The best hotels in Somerset
Over the last decade or so, Somerset has become a mecca for the style set in a way that rivals the Cotswolds. The pretty village of Bruton is perhaps the epicentre, filled with galleries and world-class restaurants, and with two brilliant creative estates on its doorstep, the contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth and the glorious gardens and farm at The Newt. Bath is the other must-visit centre when you're in the region, and the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth in 2025 is making it more popular than ever. If you're planning a trip, we've gathered the best hotels to head for in Somerset, whether you're in the market for a rural pub with rooms or a grand Georgian townhouse.
Best hotels in Somerset
1/11Holm, South Petherton
Once a smart restaurant on the high street of South Petherton, a village midway between Bruton and the south coast, Holm has recently added seven lovely bedrooms to deliver an impressive restaurant with rooms.
Nick Balfe is the chef patron, having moved to Somerset with his young family after mastering his trade at several London restaurants and falling for the amber-hued stone of South Petherton’s pretty houses and even prettier octagonal-towered church.
Both upstairs and down, a distinctive rough-luxe scheme defines the look and feel of the place with exposed lime plaster, bare brick and polished concrete creating the perfect backdrop for simple furniture and contemporary prints and paintings. An overall sense of Britishness is integral to Holm’s design ethos, with a focus on ‘local’ wherever possible. The food, is of course, sensational, and makes Holm a destination in its own right.
28 St James’s St, South Petherton, Somerset TA13 5BW. Rooms from £145, B&B.
Dave Watts2/11Manor House Inn, Ditcheat
The Chickpea Group of pubs and restaurants has a total of 10 stylish venues in the south-west of England – it's 10th, and the first in Somerset, is this lovely inn in the pretty village of Ditcheat (near to Bruton and the local station at Castle Cary). The 16th-century building has had a sensitive restoration and now offers nine comfortable bedrooms alongside the generous bar and dining area downstairs.
The food, as at all of Chickpea's properties, is superb – we feasted on salami, arancini and seasonal asparagus to start, followed by truly excellent steaks. The dining room has nailed the perfect blend of tradition and comfort, and there's plenty of outdoor space to enjoy in the warmer months and pizza on offer for more casual dining.
Retreat to the bedrooms and you'll find king size feather and down beds, Moroccan rugs, and spacious ensuite bathrooms – it's all beautifully equipped and feels much more luxurious than the usual pub with rooms.
Wraxall Rd, Ditcheat, Shepton Mallet BA4 6RB
3/11The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
Number one on Bath's list of most prestigious addresses has to be the iconic Royal Crescent, with its sweeping arc of townhouses designed by John Wood the Younger in the mid-18th century. The eponymous hotel is one of Bath's finest, deeply traditional and with an opulent interior that will fulfil your wildest Jane Austen or Bridgerton-related dreams–all grand staircases, plush chintz sofas and formal flower arrangements.
The spa is a real highlight, with a pool overlooking the charming walled garden garden, a hot tub, steam room, and indulgent treatments on offer. Afternoon tea is another reason to visit, with its ritualised parade of spectacular cakes, finger sandwiches and steaming pots of tea.
16 Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LS
4/11The Newt, near Bruton
Sister to South African wine blockbuster Babylonstoren, you can’t get more eco-chic than the much-loved The Newt in Somerset. The showstopper? The rather lovely Hadspen House, a sandstone Georgian mansion, home to 13 gorgeous ‘Boho’ suites equipped with all sorts of lovely things. There are marble-lined showers, beds in the stalls out in the ‘Stable’ rooms and the rather unusual Roman Villa experience, inspired by the unearthing of a Romano-British villa on the estate.
Over the road is The Farmyard, a cluster of traditional 18th-century farm buildings, which has been given a complete reinvention by architect Richard Parr along with a beautiful new Shaker-meets-Scandi building, the Grain Store.
The Newt has so many attractions you could easily come for a long weekend and not leave: there’s a spa with two pools and the beautiful formal gardens with their colourful flower beds, orchards (for all that crisp cider) and extensive kitchen gardens. This brings us on to the food; everything served on the tasting and à la carte menus at the pretty Botanical Rooms restaurant is in season, including the hearty Somerset meats. Come breakfast, it’s all about the enormous croissants from the Newt bakery.
Hadspen, A359, Bruton BA7 7NG.
5/11Babington House, Frome
Another Somerset headliner, this time from the team at Soho House. This Georgian beauty, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023, is surrounded by pristine parkland on which guests laze on oversized loungers overlooking the Instagram-ready lake.
In terms of what’s on offer, the place ticks all the boxes. There’s a big outdoor pool, sauna, cinema, tennis courts, well-equipped gym, Cowshed spa and even a football pitch, so there’s plenty to keep the boredom at bay.
The rooms are predictably lovely. Antique four poster beds, roomy roll-top bathtubs and roaring open fires also make Babington the perfect spot for a romantic weekend getaway. Elsewhere, ancient trees encircle the very bijou chapel, and for those wanting to explore beyond the prim fringes of the estate, the slick market town of Frome is a mere 10-minute drive away, and the grand old city of Bath just 20.
Charity Ln, Frome BA11 3RW.
6/11Number One Bruton
A unique set of buildings houses this stylish hotel in the buzzing town of Bruton – a Georgian townhouse, a medieval forge and a row of cottages, which together are home to 12 bedrooms and a clever restaurant, Briar.
Owners Claudia Waddams and Aled Rees have done a brilliant job with the decoration, collaborating with decorator Sarah Ellison of Frank & Faber. A mural of cherry blossom painted by Kaffe Fassett winds up the staircase from reception. Intricate bespoke mirrors by the local mosaic artist Candace Bahouth reflect curtains in a fabric from NH Design by Nicky Haslam, while hand-painted pink and blue bathroom tiles from Balineum are a refreshing change from the clinical.
It's the perfect base from which to explore the area's many attractions, from nearby Hauser & Wirth to The Newt, and enjoy Bruton's marvellous array of restaurants, shops and galleries.
1 High St, Bruton BA10 0AB
7/11The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe
The brainchild of Margot Henderson of Rochelle Canteen, The Three Horseshoes is a serious destination for foodies as well as a lovely place to stay within a short distance of Bruton. The pub has five bedrooms each very generously sized and decorated with easy elegance by Frances Penn, daughter of David Mlinaric. The palette range is simple but not bland; floors are wooden overlaid with rugs; headboards and curtains are hefty linens; furniture, lighting and art are a carefully curated blend of antique and contemporary; beds are huge, bathrooms properly spacious.
Food is a highlight here, as the creative brains behind the pub is Margot Henderson of Rochelle Canteen. The menu includes simple but delicious dishes (pork chops, confit of duck, chicken and tarragon pie, excellent chips) along with suitably challenging options – grilled ox heart, brawn and pig’s head croquettes.
Batcombe, Shepton Mallet BA4 6HE
8/11The Pig near Bath, Pensford
If Bath is one of your Somerset must-visits but you still want to be well positioned to explore the countryside, a stay at The Pig will allow you to get the best of both worlds. This Pig is one of the earlier editions (it opened in 2017), but it shares with all the rest the ethos of local, uncomplicated food, stylish interiors, and a brilliant location.
The rooms are relaxed and informal, perfect for curling up in with their squashy upholstery, crackling fires, shelves of books and art-filled walls. The dining room, with its elegant conservatory and pizza oven on the terrace, is a real highlight, and you can head outside to see where your greens are coming from in the immaculate kitchen garden. There are 29 bedrooms, including two standalone buildings you can rent in their entirety but like all Pigs, this place is wildly popular, so book in advance.
Hunstrete House, Hunstrete, Pensford, Bath, BS39 4NS
9/11The Bath Arms, Horningsham
In a county well supplied with excellent pubs with rooms, The Bath Arms is a brilliant option and refreshingly off the beaten track. Nearer to Frome than Bruton, it has a quiet location in the tiny village of Horningsham, very much in the orbit of the grand country house (and now safari park) at Longleat. Sixteen well-appointed rooms are spread across the main building and stable block, each with a romantic freestanding bath and lots of local Bramley products.
The rabbit warren of dining spaces makes a heavenly place to while away an evening or lunchtime (and there's plenty of seating outside too), getting your teeth into pub classics like burgers or Ploughman's, alongside more elevated dishes like artichoke risotto or pan fried cod. We can also strongly recommend the cosy bar space for indulgent bar snacks and a charming place to watch the world go by on the country lanes outside.
Horningsham, Warminster BA12 7LY
10/11The Talbot Inn, Mells
The Talbot Inn, Somerset. The best pubs from across the country - Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Surrey, Hampshire and more. Travel news by House & Garden.
Copyright Jake Eastham11/11Only a stone's throw from the fifteenth-century St Andrew's Church in the exquisite Somerset village of Mells, this pretty old coaching inn is dotted around a pretty cobbled courtyard.
The higgledy-piggledy interior conceals eight rooms, which - whether small or large - are beautifully designed. Go for room one with its white four-poster bed and in-room roll-top bath. Room seven has two bedrooms, so it's perfect for travelling with children.
The food is delicious, seasonal fare with much of the produce coming from the inn's kitchen garden. At weekends, food in the Coach House Grill Room is cooked on an open charcoal and wood fire, and served at communal dining tables.
Selwood St, Mells, Frome BA11 3PN
