A Devon hotel has been named the most romantic hotel in Europe in this year’s 2016 Travellers’ Choice Awards for Romantic Hotels, announced by TripAdvisor ahead of Valentine’s Day.
The Old Rectory Hotel in Martinhoe celebrates the title of Europe’s most romantic hotel, as well as second most romantic in the world; while Edgar House in Chester comes fifth in Europe and 17th in the world. Also appearing in Europe’s top 25 is Grasmere Hotel in Cumbria, coming in 14th.
Unlike any other hotel honours, TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice winners are based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travellers worldwide.
A romantic break to one of the winning Travellers’ Choice Romantic Hotels may not be as expensive as you think – seven of the UK’s top ten best rated hotels have average room rates on TripAdvisor for less than £200 per night.
“With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the good news is that you don’t have to travel far to experience some of the best rated romantic getaways in the world – they can be found right here in the UK,” commented James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson. “Average room rates at some of the UK’s best rated romantic hotels available to book on TripAdvisor from little over £100, so planning that perfect couples retreat need not break the bank.”
Most romantic hotels closer to home than you might think
While a romantic break might invoke images of white sand and turquoise waters, the results of this year’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for Romantic Hotels reveal that there’s no need to venture off to a far flung destination, because some of the world’s most romantic hotels can be found right on our doorstep.
The Old Rectory Hotel in Martinhoe, which takes the top spot for UK and Europe and second place in the world, is a boutique country house hotel situated within Exmoor National Park. Perfect for a peaceful break, the hotel is surrounded by National Trust land and just 500 yards from the coastal path which boasts views of the highest hog-backed cliffs in Britain – ideal for a romantic stroll.
Having just ten bedrooms means that The Old Rectory Hotel has an intimate feel. Each room is decorated in a classic country house style, with a mix of contemporary and antique.
Cumbria is UK’s romance capital
When it comes to the UK’s most romantic hotels, while a Devon hotel tops the list, this year’s awards give Cumbria the title of most romantic destination. The county is home to three of the UK’s top ten romantic hotels.
Grasmere Hotel in Grasmere takes third place in the UK and fourteenth in Europe while Cedar Manor Hotel and Restaurant andApplegarth Villa and Restaurant, both located in Windermere, fifth and ninth place respectively in the UK.
Ultimate romantic getaway is beach resort in Aruba
The world’s most romantic hotel is located on the Caribbean island of Aruba, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort Aruba.
Fitting the archetypal image of a romantic destination, Aruba boasts soft white sand lined beaches with glistening crystal clear water. The hotel offers a variety of romance influenced facilities including movies on the beach under the stars, fresh water infinity pool and romantic beach dining in a private palapa with a special menu.
Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Hotels for Romance in the UK:
1. The Old Rectory Hotel, Martinhoe, Devon
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £102 per night. Most affordable month to visit: May (£99)
2. Edgar House, Chester, Cheshire
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £191 per night. Most affordable month to visit: August (£180)
3. Grasmere Hotel, Grasmere, Cumbria
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £351 per night. Most affordable month to visit: December (£291)
4. The Clarence Hotel, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £147 per night. Most affordable month to visit: November (£111)
5. Cedar Manor Hotel and Restaurant, Windermere, Cumbria
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £176 per night. Most affordable month to visit: February (£150)
6. La Haule Manor, St Aubin, Jersey
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £123 per night. Most affordable month to visit: February (£90)
7. Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £809 per night. Most affordable month to visit: October (£733)
8. Fonab Castle Hotel, Pitlochry, Scotland
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £268 per night. Most affordable month to visit: December (£229)
9. Applegarth Villa and Restaurant, Windemere, Cumbria
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £143 per night. Most affordable month to visit: November (£142)
10. Knockendarroch House Hotel, Pitlochry, Scotland
Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £186 per night. Most affordable month to visit: March (£170)
Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Hotels for Romance in the World:
1. Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort Aruba – Palm-Eagle Beach, Aruba
2. The Old Rectory Hotel – Martinhoe, United Kingdom
3. Spicers Vineyards Estate – Pokolbin, Australia
4. Anastasis Apartments – Imerovigli, Greece
5. Komandoo Maldives Island Resort – Komandoo, Maldives
6. Lindos Blu – Lindos, Greece
7. Coco Plum Island Resort – Coco Plum Cay, Belize
8. Baros Maldives – Baros Island, Maldives
9. The Place Luxury Boutique Villas – Ko Tao, Thailand
10. Tokoriki Island Resort – Tokoriki Island, Fiji
Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Hotels for Romance in Europe:
1. The Old Rectory Hotel, Martinhoe, United Kingdom
2. Anastasis Apartments, Imerovigli, Santorini, Greece
3. Lindos Blu, Lindos, Greece
4. Maison La Minervetta, Sorrento, Italy
5. Edgar House, Chester, United Kingdom
6. La Minerva, Capri, Italy
7. Barut Andiz Sensimar, Side, Turkey
8. Hotel Residence Agnes, Prague, Czech Republic
9. Main Street Hotel, Leper (Ypres), Belgium
10. Posada Terra Santa, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews from travellers on TripAdvisor gathered over a 12-month period with emphasis placed on reviews marked as a couples stay. The average nightly rate of Travellers’ Choice award-winning Romantic Hotels on TripAdvisor is £221.
For the complete list of winners from the 2016 Travellers’ Choice Awards for Romantic Hotels, more reviews and candid traveller photos, go to www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Hotels-cRomance.
To see the best hotels for luxury, bargain, and more, as honoured in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for Hotels from January, go to http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Hotels.
Notes to editors:
1Average nightly rates of properties are based on TripAdvisor pricing data for 1 February through 31 July, 2016, aggregated from booking partners including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers. Prices were converted from USD to GBP via xe.com on 1st February 2016.
2Most affordable month to book each property is based on TripAdvisor pricing data for 1 January through 31 December, 2016, aggregated from booking partners including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers.Prices were converted from USD to GBP via xe.com on 1st February 2016.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travellers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find great hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 350 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 290 million reviews and opinions covering 5.3 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 47 countries worldwide.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 23 other travel media brands:www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com,www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com andwww.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com,www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com,www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, andwww.virtualtourist.com.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, July 2015
**Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique users, Q3 2015
