that work as well for children as for the grown-ups.
29 places, ranked by our editors.
The Treehouse Suites at Chewton Glen
Canopy-level suites with private hot-tub decks, breakfast delivered by hamper, and the full run of a five-star spa hotel below.
The Newt in Somerset
A Georgian estate turned into one of England's most remarkable hotels, with gardens, cyder, spa and pools, near Bruton.
Thyme
A restored manor and working farm in a whole Cotswold village, with a spa, a cookery school and rooms that feel lived-in rather than styled.
Lime Wood
A relaxed-luxe country house deep in the New Forest, with the Herb House spa, two pools and Angela Hartnett's cooking.
The Pig on the Beach
A mellow-yellow manor above Studland Bay, with sea views, garden-to-plate food and the Pig group's signature charm.
The Pig in the Forest
The original Pig, deep in the New Forest, where the kitchen garden sets the menu and the mood is gloriously easy.
Langdale Chase
A restored Victorian house on the shore of Windermere, with individually styled rooms and some of the best lake views in Cumbria.
Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate
A five-star estate above its own Blue Flag beach, with a spa, sea-view suites and room for the whole family.
The Star, Alfriston
A medieval inn in a picture-book Sussex village, restored with Olga Polizzi's signature colour and confidence.
The Pig at Combe
An Elizabethan manor in the East Devon hills with the Pig group's garden-to-plate cooking and easy charm.
Babington House
Soho House's original country house: effortlessly cool, with two pools, a spa, a cinema and a genuine welcome for families.
The Pig near Bath
A laid-back Georgian country house a short drive from Bath, with garden-to-plate cooking and easy, dog-friendly charm.
The Devonshire Arms
The Duke of Devonshire's country house and spa on the Bolton Abbey estate, with walks straight onto the Dales.
Saltmoore
A contemporary coastal hotel near Whitby, with a spa, pool and the moors meeting the sea at Sandsend.
The Pig at Bridge Place
A red-brick Kentish manor with a rock-n-roll past, garden-to-plate food and the Pig group's quirky charm, near Canterbury.
University Arms
Cambridge's grand hotel, beautifully reimagined by Martin Brudnizki, overlooking Parker's Piece in the centre of the city.
Wild Thyme & Honey
A food-first coaching inn near Cirencester where the kitchen does the talking and dogs are as welcome as their owners.
Cowley Manor Experimental
A Victorian manor reimagined with French flair, indoor and outdoor pools, and grounds made for wandering.
The Bell at Ticehurst
A village pub with rooms full of wit and invention, plus garden lodges, in the High Weald of Sussex.
Watergate Bay Hotel
A relaxed beachfront hotel on a two-mile Cornish strand, with pools, a spa and an easygoing welcome for families and surfers.
Bovey Castle
A grand 1930s estate on the edge of Dartmoor, with a spa, indoor pool, golf and proper space for families.
The Swan, Southwold
Adnams's smartly refreshed coaching inn in the heart of Southwold, a short walk from the famous beach huts.
The Victoria Inn Shepherd's Huts, Holkham
Bespoke shepherd's huts on the Holkham Estate, a short walk from one of England's great beaches, with the Victoria Inn for dinner.
Salcombe Harbour Hotel
A bright, nautical hotel and spa overlooking the Salcombe estuary, with a pool and sea-view rooms.
The Cavendish Hotel
A traditional country house hotel on the Chatsworth estate, right on the edge of the moors and dog-friendly.
The Wentworth Hotel
A genteel, family-run seaside hotel facing Aldeburgh's shingle beach, classic and timeless.
Eastwell Manor
A grand Jacobean-style manor and spa in Kent parkland, with a 20-metre pool and easy reach of Canterbury and the coast.
The Royal Hotel
The Isle of Wight's grandest Victorian seaside hotel, with a heated outdoor pool and sub-tropical gardens above Ventnor.
Hotel Continental
A relaxed Art Deco seafront hotel in Whitstable, with converted fishermen's huts on the beach.