Make Christmas your own this year
What does the perfect Christmas getaway look like for you? Shopping ‘til you drop followed by fine dining? Cosy catch-ups with a roaring fire and country strolls? Dancing the night away with your nearest and dearest? Christmas activities and festive fun galore? Or maybe you’d prefer an escape from all the Yuletide madness… However, you’ll be celebrating this year, we have a fabulously unique, independent hotel to suit your festive stay – from cosy manor houses with wintery walking routes, to chic city-centre boutique hotels close to the best shops and restaurants.
Read on for our guide to some of the best Christmas hotel breaks in Great Britain, plus a few not-so-festive options if you prefer to limit mentions of the ‘C’ word until December 25th.
The best spots to find the perfect stocking fillers
Shopping for someone hard to buy for? Newcastle is a treasure trove of independent boutiques, high street shops and designer stores. With the Best Western New Kent Hotel ideally located, you can really make the most of your festive shopping trip. Heading to Scotland? There’s nowhere quite like Edinburgh at Christmas – and its Christmas market is a must visit for countless quirky gifts. Stay at the Best Western Kings Manor Hotel if you’re in town.
The largest German Christmas Market in the UK
Birmingham is transformed into a traditional German city in December, with Bratwurst, gluhwein, a traditional carousel and plenty of stalls selling great festive gifts. Make the most of your visit with a stay at the Best Western Plus Birmingham NEC Meriden Manor Hotel, just a short drive from the festivities. And you can start the celebrations early – the market opens on November 1st and will be sticking around until Christmas Eve if you want to grab some last minute pressies.
Enjoy a Winter Wonderland with a difference
Head for Nottingham’s amazing ice festival and enjoy a stay at the Best Western Plus Nottingham City Centre Hotel. The largest Winter Wonderland event in the East Midlands will host more than 70 traditional-style Bavarian stalls filled with Christmas wares and food plus you can try your hand at ice-skating on the impressive raised ice path, or tobogganing. Visiting London? Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland runs from November 2024 to January 2025 (dates to be confirmed). Make the most of your trip with a stay at the stylish Best Western Plus Delmere Hotel.
Tuck into a mince pie with a twist
You haven’t tried a mince pie until you’ve sampled one of Chorlton-based Barbakan Delicatessen’s Viennese versions. The artisan baker sells around 15,000 of the sweet treats every December. If you book a stay at the Best Western Manchester Altrincham Cresta Court Hotel, or the Best Western Plus Manchester Airport Wilmslow Pinewood Hotel, you’ll be just a short drive away from this and so much more.
Celebrate Christmas, Charles Dickens style
Don’t just read ‘A Christmas Carol’ or watch the film, experience the classic festive tale on a whole new level at its author’s one-time home, the Charles Dickens Museum in London. Make the most of your visit to the capital and stay at the Best Western Corona or Best Western Plus Delmere Hotel both within a short distance of all the action.
Savour the atmosphere in Glasgow
To kick things off, hit Glasgow’s Style Mile with its hundreds of independent boutiques and specialist stores. Then to refuel, delve into the bustling German Market in St Enoch Square and indulge in a gluhwein and traditional frankfurter. Finally, head to Elfingrove and take a spin on the ice rink for a sparkling end to the day. When all the festive fun is over, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep at Best Western Garfield House Hotel, near Glasgow.
Pirouette over to Cardiff for ballet season
Love the theatre at Christmas time? Then no place does it better than Cardiff. “My Favourite Things – Christmas Cabaret Spectacular” takes place on 20 and 21 December, and the family event “The Snow Queen” runs from 12 to 31 December. Get your tickets to the Cardiff Christmas Festival 2024 to enjoy these shows and more this festive season. You can plan your stay at Best Western Heronston Hotel & Spa, near Cardiff so you can relax after an evening at the theatre.
Savour the atmosphere in Manchester
After a day hunting down gifts galore at the festively decked-out Trafford Centre, head to Albert Square and lose yourself in the city’s legendary German Markets. Gluhwein, hot dogs and unusual European trinkets await. Keep an eye out for famous footballers, the cast of Corrie and BBC presenters. Afterwards enjoy a stay nearby at the Best Western Manchester Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham – just a short tram ride out of the city centre.
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Glide ever so graciously around Bath
Set in the beautiful surroundings of Royal Victoria Park and close to Bath’s famous Royal Crescent, ice skating makes for a great day out for families, friends and couples alike. Off the ice, challenge your mates to a game of glow golf. Make a day or evening of it, maybe with a mug of festive mulled wine, starting in November 2024. After a skating session rest your legs at Best Western Limpley Stoke Hotel in Bath.
Bournemouth: Be enlightened
For a Yuletide by the seaside why not head to Bournemouth? The focal point of the town’s free Christmas Tree Wonderland trail is a 60-foot giant in the beautiful Victorian Lower Gardens. Pick up some festive treats and prepare to be dazzled, almost literally, by its 30,000 individually programmed bright lights. You can also enjoy a 3D walkthrough tree and a glittering tunnel of lights – perfect for festive selfies. Stay at: Best Western Plus, The Connaught Hotel & Spa, Bournemouth.
Tread an enchanted Christmas trail
Westonbirt Arboretum is just a short trip from Bristol and promises a magical family day out with an amazing immersive light display. Enjoy the illuminations as you stroll through the woods – you never know, you might even bump into Father Christmas himself! Afterwards, reward yourself with some festive cheer at the Christmas Village before at stay at Best Western Bristol North The Gables Hotel, Falfield.
Get into the spirit at Biddenden Vineyard
How about a little local provenance for those hard-to-buy-fors? Kent’s oldest commercial vineyard in Biddenden is a great place for Christmas shopping with personalised hampers and a selection of local jams, chutneys, beers, honey, cheeses, liqueurs, wines to choose from. The Christmas cheer starts in mid-November, so remember to get your tickets and book your stay at Best Western Manor Hotel & Suites, Gravesend.
The official start of the Christmas season
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is an annual favourite filled with big crowds. Book a ticket in advance to guarantee your day of festive fun – keep your eyes peeled for off-peak sessions with free entry. Once inside, you’ll be greeted with countless fairground rides, a child-friendly Santa Land and Santa's grotto, food stalls and Christmas markets for you to enjoy. Stay near the fun at Best Western Mornington Hotel London Hyde Park.
Have a blazing time down South in Brighton
Stand back and watch as hundreds of beautiful lanterns made from paper and willow are produced by Brighton and Hove folk in preparation for the annual ‘Burning of the Clocks’ celebration on 21 December, the shortest day of the year. Get in on the fun with a stay at Best Western Princes Marine Hotel, Hove.
Experience a Christmas pantomime
Cheshire is full of fun come the Christmas season, with everything from pantomimes to a lights trail available to keep the festive feels sparkling. See what events tickle your fancy over the holidays and book tickets for the whole family. Many of Cheshire's historic ‘Gardens of Distinction’ are also open throughout the winter with festive events, so be sure to check out the scene in local leafy hotspots. Stay at the nearby Best Western Frodsham Forest Hills Hotel.
Enjoy a Festive Tipple
Why not indulge in a stay at Best Western Leigh Park Country House Hotel and Vineyard, Bradford-on-Avon to get into the festive spirit? Begin with a stroll around the hotel's walled garden where they grow grapes and make their own label house wine. Then take a short drive to Mumford's Vineyard and enjoy a free tour and wine tasting! Next, make a small detour to Neston Park Farm Shop with its range of tempting treats, and finish off the day with a dinner at the hotel made with Neston Park’s own produce. Delicious!
Swap carols for an opera chorus
Fancy doing something different this Christmas? Why not stay in the magnificent former country residence of Sir William Gilbert, now Best Western Plus Grim’s Dyke Hotel in Harrow Weald, Middlesex? Set in over 40 acres of beautiful gardens and woodlands, you could join a Gilbert & Sullivan dinner performance, or simply hum along that you are ‘the very model of a modern major general’ in this most authentic backdrop.
Potter around the Potteries
Stoke on Trent has been shaped by its production of pottery for centuries, building a city with a globally renowned reputation and history of innovation, science, art, culture, and entrepreneurialism and today the city remains a must-visit destination for lovers of pottery! Try your hand at throwing a pot or treat someone to a lovely teapot for Christmas during a chilled-out trip to the Potteries. Stay at: Best Western Plus Buxton Lee Wood Hotel in nearby Buxton.
Swap carols for peace and quiet
If you’d prefer a secluded escape this festive season, why not enjoy a hideaway Best Western Lamphey Court Hotel and Spa in Pembroke? Switch off. Get away from it all. Start the day with a bracing walk along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path then warm up and relax inside the hotel’s spa. The herbal sauna and aromatic steam room will soon have you feeling nice and cosy. Complete a few lengths of the pool and indulge in a spa treatment should you fancy some more pampering.