The 4 best luxury experiences in the UK

It is no secret that Scotland is one of the most illustrious places in the world to tee off, as it's home to several championship courses and an abundance of the best luxury hotels in UK territory.

Many five-star hotels in Scotland feature their own world-class golf courses as well as Michelin-starred restaurants, indulgent spa facilities, and eye-catching views of the coastline and cliffs, with hundreds of acres of land to explore. Guests don’t come just for the golf, but the whole destination experience. 

Top Scottish Golf Courses: 

Torrance Course and Kittocks Course both belong to the inimitable Fairmont St Andrews, a grand hotel that proudly overlooks the North Sea and a 520-acre estate of sheer beauty, it’s considered by many as the ‘Home of Golf’. 

The world’s oldest golf course is aptly named the Old Course and it is where the sport was first played 600 years ago. Swilcan Bridge and Hell Bunker are two aspects of the course that are well-known globally, and despite its celebrity, it is still open to the public for a truly legendary experience. 

King’s and Queen’s courses at Gleneagles are regular features in the worldwide ‘Top Lists’ for golfing experiences for their enchanting layouts and flawless fairways. It certainly helps that the Gleneagles Hotel is a five-star haven of sumptuousness, with a top-notch spa, amazing restaurants, and hundreds of acres of land at your disposal. 

You don’t have to be a theatre afficionado to enjoy the wonderment of an emotional opera, a jubilant musical or a breath-taking show, but if you are going for the experience then London’s West End is most certainly the place to do it.

There are approximately 250 theatres in London with almost 40 in the West End alone and a choc-a-bloc events calendar throughout the year will always deliver something spectacular to go and see when you are visiting the capital. 

A few of the top theatres in the city that you have probably heard of include the Royal Albert Hall, Hammersmith Apollo, London Palladium Theatre, Royal Opera House, and Shakespeare’s Globe, but this just scratches the surface of the amazing venues on offer, each as distinctive and alluring as the last.

The West End also encompasses many iconic districts, including the pulsating nightlife of Soho and Leicester Square, the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus and the world-class shopping and dining at Covent Garden. 

Luxury Hotels for a Showstopping Getaway: 

For an extra special trip, it’s worth splashing out on one of the hundreds of luxurious landmark hotels in the area such as the Corinthia Hotel, a five-star dream offering opulent penthouses and its recently opened Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, conceived by none other than Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge.  

The Savoy is another five-star masterpiece and one of London’s finest hotels, located just across the river from the National Theatre and close to Somerset House ‘the home of cultural innovators’ where art and culture are king, and its varied and eclectic events programme has something for everyone. 

For a slightly livelier vibe – yet still very much the pinnacle of luxury – the W London Leicester Square is an ideal choice of hotel for absorbing some of the best nightlife and events that London’s theatre district has to offer. 

Nothing screams luxury like a day at a fashionable horseracing event, it’s the perfect excuse for dressing elegantly, fluttering money, and drinking copious champagne on a school night. And let’s not forget the hats, ladies - so many exquisite hats! 

The annual calendar is a cornucopia of world-renowned races, which include Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National in Aintree, Liverpool, the Guineas Festival at Newmarket, Epsom Derby in Surrey and of course, Royal Ascot, also in Surrey. 

Teaming perfectly with a luxury race day is a stay in a five-star hotel, somewhere to either celebrate your winnings or drown your sorrows (the actual betting part we can’t help you with, unfortunately).

Check out the glorious Monkey Island Estate, which rests on a private island on the Thames, less than 30 minutes from Ascot and just an hour’s drive from London. Beautiful surroundings, world-class dining, and a totally unique floating spa make this hotel an exceptional choice when booking your luxury horseracing getaway.  

Another excellent option for time away from the race courses is Ellenborough Park in Cheltenham, a five-star historic manor house in the Cotswolds that offers a marvellous spa with outdoor heated pool and Jacuzzi, beautiful rooms and suites and delivers gorgeous traditional British cuisine. 

As far as unique luxury experiences UK go, a sumptuous spa hotel in the nation’s famous rolling countryside or on its beautiful coastline is absolutely one of the top choices. There is nothing quite like a detox weekend of pampering and indulging to make you feel like royalty, and fortunately the UK has these retreats in abundance. 

Glass House Detox & Wellness Retreat in Essex is a purpose-built, eco-friendly wellness facility on the outskirts on London dedicated to improving guests’ health in various ways.

Both modern and highly luxurious, this beautiful five-star sanctuary offers world-class fitness facilities and classes, spa treatments, and nutrition services to improve your mind and body. Its cleansing plant-based, organic menus complete your detoxification process and leave guests feeling happy, healthy, and well-rested. 

Further south in the depths of the Cornish coastline sits the Scarlet Hotel, an eco-friendly place resting on the clifftops overlooking the sea. Offering five-star services across its minimalistic yet luxurious accommodations, with a sumptuous spa, as well as fresh, seasonal cuisine and slow-aged wines at its impressive restaurant, the Scarlet Hotel is a true beachside gem for a spa break like no other. 

The Cotswolds is a protected landscape, regarded as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England for its wondrous honey-coloured stone buildings and its green rolling hills.

It is also a place that features many stunning luxury spa hotels including Cowley Manor and Foxhill Manor, which both focus on rural living, and mix the traditional with the contemporary in their gorgeous accommodations and magnificent spa facilities. Thinking of a luxury UK spa break as part of your honeymoon? Well our list of the best luxury honeymoon hotels in the UK will make your planning easy.