6 luxury eco-friendly places to stay

Thursday 28 March 2024

From lavish spas with clifftop hot tubs to sumptuous country house hotels, when it comes to being eco-friendly there’s no need to scrimp on comfort. Check out, or into rather, some of the ‘greenest’ places to stay across Britain. 

Celebrate in a clifftop hot tub in Cornwall 

Guests enjoying a cliff top Jacuzzi at the Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall, England

The Scarlet is a luxury, adult-only hotel, which boasts views over Mawgan Porth Beach in Cornwall and to the wild Atlantic beyond. It has a cliff-top hot tub, a reed-bed swimming pool, AND an Ayuverdic-inspired spa. With solar panels, a rainwater top-up system and a biomass boiler, you can be rest-assured that your restorative break is also restoring the planet too! 

Getting there: The Scarlet is less than 10 minutes by car from Cornwall Airport Newquay, which is a 70-minute flight from London. 

Savour deliciously reduced food miles in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Cenarth Falls of the River Teifi in Wales, credited to standhisround from Flickr

Cenarth Falls of the River Teifi in Wales @standhisround on Flickr

Hammet House is a  luxury country house hotel that sits close to the River Teifi in Pembrokeshire,  surrounded by glorious landscaped gardens. Despite its age, Hammet House was the first hotel in Britain to be awarded Green Key status – an internationally recognised mark of ecological excellence. Making the most of its three-foot-thick stone walls, the house keeps cool in summer and toasty in winter. The hotel endeavours to limit its food miles wherever possible; considering it’s surrounded by a wealth of fabulous local food producers it's not too difficult! 

Getting there: Hammet House is a drive of around 1 hour and 30 minutes from Swansea in Wales

Go green at a coastal farm in Scotland

Tobermory on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, image credited to Ken Willetts from Flickr

Tobermory on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, Ken Willetts on Flickr. 

Head to the quaint Isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland, and you’ll find Treshnish and Haunn Cottages on a coastal farm near Calgary Beach. The snug cottages are carefully run to minimise their impact on the environment while providing guests with a relaxing place to stay. Surrounded by the beautiful countryside of the Scottish island, their setting is rich in bio-diversity and boasts amazing views of the surrounding landscape. Even better, the sustainable cottages have been awarded a gold commendation by eco-grading firm Green Tourism for their efforts.

Getting there: the cottages are best reached by a 5 hour and 20-minute drive from Edinburgh in Scotland, which is a 70-minute flight from London. 

Release your inner eco-warrior at a luxury eco barn in Pembrokeshire, Wales

The living room at The Cart House, one of the Asheston Eco Barns in Pembrokeshire Wales, image credited to Drew Buckley - resize

The Cart House, one of the Asheston Eco Barnes in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Image: Drew Buckley.

Bursting with character, Asheston Eco Barns retain many of their original features from their former lives as converted stone farm buildings, including ceiling log beams and exposed stonework that gives them that delightfully-rustic personality. In-keeping with their sense of place, and in harmony with the environment, the barns were built using traditional construction methods and are heated with cutting-edge onsite renewable energy technologies (fancy!). On arrival, you can even gorge on a welcome hamper filled with seasonal and local produce from neighbouring Pembrokeshire suppliers, delicious.  

Getting there: Asheston Eco Barns are a 5-hour drive from London.

Enjoy environmentally-friendly Highland hospitality in Auchterarder, Scotland 

View over the highlands landscape in Scotland, image credited to AndrewPickettPhoto.com

Views over the Highland landscape in Scotland. Image: AndrewPickettPhoto.com 

The Duchally Country Estate offers traditional Highland hospitality among the splendour of Perthshire's countryside in Scotland. Expect an in-house whisky bar that stocks more than 50 different whiskies, spa and massage facilities, a games room, and an award-winning restaurant. Carefully preserving the 27-acre estate and parklands, the hotel aims to protect the wildlife habitat and work in tune with nature – they even have their own hens that roam in a pen, providing guests with fresh eggs in the hotel’s famous Perthshire breakfasts. Go tree-spotting and discover some of the rare species that the estate protects too. 

Getting there: the estate is a 70-minute drive from Edinburgh or 2 hours and 30 minutes by public transport. Edinburgh is a 70-minute flight from London. 

Be surrounded by eco-friendly elegance in Yorkshire, north England

Dentdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Image credited to Lee Beel

Dentdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Image: Lee Beel.

For an elegantly green stay, try The Traddock Hotel in Yorkshire. The Georgian country house is surrounded by the Yorkshire Dales National Park and has been lovingly furnished to create a cosy and convivial atmosphere. An ideal base for walkers and seekers of peace and quiet, the hotel is a perfect place from which to explore the charming local villages and experience a slower pace of life. You can also be safe in the knowledge that this countryside retreat is also an environmental powerhouse, with a gold standard from eco-grading firm Green Tourism.

Getting there: The Traddock Hotel is a drive of around 1 hour and 30 minutes from either Leeds or Manchester in north England.

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