PoB Hotels, the collection of Britain’s finest independent hotels, is giving guests plenty of reasons to pack a bag this summer. Ambassador Jimmy Doherty and the White Hart Hotel in Lincoln both join the fold, while thoughtful refurbishments, food-led adventures and milestone moments all help shape the months ahead.
The season begins with PoB Hotels’ latest ambassador, Jimmy Doherty, farmer, conservationist and presenter. Best known for programmes such as Jimmy’s Farm, Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast and Jimmy Doherty’s Big Bear Rescue, he knows a thing or two about kitchen gardens, great food and the great British outdoors. All of which makes him a natural fit for a collection shaped by character, landscape and a strong sense of place.
Guests can follow in his impressive footsteps with Jimmy’s Farm to Fork Scottish Adventure, a curated PoB break taking in Prestonfield House in Edinburgh, Mar Hall near Glasgow and Ayrshire’s Glenapp Castle. The itinerary moves through Scotland by way of estate-to-plate dining, whisky, kitchen gardens, wildflower planting and coastal produce. Good boots and an even better appetite recommended.
Also worth seeking out this summer is the White Hart Hotel, one of the newest additions to the PoB Hotels portfolio. Set on Bailgate in the heart of historic Uphill Lincoln, just steps from the cathedral and castle, this newly refurbished hotel places guests in one of the city’s most storied corners. Perfect for history lovers who also appreciate a fine dinner, it offers elegant accommodation across rooms, suites and townhouses, dining at 2 AA Rosette Antlers Restaurant and treatments at The Aquitaine Spa.
Elsewhere, several member hotels are unveiling new ways to stay. Over in Ayrshire, Glenapp Castle’s The Nest, a nature-immersed, one-bedroom garden cottage suite with its own private outdoor wellness sanctuary, opens on 1 July for those who like their luxury with a little birdsong.
And in London, The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences is taking the high road quite literally, with two new tenth-floor suites looking out across Buckingham Palace and Green Park.
At Gravetye Manor in West Sussex the gardens are not the only things in bloom. Celebrated local designer Molly Mahon is bringing her joyful world of colour and pattern to the hotel, marking her first interior partnership with a Sussex property.
Of course, summer escapes are not only about where you stay, but how you feel when you return home. Happily, the season brings a fresh crop of wellness openings too. The Lake District’s Armathwaite Hall is making a strong case for checking in and staying put, with a new Japanese-inspired Head Spa, the launch of Zaika restaurant and no less than three individually designed Estate Suites.
In the Cotswolds, Calcot & Spa has added its new Recovery Garden, an outdoor space featuring infrared saunas and invigorating cold plunges for the brave. And for anyone who likes their fresh air with a little more altitude, the hotel has just opened two stunning, two-bedroom treehouses complete with their own sauna.
The Yorkshire Dales offer another reason to slow the pace, as Yorebridge House launches the Meadow Suite, a converted barn with a private courtyard, log burner and Japanese spa bath made for long, lazy stays. Its new River Retreat adds a further excuse not to rush, with riverside treatments, a sauna, hot tub and glacial shower.
Food, gardens and excuses to linger are threaded through the season too. The Montagu Arms embraces a New Forest summer with its Grow with the Flow breaks, Sip and Graze lunches and the promise of an evening in the company of Saturday Kitchen’s wine expert, Helen McGinn.
Several member hotels have reason to pop a cork or two this year.
- The Priory in Wareham turns 50 with a series of seasonal experiences, proving that half a century deserves rather more than a card.
- Ellenborough Park raises a glass to 15 years on 19 July with a garden party on the South Lawn complete with live entertainment, traditional games, garden cocktails and family-friendly activities.
- On the Durham Heritage Coast, Seaham Hall is honouring its 25th anniversary with 25 Acts of Kindness, swapping silver balloons for beach clean-ups, local charities and people making a difference across the North East.
- Thurlestone Hotel reaches 130 years under the ownership of the Grose family, a milestone that feels less like an anniversary and more like a very well-kept British institution. A special stay will be available later this year.
- Sopwell House is leaning happily into its 40th anniversary with a 1980s-themed Ruby Escapes, a Through the Decades dining menu and a retro cocktail collection. Shoulder pads and leg warmers optional but encouraged.
Finally, for those whose idea of a summer escape is less about unpacking and more about improving their swing, Hebridean Princess offers a September sporting escape with a difference. Its seven-night Golf in Argyll and Ayrshire sailing explores Scotland’s west coast courses, with eight-time Ryder Cup player Colin Montgomerie OBE on board for four nights. With ever-changing vistas from the deck, it makes a strong case for taking the game beyond the clubhouse.
Kalindi Juneja, Chief Executive of PoB Hotels, comments:
“Summer is always a wonderful time to explore the PoB Hotels collection, but this year feels especially full of character. From Jimmy Doherty joining us as ambassador and The White Hart Hotel becoming part of the portfolio, to new suites, restaurants, wellness spaces, countryside escapes and milestone celebrations, our member hotels are bringing real energy to the season. It is a joyful reminder of what makes PoB Hotels so special: independent places with personality, a strong sense of place and plenty of reasons to stay a little longer.”
