Known for its street art, colorful wharf, and the infamous incident when locals threw the statue of a 17th-century slave trader into the harbor, Bristol, UK is a destination that never fails to surprise. Located in the heart of the West Country, this is where English traditions collide head-on with the UK’s modern multiculturalism, making Bristol an exciting spot for a getaway.
Take a walk along Bristol’s “Floating Harbour,” and you’ll love the multicolored houses that rise upwards toward the Georgian terraces of Clifton. Step aboard the SS Great Britain, and you can explore what life was like on the largest ship of its day before heading up to Clifton, where you can walk across the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge (both were designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel). Admire the dramatic beauty of the Avon Gorge from high above, enjoy the greenery of Clifton Downs, and take in the city’s skyline from Cabot Tower.
Explore central Bristol and you’ll find Banksy’s artwork adorning walls while buskers and musicians fill the harborside with music. Stop for a pint of cider in a beer garden, eat gyoza and Szechuan noodles in St. Nicholas Markets, and dine on Michelin-starred food in gastro-pubs. If you’re planning a trip to the West, then keep reading as we explain where to stay in Bristol.
- Short on time and don’t want to read the whole article? Here are our top 3 picks!
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The 12 Best Hotels in Bristol, England
1. Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel
The Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel is one of the most luxurious boutique hotels in Briston. Perfectly located between College Green and Bristol Harbour, the Victorian-era facade of this historic hotel is a Bristol icon, and you’ll love how the Grade-II-listed building has been hosting visitors for a century and a half.
You couldn’t ask for a more central place to stay than this four-star hotel, and the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel’s luxury rooms are the best antidote after a hard day’s sightseeing. The hotel’s exterior might date back to the 19th century, but step inside, and you’ll be amazed by the modern decor flaunted throughout.
Rooms have high vaulted ceilings and tall Victorian windows, but soft king beds, down duvets, and ergonomic chairs are straight out of the 21st century. Contemporary works of art hang from the walls, carpets are soft underfoot, and bathrooms feature spacious walk-in showers and luxury toiletries.
The hotel is home to a Miller & Carter Steakhouse that the gentry of old would have been proud to dine in. Start with an aperitif at the fabulous long bar, select your wine of choice to accompany your main, and then dig into a sumptuous seared steak after taking a seat at your table. All cuts of meat are hand selected by the master butcher, so rest assured that this is one of the best carnivorous dining experiences in Bristol!
2. The Bristol Hotel
Enjoy beautiful harborside views when you book a room at The Bristol Hotel. This fabulous four-star boutique retreat is one of the best hotels in Bristol, and you’ll love waking up with the sunrise, drawing back the curtains, and watching the boats cruising along the famous Floating Harbour.
Make yourself a coffee, then sink back into the crisp white linens and duck-down duvet that line your oversized bed. When you’re ready for the day to truly begin, freshen up with Temple Spa toiletries in the marble bathroom before heading downstairs to enjoy a full English breakfast, complete with bacon, sausages, hash browns, beans, eggs, and everything else.
Breakfast is served in The River Grille Restaurant, where you’ll also enjoy fantastic views of the harbor through the elegant floor-to-ceiling windows that line the patio. You’ll be sufficiently fueled up for a day of sightseeing, but with The Bristol Hotel’s superb location on Prince Street, right in the heart of the city, you won’t need to walk far.
In the evening, The River Grille is back open for steaks, lobster, linguini, and live piano music. After a hearty fine dining meal, move into Rick’s, The Bristol Hotel’s whiskey-mixing cocktail bar, where live jazz music is played as cocktail shakers make magic.
3. Clayton Hotel Bristol City
When you arrive at the Clayton Hotel Bristol City, you might wonder if you’re in the right place. This is one of the most unique hotels in Bristol, and the first thing that will grab your attention is not the name of the hotel but the name “Edward Everard,” which is emblazoned in bold font above the entranceway.
Above this, a colorful art deco facade pays tribute to religious figures like John the Baptist, but, more importantly, is a tribute to William Morris and Johannes Guttenberg, two titans of the early print industry. They take pride of place here because the Clayton Hotel Bristol City was once home to Everard’s Printing Works, one of the busiest printing businesses in 1900s Bristol.
In fact, this is the original facade that was designed by Everard himself, and much of the Grade-II-listed building behind has been preserved and incorporated into the Clayton Hotel Bristol City. Book a room here, then, and you’ll be staying in a piece of undisputed Bristolian history, not least because you’ll also be in the heart of what remains of Bristol’s Old Town.
The hotel’s 255 rooms are certainly modern, even if the facade is original. You’ll love the springy yet soft King Koil mattresses, the neutral, soothing colors, and the spacious work and living areas. Guests have access to the hotel’s fully equipped gym facilities, while coffee and cocktails are served all day in Everard’s Bar.
Brunch, lunch, and dinner are served at Everard’s Restaurant, where you’ll enjoy a gourmet dining experience designed by Head Chef Ian Bulpin. Seasonal, locally sourced ingredients are top of the bill, while afternoon tea and pre-theater menus are resoundingly popular with guests.
4. Harbour Hotel Bristol
One of our favorite Bristol boutique hotels is the Harbour Hotel Bristol. This four-star hotel is packed with local history, and you’ll love how it’s located within a 19th-century banking building overlooking Corn Street, Bristol’s most famous mercantile street.
Live the luxury lifestyle of a Victorian banker as you enjoy a glass of sherry (Harvey’s Bristol Cream is one of the world’s best-known sherry brands) poured from your personal decanter. If you prefer a caffeine boost, then the Nespresso machine is all yours, and you can don your silky soft bathrobe and sink back into the crisp sheets or run a bubble bath and relax in the deep soaking tub.
The hotel’s signature Gold Bar is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar intended to emulate the Wall Street shenanigans of the 1930s (you’ll find it hidden away in the old bank manager’s office), while the Harbour Kitchen offers cheese souffle, cod and crab, and seafood linguine served among art deco interiors and with a marble long bar.
But as much as we love the heritage of the Harbour Hotel Bristol, it’s the spa that really makes us want to book this boutique hotel time and time again. Make your way into the old vaults below the hotel that once stored gold bullion, and you can immerse yourself in the sensuous surroundings of HarSPA. Turn the heat up in the sauna, embrace the humidity in the steam room, and swim a few laps of the heated pool before rounding off your spa session with a massage or a holistic treatment.
5. Number 38 Clifton
Number 38 Clifton draws seamlessly on the Georgian heritage of Bristol. Located in a centuries-old townhouse on Upper Belgravia Road, you’ll have beautiful views of Clifton Down from your luxury suite.
There are just 12 of those luxury suites on offer at this three-story property, where the owners have channeled the independent spirit of Bristol by stocking minifridges full of local wines, spirits, and beers (all sourced from Bristol’s very own Avery Wines).
You’ll love the Roberts Radio, the 100 Acres toiletries (again, produced by a British company), and the sleep-inducing Hypnos sprung mattresses and sumptuous waffle bathrobes.
Each of the townhouse rooms is slightly different in color, furnishings, and layouts, but the freestanding bathtubs and the antique dressers, drawers, and tables all bring the Georgian history of Clifton to life.
6. Brooks Guesthouse Bristol
Brooks Guesthouse is one of the most unique Bristol hotels, not least because you can stay in an old, vintage caravan right in the center of the city!
This quirky bed and breakfast is located on St. Nicholas Street, just a short stroll from the famous food market of the same name (St. Nicholas Markets). The grand exterior, with its iron gates and stone archways, hides a softer interior that’s home to a spacious courtyard and colorful bedrooms designed in the traditional English “B&B” style that you can find all over the country (think floral wallpaper and retro furnishings!).
Up on the roof, you’ll find the quirkiest rooms of them all. Somehow, the owners of Brooks Guesthouse have managed to transport a selection of vintage caravans onto the terrace overlooking central Bristol. You can stay in a “Retro Rocket,” that’s complete with a Pocket sprung mattress, duck-down duvet, and rooftop views.
7. Leonardo Hotel Bristol City
The Leonardo Hotel Bristol City is one of the most posh four-star boutique hotels in Bristol, housed in a brand new red-brick building in Redcliffe, just a 10-minute stroll from Temple Meads Station. This is convenient city living at its best, and you’re perfectly located for a quick walk to Castle Park, Queen Square, and Bristol Harbour when you stay at the Leonardo.
The hotel’s facade, while modern, is a tribute to the industrial heritage of Redcliffe, a traditional Bristol district that was once home to weavers, glassmakers, dyers, and shot towers. The area was once owned by the Knights Templars, while St. Mary Redcliffe Church, with its magnificent stained glass windows, dates back to the 12th century.
You’ll feel the juxtaposition of old and new as you check into your luxury hotel room, where pop art adorns the walls and the signature Leonardo Dream Bed offers an unbeatable night’s sleep. The hotel’s gym is fully equipped for your workout regime, while the bar and restaurant serve up international classics all through the day and night.
8. Berwick Lodge
If you’d love to live the life of the landed gentry, then look no further than Berwick Lodge. Escape the city and spend your vacation in the countryside, where you’ll enjoy the spacious surrounding of an old hunting estate that’s set among 18 acres of woodland, rolling hills, and landscaped gardens.
Berwick Lodge is one of the best hotels in Bristol, and despite its rural location, you’ll still be just a 20-minute drive from the city center. Equally, you’re just a 20-minute drive from the coast, while on a clear day, Wales can be seen from the top-floor windows.
There are just 14 luxury rooms at Berwick Lodge, which was originally built in 1890 as a birthday present for the daughter of a British general. Each room has its own name and character, with lavish period furnishings and unique features combining for one of the most unique places to stay in Bristol.
Book the “Troya” room, and you’ll be staying in a king-sized bed carved from an old wooden church pulpit, for example, while “Lydia” has a maple wood four-poster bed and a freestanding claw-foot bathtub. All suites feature Bramley toiletries and marble bathrooms, and you can order massage services direct to your room.
In summer, you can enjoy afternoon tea, complete with cucumber sandwiches and champagne, in the colorful gardens. In winter, retreat to the drawing room, where a whiskey goes down just fine in front of the Victorian fireplace. Berwick Lodge’s fine dining restaurant has been awarded 2 AA Rosettes, with a signature 6-course tasting menu featuring scallops, pork, cod, and duck, among much more.
9. Hotel du Vin Bristol
Set in the city center, just a short stroll away from both Cabot Circus and the city’s harbor, Hotel du Vin is one of the best boutique hotels in Bristol. The location is perfect, and even more so when you discover that you’ll be staying within a repurposed sugar factory dating back to the 18th century.
“The Sugar House” was built during the heyday of Bristol’s mercantile empires, and many of the building’s original features have been preserved and incorporated into the modern redesign. You’ll find centuries-old timber supports in the restaurant and bar, a magnificent red-brick exterior, complete with tall chimney stacks, and exposed stone walls and arches throughout.
The hotel’s 40 luxury rooms are packed with heritage, but they’re also firmly in the present day with comforting features that include hand-sprung mattresses and Egyptian linens alongside super-soaking “drench showers” and plasma screen televisions. All rooms at Hotel du Vin also include king-size beds and freestanding, roll-top baths as standard (in addition to the walk-in showers), with a stack of luxury toiletries that can be replenished daily.
There’s no doubt that Hotel du Vin has character, but a stay here is as much about gastronomy as it is about the crisp linens and history. The hotel’s bar not only serves up a fine selection of champagne cocktails but offers afternoon tea, a 35-day-aged French-style rump steak, and an escalope à la Normande (all deemed to be snacks!).
Save the main course for Bistro du Vin, where a five-course tasting menu featuring Severn & Wye Smoked Salmon, Pate de Maison, and Confit Duck Leg is accompanied by French wines paired by the in-house Sommelier.
10. The Berkeley Square Hotel Bristol
Book a luxury room at The Berkeley Square Hotel, and you’ll be treated like a Georgian aristocrat of old, but with far finer amenities than they could ever have imagined in the 18th century. This magnificent four-star boutique hotel is found within the preserved walls of a traditional Georgian townhouse, taking pride of place in the quiet surrounds of Berkeley Square, just a short walk from Brandon Hill and Park Street.
Rooms at The Berkeley Square Hotel feature those iconic high vaulted ceilings and tall, paneled windows that were common in the Regency period, while chandeliers and plush, antique-style furnishings are found in the best suites. But alongside the old, you’ll love how the designers have been flamboyant in their liberal use of colorful hues (think bright blues and reds), while modern artwork on the wall make this one of Bristol’s only dedicated art hotels.
Be it the decanter of Bristol Creamy Sherry that awaits you in your suite or the member’s only bar and restaurant that serves award-winning cuisine, The Berkeley Square Hotel is all about the finer things in life. Enjoy an Aperol spritz or a whiskey cocktail in the hidden Speakeasy bar that opens out onto a secluded garden terrace, or book a table at the Square Kitchen to enjoy the finest produce that Bristol has to offer.
11. Mollie’s Motel and Diner Bristol
One of the coolest Bristol hotels is Mollie’s Motel and Diner. Located just off a junction of the M5 leading into Bristol, this American-inspired motel is perfect for road trippers.
But you’ll love how Mollie’s Motel and Diner only draw lightly on those vintage American road vibes. This stylish hotel (designed by creative agency Soho House) is the modern reincarnation of the motel and diner, with ample charging points for electric cars and bicycle rentals for you to make that last hop into the Bristol city center under your own power.
Modern rooms feature natural oak furnishings and soft Hypno Mattresses by Soho Home, while the velvet chairs by Conran are simply divine. Bathrooms feature power showers and Dyson hair dryers, and everything – from Netflix to climate control – is controlled via the Mollie’s Motel and Diner app.
In fact, everything you need at the hotel, including the check-in process, the room key, electric vehicle charging, and ordering food at the diner, is all controlled via the easy-to-use app, making this one of the most state-of-the-art hotels in Bristol!
12. Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin
Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin is, without a doubt, one of the coolest boutique hotels in Bristol. Let’s start with the location, which we know you’ll agree is quite supreme. This four-star luxury hotel is perched atop the limestone cliffs of Clifton, and you’ll have fantastic views of the Avon Gorge as it plummets some 1,300 feet down toward the river below.
You’ll be staying in an old Georgian-style townhouse in Bristol’s most desirable district, and with a gorge-facing suite, you’ll also have wonderful views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. From the hotel’s outdoor terrace or with a pint in hand from the adjacent White Lion pub, you can enjoy one of the best panoramas to be found anywhere in Bristol.
Luxury rooms at Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin are designed with striking shades of teal and turquoise, with modern features like drench showers and hand-sprung Sealy mattresses well complimented by vintage artwork and antique furnishings. As with all du Vin branded hotels, once you’ve settled in, make sure to book your table at the in-house restaurant so you don’t miss out on the culinary side of the experience.
Start with a Basil Smash or Old Fashioned at The Lounge before taking a seat in Goram & Vincent, a smoke-house restaurant named for the legendary Bristolian giants who are said to have created the Avon Gorge. On the menu, you’ll find sizzling cuts of Chateaubriand steak, the sea bream is grilled to perfection, and char-grilled mezze platters are to die for – all served with sommelier-recommended wines.
That completes our list of the 12 best Bristol hotels! Did we miss any cool boutique hotels in Bristol? Comment below so we can add them to the list!
Where to Stay in Bristol
From unique bed and breakfasts with vintage caravans hidden on rooftops to Georgian townhouses with views of the Avon Gorge, there is a fantastic selection of boutique hotels in Bristol.
If it’s your first time in Bristol, then you’ll want to book a hotel in the city center. Stay in Redcliffe and you’ll be a short stroll from Temple Meads Station, while the central areas around Castle Park and Queen Square allow easy access to Bristol’s harborside and famous sights like M Shed, the Arnolfini, and the SS Great Britain.
Alternatively, you can make your way uphill to the loftier heights of Clifton, where Bristol’s richest merchants and aristocrats built the city’s finest houses in the 18th and 19th centuries. Here you’ll find lovely boutique hotels set in historic homes with dramatic views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge from top-floor terraces.
And set away from the city itself, you’ll find American-inspired motels with a modern twist on the highway leading to Bristol, while old stately homes in the countryside offer a serene escape from the urban.
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