Just back from 5 of the UK's best boutique retreats

We like to keep our collection of boutique hotels and hideaways in tip-top shape. This means trying and testing out properties regularly to make sure standards remain high (it’s a hardship, but someone’s got to do it). So recently, some of the i-escape ladies set off around the UK to nosey on a few of our much-loved hotels. From a design house in Devon to a wine hotel on the Isle of Wight, these are some of Britain’s best boutique retreats. Here’s what we made of them.

JUMP TO:  DEVON  |  WALES  |  ISLE OF WIGHT | ESSEX  |  CORNWALL

The poolside area was wonderful. A heated outdoor pool is a real luxury for a UK B&B, and it felt so peaceful reading my book after a swim. The sounds of birdsong and crickets were the background hum throughout my stay, and there were butterflies everywhere – lovely! There’s a firepit for the cooler months, and in the pool house you can help yourself to soft drinks, chocolate bars, coffee, teas and freshly baked goods. Breakfast is served here too, with 90% of produce coming from within a 5-mile radius of the house.

I nipped down to Kingswear, a short but steep 10-minute walk, and got the ferry over to Dartmouth, with a pre-loaded card from Kaywana offering discounted journeys for guests (avoids the need for carrying cash). I had a crab sandwich and bought a bottle of wine to take back and enjoy on my terrace, where I watched the sunset – stunning! Then I sunk into one of the comfiest beds I’ve slept it in, and drifted off to the gentle sound of swaying trees.

2 The Felin Fach Griffin, Powys, Wales

Kate Parsons, Head of Reservations

Sometimes you need a break from the kids! So we ditched them for the night and headed to the Brecon Beacons in Wales. It was a beautiful day for a scenic drive, and the closer we got to The Felin Fach Griffin, the more stunning the scenery became.

We were warmly welcomed on arrival. It’s a cosy pub with rooms and has been owned by the Inkin brothers for 20 years now. Considering how long it’s been running, it still looks fresh, and they work hard to keep the punters coming back. It’s particularly popular with older couples and dog owners, and we found it buzzing on Sunday afternoon right through to the evening. Eclectic art on the walls is curated by a local gallery in Brecon and changes every few months or so.

We stayed in their newest room, number 8, which was previously staff quarters. It occupies the entire top floor and has an attractive beamed ceiling and ’50s-style red velvet armchairs, as well as views towards the village lane and fields. The interior is very spacious, with a separate shower room/loo and bathroom. They don’t have any TVs, but that didn’t bother us – we found it really relaxing just chilling out with the radio on.

The food was delicious: typical gastropub fare that’s not overly fussy, with emphasis on local produce. And the wine list was extensive. I had a really tasty pork belly with mashed potato and red cabbage. Breakfast was eggy bread with bacon and maple syrup, and it was such a treat! My husband opted for the full Borders breakfast (essentially a full fry-up) and it looked indulgent and delicious.

Outdoorsy kids would be happy here. There’s a short children’s menu, or the kitchen can serve smaller portions of adult meals, and some of the rooms have space for fold-out beds. All rooms are dog-friendly, and there are no charges to bring your pooch. They get treated well – towels and dog treats etc are provided.

All in all, this is a great place to go if you want to explore the Brecon Beacons. I only wish I’d had longer to see them for myself.

3 The Terrace, Isle of Wight

Lucy Richardson, Editor

I adored The Terrace. It’s a new(ish) kid on the block in Ventnor (opened late August 2022), right on the seafront, in a restored mansion that clings to the cliff. The concept is wine shop with rooms, and it’s done exquisitely.

The wine cave is stacked to the ceiling with bottles from around the world, with a long table at the centre that looks straight out to sea. Wine tasting takes place here daily at 6pm and is included with every stay. I find tastings can be intimidating, everyone competing to outsmart each other, claiming they can taste hay or tar or whatever, but this was a pleasingly relaxed affair. Ali the sommelier was in no way a wine snob, his main aim was to showcase under-the-radar wines and strip your preconceptions about certain regions. It was a good icebreaker too – we all left as chums and reconvened later for nightcaps.

Non-guests can visit the wine shop daily from 10-5, or anyone can swing by in the afternoon to sample a few bottles on their terrace: a very impressive all-glass room with a retractable roof and sea views. We lazed about here in t-shirts and sunglasses, and it felt almost Mediterranean. There’s no lunch or dinner service outside of peak seasons (a pity), but you can order cheese and ham plates to accompany the wines.

Upstairs are the rooms, each different from one another but all very stylish, and lots with original features. Three look straight out to sea; the other two have side sea views. We were in Room 2, which had cute window seats for gazing out into the open blue. There’s also an annex room above the garage for guests with dogs – this room is the weakest, but good for pet owners or parents (there’s a sofabed). Beds are all doubles, and you get a wine fridge for your purchases.

The Terrace is the second venture for owners Ashley and Tom, who run a successful restaurant in Yarmouth. He’s the chef, and if his breakfasts are anything to go by (four whole courses!), he’s mighty good at it. We began with pastries: chorizo and fennel sausage roll for husband; beetroot and ricotta roll for me. Next, homemade toasted soda and nut bread with butter and jam. Then poached pear with coconut granola and honey. And, finally, a variation of the Full English: toast with Isle of Wight tomatoes, bubble & speak, and a poached egg in truffle sauce. Simply divine.

As for Ventnor and the Isle of Wight, I loved it. The island is the sunniest place in the UK, and Ventnor itself has a microclimate that makes it a few degrees warmer than the rest of the country. There’s been a surge of investment in Ventnor in recent years, with a growing restaurant scene and more young people moving in thanks to the rise of remote working. It certainly feels like it’s on the up. Of course, the downside is inaccessibility. Ventnor is on the far side of the island, and car ferries to the Isle of Wight are expensive. But it’s worth the trek. I was a big fan, and I’d return in a heartbeat.

4 The White Hart Inn, Essex

Nadine Mellor, New Hotels Editor

Not long ago, I was clutching binos with steadily numbing fingers, standing in a fresh breeze on a mud shingle-sand beach, beside a creek surrounded by upturned boats and houseboats. I successfully identified a knot probing the mud, with bar-tailed godwits conveniently beside it (for size ID purposes).

I’d just come from the cosy comforts of The White Hart Inn, in the heart of that bustling metropolis West Mersea. It’s the larger of the two habitations on Mersea Island, the UK’s most easterly inhabited island, and one of 43 tidal islands dotted around the coast. There’s an end-of-the-world bleak beauty to the place, and it feels authentically coastal rather than polished and twee, as some parts of Cornwall now do. There are oysters (shipped all over the world) and a couple of sailing clubs, the usual smattering of charity shops, a small post office and supermarket, plus a couple of tea rooms and hairdressers. I also spotted an art gallery and collectables shop opposite the Inn.

Piers Baker (who also runs The Sun Inn in Dedham) collected me from Colchester station. The pub is a new build; Piers was approached by a local developer who was prepared to buy the original boozer, knock it down, and pretty much start again, and he came in at the design stage. So it is very much his vision.

His ideas/decor work well. There’s a big open-plan restaurant plus al fresco terrace. It’s in smart blues and greens, with a mix of seating including banquettes to accommodate all. The menu changes every 6-8 weeks and is focused (but not obsessively so) on local and seasonal. There’s an extremely good beverages list too.

I was the only resident that night, but a few locals came in for dinner. I very much enjoyed chatting to Piers over a mocktail, and then over-eating! My food was all very good but perhaps one or two fewer ingredients per dish may have made the flavours sing out more. A quibble really.

The rooms are all at the back in a two-storey extension above the restaurant. Top floor is Mehalah, where I stayed, while the other five are off a corridor below. Colours and schemes are quite jazzy, definitely bolder than The Sun Inn. I had a lovely big bed, a very good bathroom, and everything looked good and worked well. One room overlooks the car park, which hopefully will look better once the planting has grown up. Three or four have sea glimpses, which are better in the winter when the trees have lost their leaves.

I liked it very much, but then I’m partial to a bit of elemental, big horizon stuff. It might not suit those that aren’t.

5 The Gurnards Head, Cornwall

Alice Tegg, Editorial Assistant

The food was the highlight. I’m a non-meat-eater, and I was expecting the menu to be super fish heavy, considering where we were, but there were at least three veggie/vegan options for each course; all sounded original and not at all like an afterthought. Breakfast was great as well; there were good options hot and cold (I had a fab halloumi hash), amazing homemade granola, and the soda bread they make on site was heavenly – I’m still thinking about it! With no alternative eateries within easy reach it’s just as well it’s good. The team were young and friendly, nothing seemed too much trouble.

There’s really nothing around it, except some friendly cows and a scattering of cottages, but that’s half the magic. And there are endless walks from here along one of the most beautiful stretches of Cornish coastline I’ve seen. Outdoorsy types will love it.