Rutland’s pretty villages, abundant heritage and dreamy countryside vistas make it a beautiful place to visit for romantic weekends, getaways with friends and more. For those who love to hike, this is a part of the world that welcomes you with open arms, returning to superb food and drink and enchanting hospitality at the end of the day. Bringing all that charm together are the area’s hotels and inns. Here, the Good Hotel Guide shares the top hotels in Rutland to visit in 2024.
Comfort, style and a sense of history are just part of the charm at Hambleton Hall, arguably one of the finest country house hotels in the UK. Just a 2.5 hour drive from London, it’s beautifully run and opulently decorated with antiques, whilst being surrounded by exquisitely curated gardens.
Rooms and suites honour the building’s heritage (dating back to 1881), whether you stay in the main house or the Croquet Suite – an independent building with two bedrooms, fine views of Rutland Water from its own private terrace. Meanwhile, the gardens and grounds cover 17 acres, complete with a spectacular Parterre filled with architectural plants and shrubs as well as a walled kitchen garden for cultivating herbs, salad vegetables and soft fruit used in the restaurant.
For foodies, the expert stylings of their Michelin-starred chef results in a concise daily menu in the Dining Room. The hotel’s sommelier is brimming with expert advice, and they even have their own bakery in a nearby village, where you can purchase your own goods to take home.
A former hunting lodge for the Earls of Gainsborough, The Barnsdale is a beautiful destination that’s set to become even more special with the impending opening of a spa, hairdresser’s, café and farm shop.
This is a place where British sensibility meets elegant authentic luxury, where rooms and suites are decorated in heritage style. Enjoy a glass of wine at check-in and settle into a world where signature details include statement fabric headboards, roll top baths and views of Rutland Water.
Food is a joyful part of the experience in the laid-back brasserie, 1760, which is named after the year the original hunting lodge was built. There’s also the Burley Bar for a pint of Barnsdale Bitter, enjoy afternoon tea in the Orangery or (in the summer), a glass of wine in the courtyard.
The Beech House and Olive Branch, Clipsham
An award-winning pub with rooms, The Beech House and Olive Branch is a 2024 Good Hotel Guide Cesar Award winner, and remains a firm favourite amongst all who visit.
Filled with rustic furniture, roaring fires and beamed ceilings, it balances warmth and conviviality with excellence. Rooms are five-star all the way. Individually decorated, they have beautiful beds, handmade pocket sprung mattresses, Egyptian cotton sheets and duck down duvets.
Food is a central feature of a stay here, with ingredients sourced from local farms and brought to life by the kitchen team. They also grow much of their own produce in their pub paddock and polytunnel, not to mention using foraged berries, herbs and mushrooms from the hedgerows and woods.
A much lauded restaurant-with-rooms, Lake Isle draws inspiration from WB Yeats’s Innisfree, as a place of serenity and escape. Behind a 20th-century shop front, within an 18th-century building, it’s a hidden jewel where guests can stay in a choice of rooms and dine in intimate style.
There are nine rooms in the main building, as well as two cottages a stone’s throw away, which are perfect for families and small groups. Each room is decorated individually, with features including whirlpool baths and sumptuous finishes.
Food is very much the focal point of your visit here, with both à la carte and set menus available. Fresh, local ingredients, and produce from their own allotment ensure a seasonally changing feast of options as well as an excellent wine list. Visitors have remarked on favourite dishes including crab kedgeree, a Japanese salad and a delicious orange tart. One visitor summed it up as ‘A delight for the palate and easy on the purse.’
