10 of the best UK hotels for a luxury Christmas break

Was Christmas more magical as children because you believed in Santa’s global mission to trapeze down the chimney with presents? Or is it just the enchanting lack of required organisation from little ones come 25 December that makes them so giddy over gifts?

But there is a way to rediscover the magic of Christmas: forget the turkey timings, stocking stuffing and sheer volume of washing up in a kitchen more thoroughly steamed than the cabbage with a hands-off opulent escape for the whole family.

High-end hotels across the UK are gearing up to host this holiday season, from grand country houses in Surrey to manors with Michelin-starred restaurants and waterfront lodgings on a Cornish getaway.

To help you organise hassle-free festivities on a grand UK staycation this December, we’ve rounded up our top 10 luxury hotels with Yuletide packages for a home-from-home Christmas break.

Winter wonderlands with fire-lit lounges, sumptuous spa facilities and festive fine dining await.

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The Idle Rocks, Cornwall

Feast on festive favourites from Christmas Eve dinner to Boxing Day brunch at The Idle

(The Idle Rocks)

Waterfront The Idle Rocks in the heart of St Mawes is fashioned as a home away from home with idyllic views of the Cornish coast and the Fal Estuary. Its decadent Christmas package lasts for four nights from 23 December and includes a festive afternoon tea, three-course dinners by head chef Matt Haggath, Christmas Eve wine tasting and a whole host of indulgent Christmas favourites to feast on, complete with platters of mince pies and mulled wine ideal for catching a screening in the hotel’s Hidden Cinema.

A Cornish Christmas package from £2,240 for four nights based on two guests sharing.

Hampton Manor, Solihull

Melodic carol evenings and seasonal Michelin-starred menus grace Hampton Manor at Christmas

(Hampton Manor)

For a serious foodie affair – after all, it’s what Christmas is all about – Hampton Manor with Michelin-starred restaurant, Grace & Savour, is a sanctuary for a hands-off December staycation. Inclusive of Christmas Eve dinner, a five-course Christmas Day lunch featuring lobster tails and beef wellington, hearty breakfasts and festive evenings of carols and mince pies, the 24 December Christmas package promises all the trimmings on and off the menu. The Manor Cottage is also available for families of up to eight to settle in by the fire for a cosy afternoon of board games.

Two-night Christmas staycation package from £749pp.

Marine North Berwick, North Berwick

Celebrate Christmas with Santa at Marine North Berwick

(A.M Baxter and Company Ltd)

Tucked in Scotland’s East Lothian landscape, the Marine North Berwick is offering an elegant escape on the golf coast to celebrate the season. Think wreath-making workshops, a lively three-course Christmas party on 15 December, a unique Christmas Day lunch, Boxing Day brunch and a child-friendly afternoon tea with St Nicholas himself, complete with gifts.

Two-night festive packages start from £572 per room, based on two guests sharing.

Foresters Hall, Isle of Wight

For a festive itinerary complete with a hot chocolate bar, hunker down at Foresters Hall 

(Foresters Hall )

Cosy up at the intimate Foresters Hall in the Isle of Wight’s Old Town of Cowes for “A Very Wight” Christmas 2023. The three-night stay includes a boozy afternoon tea to the tune of a jazz band on arrival, a steamy hot chocolate bar, a crucial Christmas leftovers buffet to graze, festive nightcaps and even complimentary wellies for those bracing Boxing Day walks down to Gurnard Beach.

Three-night A Very Wight Christmas package from £917.50pp.

Pennyhill Park, Surrey

It’s Christmas trees, crackling fires and canapes at Pennyhill Park

(Angela Ward Brown)

Surrey’s famed Pennyhill Park country house transforms into a winter wonderland come December, with twinkling trees, crackling fires and canape receptions for guests staying over the Christmas period. Access to the hotel’s luxury spa facilities guarantees some out-of-office R&R, while winter walks around the 120 acres of grounds and festive quizzes nicely complement bucks fizz breakfasts and a five-course Christmas Day lunch in the “farm to fork” Hillfield restaurant.

Two-night Christmas package (24 and 25 December) from £2,500 for two people sharing a cosy room.

The Coniston Hotel, Yorkshire Dales

Relax in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales for a cosy Christmas at The Coniston

(The Coniston Hotel )

Tailored trips to The Coniston Hotel in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales provide all the trimmings this festive season. On the Relax & Retreat package, guests will be spoiled with sparkling afternoon tea, three-course dining experiences, access to the award-winning Nàdarra spa and proper Yorkshire breakfasts. Picture leisurely living, cosy accommodation primed for a gift exchange and blowing off the cobwebs from an indulgent Christmas lunch on family strolls around the estate.

Three-night Relax & Retreat Christmas breaks from £749pp based on two guests sharing a room.

Coworth Park, Ascot

Ring in the holidays at this Dorchester Collection country house for the ultimate winter indulgence

(Coworth Park)

Dorchester Collection’s deluxe country house, Coworth Park, is a recipe for festive fun in the Berkshire countryside. Feast on festive set menus by Adam Smith in the Michelin-starred Woven restaurant, champagne and canapés in the Drawing Room and mugs of mulled in The Barn’s made over apres ski setting. On Christmas Day, Father Christmas joins the festivities post bubbly breakfast, there’s a traditional showing of the King’s Christmas broadcast in the Garden Room and a buffet-style dinner and live entertainment from 7pm.

Three-night Christmas at Coworth Park package from £5,370 for a double occupancy stable superior room.

The Grand, York

Get into the festive spirit within walking distance of magical York Christmas markets

(The Grand Hotel)

If any seasonal staycation can compensate for the inevitable lack of a white Christmas, The Grand’s Festive Escape package certainly fits the bill. The two-night stay in a classic room complete with full Yorkshire breakfasts, mulled wine on arrival, dinner in The Rise restaurant and a festive afternoon tea paired with spiced sips of seasonal cocktails is even within walking distance of York’s enchanting Christmas markets.

Two-night Festive Escape package from £647 per room, 17 November-28 December.

The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny

Head to Abergavenny for The Angel’s mince pie and mulled wine offerings

(The Angel Hotel)

At The Angel in Abergavenny, the “gateway to Wales”, a one-night stay with the Welsh Winter Wonderland package is sure to warm the cockles. Classic cooked breakfasts meet delectable dinners in the Oak Room or firelit Foxhunter Bar alongside mince pies and mulled wine during cosy stays between 23 November and 23 December.

One night Winter Wonderland package from £274 based on two guests sharing.

Cowley Manor Experimental, Cheltenham

Guests on the three-night package will indulge in countless courses of festive delights

(Cowley-Manor-Experimental/Mr Tripper)

Cowley Manor Experimental’s Christmas at Cowley packages from 24 to 27 December include three nights in comfortable rooms kitted out with Christmas trees, a three-course Christmas Eve dinner by Jackson Boxer, a five-course Christmas Day lunch with champagne and generous gifts for each guest all set in a 17th-century manor house in the Cotswold countryside – there’ll also be plenty of live entertainment and other festive surprises along the way.

Christmas at Cowley packages start from £2,550 per room.

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