Accommodation options
Introduction
Wondering what type of accommodation options are on offer? From B&Bs (bed & breakfasts) to luxurious country hotels, glamping at idyllic sites to staying in unusual places like lighthouses, train carriages or tree houses, Britain has loads of options for everyone and every budget. Visit our destination pages for more information on accommodation options in specific locations across Britain.
From bar to bed: Pubs and coaching inns
Everyone loves a traditional British pub, and it’s even better when you can stay in one. Short for public house, these drinking (and often eating) places are a bit of a British institution. Many scenic ones have rooms available too, meaning your journey from bar to bed never be long! Check out Stay in a Pub to find pubs with rooms around Britain.
Inns are slightly different to pubs in that, in the past, travellers across Britain would stop off at them to rest on long journeys. Often termed coaching inns, these are often beautifully preserved historic buildings dating back hundreds of years.
Bed & breakfasts
Another great way to meet local people, fellow travellers and British staycationers is by staying in a bed & breakfast. From deluxe city-centre properties to storybook-style cottages, bed and breakfasts are scattered all over Britain.
Like its name suggest, bed & breakfast accommodation includes a room for the night and breakfast the following morning. Decor ranges from plush escapism to no-frills offerings, with plenty of luxury and boutique properties popping up all the time.
Hotels
There’s a huge number of hotels in Britain, from grand country estates to buzzing city skyscrapers. You’ll find the low-key, the commercial, the surreal and wonderful. Those who want to blow their budget can get roof-top bars with swimming pools, to golf courses and Michelin-starred restaurants.
Hostels
For the budget conciousness, and the chance to meet other like-minded travellers like backpackers, there’s plenty available all over Britain. While normally aimed at younger adults of student age, travellers of all ages and families use them too.
Hostels can be made up of dormitory-style rooms (shared rooms with four to 10 beds – often bunk-beds) though for a bit more money you can get a private room. Rooms may be organised by gender, depending on the size of the hostel and have shared facilities like bathrooms, kitchens and living areas.
The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) runs over 150 hostels – some in very beautiful locations throughout England and Wales. You can also book a selection of independent and boutique hostels through Hostelworld.
Camping and caravanning
Camping is affordable, fun and the perfect way to experience the great British outdoors – and there are sites all over Britain. You can bring your own tent, or sometimes hire one that’s been set up beforehand. Some also offer a more luxurious stay like glamping or tipis. At a minimum, there will be shared bathroom facilities, though some campsites have on-site shops, cafes, playgrounds and swimming pools.
If you’re not a fan of sleeping in a tent, another option is to rent a motorhome – these give you greater freedom to explore and can also be parked up for the night as most campsites have caravan parks, meaning you’ll also have access to the site’s facilities.
For a list of campsites and caravan sites around Britain visit Pitchup, Hipcamp, The Camping and Caravanning Club or campsites.co.uk.
Britain is also home to a variety of static caravan parks, with many found at seaside resorts. These can be spacious and modern, complete with kitchens and bathrooms, and have more on-site amenities than camp-sites, like clubhouses with bars, and host evening entertainment, as well as boasting a swimming pool, and restaurants. These all tend to be quite family-orientated places to stay.
Self-catering accommodation
If you’re travelling as a group or with family, you might prefer to book self-catering accommodation. These can be cottages or cabins, huge countryside mansions or private apartments, but all have one thing in common – you can come and go, cook and eat, sleep and wake as you please. As well as a private kitchen, some also have games rooms or a pool or hot tub. You can find a wide variety of the weird, wonderful and everything in-between at providers like AirBnB, Holiday Cottages and the National Trust.
Unique accommodation and glamping
Thinking about staying somewhere a bit quirkier? From eco-friendly treehouses and converted windmills to narrowboats, water towers, shepherds’ huts and age-old castles, there are so many special places to stay across Britain and Northern Ireland.
This kind of accommodations tends to be a bit pricier than traditional accommodation options, but many come with luxurious touches like Swedish hot tubs, cosy fire pits and welcome hampers. You can find some of these creative places on websites like Canopy and Stars and Cool Stays.
