Daily life isn’t usually full of a lot of exceptional glamour. Getting up in the wee small hours of the morning to make it to work on time, making cup noodles for lunch, picking up the pups from the groomer or the kids from soccer or dying your hair in your hard-worn, bleach-stained t-shirt. There’s nothing wrong with the day-to-day tasks we all have to perform; they all have their kind of beauty because they’re part of life. However, a bleached t-shirt never made anyone feel like a movie star. If a little bit of glitz and glam is what you’re after, with a side of rest, then these destinations across the UK are the perfect spots for your next vacation.
- The Goring — London, England
London hotels are a destination in themselves: so extravagant in either the modern or classical sense that you’d never want to leave even if they weren’t located in one of the most glamorous cities in the world! The Goring is one of the jewels of the London hotel scene and has been since it was built by Otto Goring in 1910. The build removed a pub and several cottages to make room for its spacious grounds, which the family has lovingly run since it was opened.
The Goring is widely believed to have been the first hotel in the world to have en suite facilities and heating in every room, and has maintained that same standard of excellence for more than 100 years now. This impeccably and quintessentially English hotel features 69 exquisite suites and rooms, each decorated in royal style with fine furnishings, the most luxurious bedding and beautiful design throughout. The atmosphere is warm and intimate, intricately and lovingly crafted to make guests feel as though they’re getting the royal treatment, but they still think that the experience isn’t too over the top to be personal.
The hotel’s location in exclusive Belgravia only adds to its prestige: the perfect place for a stylish escape. The Goring Garden is famous for being one of London’s loveliest oases: ideal for a spot of tea, a delicious delicacy and a few chapters of a good book. Many of the bedrooms look out over this miniature paradise, so be sure to ask if you want a room with a stunning view. Whether for a weekend or months, the Goring gives you the perfect excuse to hire a private plane and jet into London for a stay like no other.
- Gleneagles Hotel — Perthshire, Scotland
Known all over the world as The Glorious Playground, Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, is well worthy of that title. This expansive, charming country estate’s perfectly manicured lawns and gardens welcome visitors to a pastoral experience in a beautifully maintained manor. In 2025, the hotel is celebrating an entire century of being open. The celebrations include events like a bespoke Centenary Afternoon Tea, lovely ballet performances and a glittering, glamorous Centenary Ball.
The hotel is nothing short of glorious, in line with its nickname. Depending on your preferences and your party’s needs, your experience there can be cosy and intimate or an invigorating country escape. The rooms complement the exquisite Scottish countryside in their sumptuousness. The design is classically Scottish but features every modern convenience (and then some) that you could ever want. Inspiration from the outdoors has shaped the colours and textures of every comfortable and welcoming space in the venue.
There’s golfing to be had if you enjoy the outdoors, walking, and horse riding, and it’s more available close to the estate. Check out the in-house spa if the great indoors is more your style. The treatments here have been crafted in collaboration with some of the best wellness brands in the world, and the spa is world-class, offering rest and rejuvenation to every guest who enters. The restaurants on the premises offer everything from brasserie classics and bar snacks to culinary masterpieces — just take your pick.
- Ashford Castle — Galway, Ireland
Given five stars by Forbes magazine, this hotel in gorgeous Galway is an imposing location indeed. Ashford Castle has always been impressive, but it has been maintained in magnificent style both inside and out by the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. The castle has stood watch over Lough Corrib for more than 800 years, and the estate is of spectacular proportions, so there’s history around you everywhere you look.
Guests will find 83 rooms inside the castle, each lovingly decorated and luxurious in the extreme. The views from every room are stunning, giving guests a chance to lose themselves in the lovely Irish countryside and the ripples of the lake. Take a stroll to the boathouse, fly a Harris Hawk, live out your period fantasy by taking a leisurely horseback ride through the grounds, or become your own Robin Hood by learning archery—there’s lots on offer at Ashford.
Irish cuisine is one of the show’s stars for guests at the castle. The meals at Ashford are all crafted with a farm-to-table mentality, as much of the produce is foraged or grown in the Kitchen Garden on the grounds. Other ingredients are seasonal and locally sourced, so the menu constantly changes to reflect the time of year. Rest are also a key part of any visit, with the spa having won the Ireland’s Best Hotel Spa award for 8 years running, up to 2023.
Glitz and Glam
Whether it’s a classically English stay in a country manor, a weekend in a castle, or a city stay so lavish and sumptuous you’ll never want to leave, these glamorous UK destinations are the perfect place to add a little sparkle to your life. Glamour done the UK way means a very classic feel: opulent furnishings, gilded frames, roaring fires, freshly polished saddles for riding, cocktails poured into cut-crystal glasses and a warmth and welcome that you won’t find anywhere else on earth.
