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Whether you’ve just met or been together for years, nothing beats a night at a romantic weekend break for pure escapism. Fluffy white robes, free-standing bath tubs big enough for two, Champagne chilling in-room, a king-size bed and maybe even a hot tub; what’s not to love? Sometimes eating breakfast in bed at home does the trick, but there really is nothing more decadent than a romantic getaway in a hotel (and you don’t have to wash the plates and sheets afterwards).
Here's our pick of the 11 best romantic weekends away in the UK.
Romantic weekend breaks – Moddershall Oaks, Staffordshire
Serious serenity can be found nestled in the pastoral woodlands of Staffordshire at Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat. With a 2.5 hour car trip from London, and with Stoke-On-Trent and Stafford train stations just a 20 minute drive away, it’s a zippy, easy ride to romance. The sparkling lake, rolling green hills and surrounding forests on 72 acres make it a tranquil and private-feeling spot to while away the weekend with a loved one in. Stepping inside, you can both lounge around in their extra fluffy robes and slippers to your heart’s content, drinking a complimentary mocktail on arrival and exploring inside and out. There’s a cosy room with an open crackling fire and plush sofas where you can lounge with drinks and snacks, the outside heated pool and more private spa pool (be sure to book your private session to seriously level up date night), and the indoor spa with a Kelo sauna and a steam room with eucalyptus milk-infused high humidity steam. With such solid indoor and heated outdoor spa facilities, it makes a great romantic break all year round.
The spa treatments are award-winning and unmissable, and you can have their signature ‘Calibrate’ massage (£90 for 50 minutes) which uses warmed orange and fennel infused oil to ease tension – up the sensuality and make it a couple’s massage too.
Make a date at the Oak House Restaurant and try out the gastro pub faves like the beer battered fish and chips, chicken pie, and sticky toffee pud, as well as the Hoisin duck Staffordshire oatcake. When you’re full to the brim, you’ll retire to the cosy suites. Don’t worry about the next day either – keep living leisurely with their cooked breakfast (Staffordshire oatcakes are a must), a brisk woodland walk, and use of the spa facilities until 4PM the next day. They have plans to build 14 woodland pods for 2025, including a honeymoon pod and a 'mini moon' experience, too.
BOOK NOW The 'Two's Company Spa Break' starts at £255 per person – including a welcome drink, one night in a luxury suit, full use of spa facilities, a two-course dinner, freshly cooked breakfast, one 50-minute couples treatment, and use of the gym.
Romantic weekend breaks - The Varsity, Cambridge
Just a short drive from London sits the picturesque town of Cambridge, home to its prestigious university which dates as far back as 1209... but you knew that, right? In other words, you can expect beautiful institutional architecture and wholesome rural vibes – all with activities such as punting, market shopping or a romantic stroll in the park at your fingertips.
But if a romantic night for two is on the agenda, we recommend seeking assistance from The Varsity Hotel and Spa located at the edge of the town's centre and on its riverside, no less.
Whether you want to book in for a relaxing couples Elemis massage *aaaand breath* or dine at their swanky rooftop brasserie, you can expect nothing short of boutique luxury.
BOOK NOW Rooms from £131pn
Romantic weekend breaks - Fife Arms, Scotland
Rolltop baths, clashing prints and bonkers murals makes this eclectic pile, set in Scotland’s Cairngorms, feel more achingly cool member’s club than your gran’s living room. Plus the guests are as fancy as the sexy décor – Judi Dench has been spotted taking selfies in the hotel’s library.
Loved up couples can be found sipping the unpronounceable Mousquetaire Assis, a cocktail designed for sharing which comes served in a huge glass contraption with taps. Like a goldfish bowl for adults, it’s a lethal but delicious combination of homemade absinthe, cherry liqueur and gin. Any cocktail-induced cobwebs can be blown away with a romantic walk – the scenery is Game of Thrones level stunning, with waterfalls, woods and deep, rocky gorges nearby.
BOOK NOW Rooms from £220pn including breakfast
Romantic weekend breaks - Tudor Farmhouse, Gloucestershire
This former working farm in the Royal Forest Of Dean and Wye Valley lies off a rural road where the air’s pure, the vibe’s chocolate-box village and the scenery’s so idyllic it’s like you’ve stepped into a laptop screensaver. Pack something smart/casual for dinner (the restaurant’s small but attracts a well-dressed crowd), jumpers, a beanie and wellies for forest walks.
Up the romance factor by booking The Loft, which is separate to the main hotel so feels like a real hideaway, and has the comfiest bed you’ll possibly ever spend time in, ultra-modern, massive bathroom and even a mini lounge so you can Netflix and chill. There’s room for two in Loft’s free-standing tub, so lather up with Bramley products provided and gaze at the insane views surrounding you (the scenery through the rooftop windows, that is.)
BOOK NOW Rooms, from £139pn including breakfast.
Romantic weekend breaks - The Scarlet, Cornwall
An adult-only coastal retreat set on a cliff top overlooking the golden sweep of Mawgan Porth beach, ten minutes down the road from surfing hot spots Newquay and Watergate Bay. It’s super stylish, with glass walls, lots of colourful art work, sculptures and furniture. Rooms are spread over five levels, the higher you go the better the view, and have luxurious extras like a freestanding oval bath, Cornish aromatherapy toiletries, underfloor heating, outside terrace and slippers you’re allowed to take home.
Food is a big part of the Scarlet experience, the restaurant overlooks the beach and, as you’d expect, there’s a strong seafood offering from a kitchen that works closely with the best local fishermen and producers to create dishes like squid ink linguini with crab. Sunset drinks on the rooftop are unmissable and don’t even consider leaving without sitting in one of the log-fired, cliff-top hot tubs.
BOOK NOW Rooms from £235pn based on two sharing and including breakfast
Romantic weekend breaks - The Langley, Buckinghamshire
As you sweep up the tree-lined drive, you'll immediately feel relaxed. Inside, it’s as opulent as you’d hope, with 41 incredibly plush rooms overlooking the hotel grounds. It’s also a great spa retreat as well as as ideal for romance, so you might want to treat yourselves to a couples’ massage in the huge subterranean spa, which also has a gym, indoor pool, thermal experiences and hammam. Other extras include an outdoor pool, tennis court, six-seat cinema (why not hire it out to watch ‘your’ film?) and even a cookery school. Fine dining restaurant, Cedar’s, offers delicious-yet-healthy dishes like lemon miso sea bass.
BOOK NOW Rooms from £365pn based on two sharing and including breakfast.
Romantic weekend breaks - The Zetter, London
Rooftop studio suites have an outside terrace with amazing city views and a romantic free-standing bathtub, so you can have a cheeky soak together beneath the stars. There are loads of sexy extras too, like Polaroid cameras with a pack of 10 photos, in-room spa treatments and aperitivo hour (6-7pm) with free booze and snacks. No, not some day-old Twiglets, we’re talking crispy ox cheek and courgette flowers.
You can borrow bikes for the day to explore the local area or wander hand-in-hand down Exmouth Market around the corner - it’s a pedestrianised street with one of the capital’s best food scenes (try Moro if you can get in); Oxford Circus is a 20-minute stroll and Tate Modern by the River Thames is a mile away. Oh and we LOVE that brunch is served until an acceptable we-wanted-to-stay-in-bed-together 3pm, including bottomless Bloody Marys and Prosecco. Yes.
BOOK NOW From £135pn
Romantic weekend breaks - The Swan, Cotswolds
If you look up the word “cosy” in the dictionary, don’t be surprised to find a picture of this dinky Cotswolds hideaway, a kind of fantasy country pub for anyone secretly praying that The Holiday is actually a very glossy documentary.
There are only eight bedrooms and the doubles are all perfect for a romantic weekend: rolltop baths, cosy robes, big bed, jar of homemade cookies. Downstairs, framed by exposed beams and an open fireplace, are the humming bar and dining room where couples tuck into the hearty sharing platters. Room for some afters? Got to be the Jaffa cake chocolate pudding with pistachio ice cream. If you’re planning a visit in summer, there’s an expansive terrace outside that’s all impeccable rustic-chic styling and trailing bowers – ideal for balmy outdoor drinking. If you want to embrace it earlier in the year, there’s a hot-chocolate menu that’s quite something.
BOOK NOW Rooms from £89 a night, including continental breakfast.
Romantic weekend breaks - Beaverbrook, Surrey
The sweeping driveway, past lakes and woodland, is very Pride and Prejudice, then suddenly an impressive country house appears out of nowhere with a backdrop of Versailles-style gardens and rolling surrey hills. Make sure you pack your swim stuff as the pool is beautiful; there are two restaurants, including a Japanese Grill where you can feast on a 10-course tasting menu that includes a Yellowtail Tiradito and popcorn shrimp with a dipping sauce made of liquid butter that you’ll dream about forever. Sit in the romantically lit bar for a pre-dinner sharpener, the best seat in the house is the enormous velvet sofa ideal for people-watching other guests. Afternoon tea is served in the lounge, where you can lie back on the vast sofas and plan your next manoeuvre - probably ordering the homemade banana and chocolate cake filled with fresh whipped cream to share.
BOOK NOW From £430pn
Romantic weekend breaks - Grantley Hall, Yorkshire
Catch the train to Ripon, the closest town to Grantley Hall and a hub of rich history, then it’s a short taxi ride to some of the most luxurious hotel bedrooms EVER. We're talking perfect white linen, huge squishy pillows, fresh flowers, a polished wood writing desk, white stand alone bath tub surrounded by marble and a beigey-gold colour scheme that looks straight out of the Hollywood Hills.
The extras here are, well, extra, like a pillow menu and audio system that extends to the bathroom (so you can keep listening to your favourite playlist while you soak). There’s a spa too and pack some glam clothes for the evening ‘cause Grantley Hall has SIX restaurants, including zero-km Yorkshire cuisine and Pan-Asian fusion, but the chef’s table at the Shaun Rankin restaurant is top for intimate dining a deux.
BOOK NOW Rooms from £385pn, including breakfast
Romantic weekend breaks - Heckfield Place, Hampshire
This Georgian manor house has an atmosphere so relaxed it feels like your own home – which is impressive given it boasts all the grandeur of Downton Abbey. The place to book for a foodie lover as, fresh from her success at Petersham Nurseries and Spring at Somerset House in London, Skye Gyngell is in charge of all things edible. As well as creating a menu to die for, the top chef has overseen the development of an onsite biodynamic farm, guaranteeing the best fresh seasonal ingredients. Plus, the Marle restaurant has a beaut view overlooking the stunning lakes and woodland. Don’t leave without doing the woodland walk, it’s dreamy.
BOOK NOW Rooms from £350 per night including breakfast
Romantic weekend breaks - Lodore Falls, Lake District
Warning: the views of the surrounding mountains are so spectacular, it’s the sort of place you’ll feel like proposing (even if you’ve only had a couple of dates). Nestled in the heart of the Lake District (but close enough to society that you don’t go stir crazy sans phone signal and daily newspaper), it makes a great place to escape with someone special. Relax in the Finnish sauna (don’t forget to cool down with the traditional ice bucket drench post-sweat) and chill in the jacuzzi. It’s also a walker’s paradise, so you’re itching to stretch your legs after all that spa-ing, staff will happily provide maps and directions for the many walking trails nearby and even arrange hiking boot hire. Enjoy a romantic meal in the hotel’s pan-Asian restaurant Mizu; fresh sushi, ramen bowls and crab fishcakes washed down with a cup of Sake.
BOOK NOW £210 per person per night with breakfast included;
Anna Cafolla is Cosmopolitan UK’s acting site director – managing the day-to-day running of the website, as well as overseeing video, e-commerce and social for the brand. Anna has a background in culture, fashion, and social affairs journalism – profiling Saffron Hocking, Robyn, Shygirl, and Naomi Osaka; investigating fashion archives, the Irish abortion rights movement, Generation Alpha's developing tastes, women's shelter closures and social media conspiracies in turn. Find Anna on Instagram.
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