The Best Hotels to Book in and Around Peterborough, England

Choose from contemporary rooms to four posters in this 17th-century manor house, an oasis near Ferry Meadows. Relax in the spa’s swimming pool – where children are welcome at certain times – hydrotherapy pool, sauna and treatment rooms offering mud envelopment treatments. Enjoy dinner and award-winning real ale in the atmospheric former-stables Ramblewood Inn – followed by a nightcap in the library bar or whisky-menu-offering drawing-room. You and your welcomed pet will enjoy Orton Hall’s 20-acres (8ha) of conservation parkland.

This boutique central hotel is a short walk from Peterborough Cathedral, so you’re in the thick of things with plenty of restaurants, bars, theatres and shops nearby. There’s free parking if you want to go further afield and you’ll no doubt appreciate the handy 24-hour reception. All rooms are nicely contemporary – but book the luxury suite and you’ll get a gold-curtained bay window, circular love chair and velvety bed throws. Wake up to breakfast in bed.

Afternoon tea-lovers will adore this 1852-founded, central hotel. Pre-book afternoon tea and expect unusual treats like orange macaroons with chocolate ganache – even the kids have their own version with chocolatey scones, jelly and milkshakes. You’ll enjoy the bar’s projector screen, local real ales, long gin list and breakfasts from Full English to waffles. Choose from contemporary rooms or luxurious suites – the Parisian boasts a four-poster bed, floral wallpaper and sash windows.

Four-star and Grade II Listed, the Bull has been restored from the 17th-century into contemporary rooms with the likes of floral-design fabrics and marble bathrooms. Relax in historic public rooms strewn with fine antiques and oil paintings. There’s a bar and restaurant serving highlights of Sunday roasts, homemade desserts, breakfast buffet and wines from the extensive list. Business-goers will appreciate the hotel-adjacent Conference Centre with 14 meeting rooms – as well as free parking and a city-centre location in Westgate.

Get cosy in this 16th-century coaching inn, in the picturesque market town of Oundle – an easy 20-minute drive from Peterborough. The pet-friendly hotel has a range of rooms with decor such as overhead beams, statement headboards and country chic-style patterns. Head to the in-house coffee shop for hot or cold coffees and teas – try the restaurant’s British classics or international plates like Thai rice noodles. Finish with a craft beer or cocktails like the vodka-based Lemon Cheesecake on outdoor tables – or by the roaring fire.

New meets old in this Stibbington inn’s atmospheric bar: settle into Fuschia bucket chairs by the brick-lined fireplace and overhead beams. Grab a dining table by a green-view window or in a cosy corner as you devour hearty mains and nostalgic desserts like bread and butter pudding. If it’s sunny, hit the big beer garden. Rest in your homely room – some with four-posters, rural views or freestanding roll-top tubs. Fuel up with a morning Full English before visiting 10mi (16km)-away Peterborough.

This award-winning getaway is stuffed with surprises. Book a jacuzzi-included log cabin or a farmhouse room, where many feature vaulted ceilings, exposed brick walls and vintage-style furnishings, before lounging by the outdoor swimming pool. The restaurant boasts fire-pit cooking using own-farm ingredients – kids will love visiting the farm’s rescued ponies – while the rustic pub pulls drafts like salted caramel ale. Your dog’s welcome in rooms and the front bar area so be sure to ask if they’ve got pet meals that day – they always have treats.

Food lover? Book this historic coaching inn and alongside the individually-styled, boldly furnished rooms – some featuring window seats, four posters and exposed brick walls – you’ll get to sample the AA Rosette-winning restaurant’s menu at a candlelit table under the atmospheric vaulted ceiling. The Bell Inn is in the foodie village of Stilton: try an impressive local cheese board with wine pairings in the traditional firelit bar, or visit the deli counter for takeaway artisan cheeses. There’s even an in-house coffee shop for pick-me-ups.

This 200-year-old inn is one of the picturesque buildings in Nassington village. Grab a picnic table by the River Nene banks and sink a pint of local Nene Valley Brewery ale. Winter? Warm up by the roaring fire in the historic pub. The AA Rosette-awarded menu features pub classics including 28-day aged British beef steaks and Sunday roasts with lashings of trimmings. Finish with a stay in a traditionally-styled, four-star room with direct access to the riverside lawn.