After spending last Valentine’s Day locked down, this year it’s time to celebrate in style. Since life has been short on new experiences, hotel bookings this 14 February are expected to surge. Avoid the crowds and book one of these secret escapes to make Valentine’s Day 2022 a date to remember.
Storrs Hall
Wild, remote and topographically breathtaking: the Lake District inspired writers from Wordsworth and Coleridge to John Ruskin – the perfect backdrop for those seeking romance.
Storrs Hall, a Grade II listed manor, has proven a particular draw for artistic souls in the area. Wordsworth did a famous recital of his Daffodils poem in its drawing room and Beatrix Potter visited to attend Storrs’ glamorous parties.
Now a luxury hotel, it still manages to make modern day visitors feel at one with the water and hills. The lawns running along its white-washed, shuttered frontage stretch all the way to the shores of Lake Windermere – offering guests their own private cove on England’s largest lake.
There are rooms in the main house but for couples wanting privacy the lakeside suites are the ones to go for. Wrapped within the 17 acres of surrounding woodland, the individual apartments have sliding doors which lead out onto terraces – each with a cedar wood hot tub for starlit dips. There is also one luxury Boathouse which can be booked and has its own steam room and outdoor fire pit.The friendly staff will help with organising outdoor pursuits – whether it’s a boat ride from the hotel’s jetty, waterfall walks or kayaking – and will even assist in arranging lakeside proposals.
A stay at the Lakeside Suites over Valentine’s costs from £440 per night including breakfast and in-room treats.
The Tawny
Wildflowers, water pools, secret bridges, and a dilapidated folly are just some of the delights you discover when exploring The Tawny hotel’s 70 acre grounds.
The check-in, restaurant, amenities and rooms are spread across numerous buildings – from Grand Designs-style modernist creations on stilts to quaint boathouses, shepherd’s huts, treehouses and a spa in a thatched cottage. Not only does this make your stay feel deliciously private, it also means you spend more time wandering through the gardens or being transported by golf buggy.
For a Valentine’s treat pop into the heated outdoor pool at sunset then order The Tawny’s picnic package – a wicker basket of deli items and bubbly – to enjoy in the gardens as you stargaze.
For those wanting to dine in there is both a high-end restaurant and a lounge serving more relaxed fare.
Set in rural Staffordshire, next to the hotel is the popular Consall Nature Park. The nearest train station is Stoke-on-Trent – around a 20-minute drive away.
Rates at The Tawny start from £230 based on two sharing and including breakfast. For the boathouses and treehouses, they start from £400 and £420 respectively.
Richmond Harbour Hotel & Spa
For couples not wanting to travel far but seeking that ‘get away from it all’ feeling, Richmond is perfect. Grey London washes away as the District line nears its terminus and just a 20-minute stroll later you find yourself at the Richmond Harbour Hotel, little wooden boats floating down the Thames on one side of you and 2,500 acres of Richmond Park on the other.
Borrow a pair of Hunter wellies from reception and go for a muddy tramp to see the park’s famous deer before relaxing sore muscles in the hotel’s modern spa, kitted out with sauna, steam room, hot tubs and 20 metre pool.
The 18th century country house has been tastefully modernised – with bright rooms brimming with lush house plants. Rooms are spacious, with luxuriously thick Egyptian cotton sheets and complimentary gin and sherry.
The hotel has a restaurant, which has proven popular with locals. But for an uber-romantic meal, try to bag a booking at Petersham Nurseries – just a 15-minute walk away. Festoons of jasmine, bougainvillea and glowing lights make this glasshouse restaurant a Valentine’s winner.
Rates start from £140 per night on a B&B basis.
Victorian House Hotel
Another Lake District gem, the village of Grasmere was where William and Dorothy Wordsworth lived for 14 years and described by them as ‘the loveliest spot that man hath ever found’.
The Victorian House hotel sits just on the edge of town on the banks of the River Rothay. Outside the characterful slate building is covered in climbing plants – mirrored on the inside by the pot plants spilling through the rooms.
The hotel has a relaxed, open-plan feel: with two communal parlours, a conservatory and a drinking and dining area – where you can put your feet up with a slice of complimentary cake (homemade of course) after a long day’s hiking.
The rooms are comfortable and tastefully decorated – some even have telescopes for stargazing. But the hotel’s best kept secret is the shepherd’s hut nestled at the end of its garden, available to rent for £124 per night including breakfast.
The hut’s French doors slide open to reveal a private seating area and firepit by the river. Inside there is vintage furniture, original art and toasty underfloor heating.
The Boathouse
You can’t get much more private than a hotel with just one room. This house boat hotel is a 60ft barge moored in Paddington’s Floating Pocket Park.
Fall asleep in the enormous bed with the wood burner on and wake up as the sun rises over the lawns and flowerbeds of this new canal neighbourhood. Guests are welcomed with a complimentary hamper from Daylesford farm shop, brimming with breakfast treats including fresh bread and homemade jams. There are two bicycles and a rowing boat, so you can either pedal or paddle to the nearest café (Paddington has a number of waterside watering holes) to pick up your morning coffee.
The wood-panelled interiors are stylishly curated – with fluffy rugs, contemporary art, an interesting selection of books, and a decadent roll top bath. The boat’s roof doubles up as an al fresco dining area offering views over the birds nesting by the canal.
There is an oven and fridge so you can cook your own Valentine’s Day meal – otherwise the Boathouse can arrange champagne receptions and private chefs.
An overnight stay costs from £260 midweek.
Chapel House
All of the rooms in this Georgian townhouse hotel look out over the Cornish sea. It sits right in the heart of Penzance, which has oodles of charm thanks to its myriad of independent shops, art deco lido and the cheerful sailboats bobbing in its harbour.
Chapel House, located metres from the water and Jubilee Pool lido, is an ideal spot for holidaying couples. The hotel has just six rooms in the main house (and two suites across the kitchen courtyard) – ensuring privacy.
Room 2 is often cited as the most romantic thanks to the log burner crackling in one corner and huge free-standing bath on the other.
Elegant period style is combined with contemporary architectural updates to create a beautiful, light-filled space. Furnishings in the communal spaces – from the mahogany grand piano to the convivial breakfast table and full bookshelves – make it feel more like being in the home of an old friend than a hotel.
For a romantic day out, wander along the South West coast path to St Michael’s Mount (it should take just over an hour). The tidal island and Medieval church have something of a fairytale feel – perfect for making a February 14th feel special.
Chapel House’s well-stocked boot room (containing everything from woolly hats to wellies) should ensure you’re prepared for anything the British winter can throw.
Prices start from £160 per night, breakfast included.
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