Two Yorkshire hotels have featured in a list of the best places to stay in 2026. The list, compiled by The Times and The Sunday Times, highlights the top 50 hotels and accommodation stays across the UK.
Each year the newspapers publish their highly anticipated guide, produced by travel experts. The guide divides the country into ten regions: London, Southeast, Southwest, Central, East, North and Northeast, Northwest, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
In Yorkshire, North Yorkshire’s Grantley Hall — a five-star hotel located near Ripon — featured in the North and Northeast category, alongside the luxury coastal hotel Saltmoore, located near Whitby.
Grantley Hall, a 17th-century stately home, underwent a huge £70 million refurbishment by its owner Valeria Sykes in 2019, transforming it into a 47-bedroom luxury hotel. The estate now features five restaurants and three bars, including Shaun Rankin’s Michelin-starred restaurant. It is also home to the Three Graces Spa, which was recently named the best spa in the UK.
Laura Jackson, Deputy Head of Travel at The Times and The Sunday Times, described Grantley Hall as the “most stylish hotel in the Yorkshire Dales”. Standout elements in her review included the food, with Jackson writing that guests should “expect a weekend at Grantley to feel like a human v food challenge”, praising both the variety and consistency on offer. The rooms and location also scored highly — unsurprising given the hotel sits on the edge of the stunning Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Meanwhile, The Times writer Susan d’Arcy praised the luxury seaside hotel Saltmoore near Whitby, owned by former Love Island contestant turned entrepreneur Montana Brown. highlighting its unbeatable setting “sitting snugly between the North York Moors and a stunning stretch of coastline”. The hotel has 72 rooms across two buildings: the romantic Saltmoore House and the family-friendly, more affordable Beach House.
The rooms were given a score of 9/10, making them one of the highlights of the hotel, which also boasts a stylish spa and excellent dining options. d’Arcy singled out the Brasserie run by executive chef Adam Maddock, noting its “cosmopolitan vibe, with moody dark walls, candy-striped dining chairs and burnished gold velvet banquettes”.
Check out all the hotels featured in The Times and Sunday Times list here.
