Derbyshire hotel crowned best place to stay in the UK

Callow Hall is a country house surrounded by 35 acres of woodland and meadows.

Callow Hall, outside Ashbourne, was announced as the national winner of the Sunday Times Best Places to Stay 2021.

Susan d'Arcy, Hotels and Spa Editor for The Times and The Sunday Times, said Callow Hall was growing in popularity despite only being open for a couple of months, and was an example of how the hospitality industry needs to adapt going forward.

“Off the beaten track, relaxed and riotously chic, our Hotel of the Year is also a foretaste of how hospitality must change.

For guests wanting a unique stay, Callow Hall offers treehouses and woodland hives.

"It’s a sophisticated, future-focused bolt hole and although it only opened on September 1, one couple has already returned for a second visit while others have extended their stays or rebooked.”

Ed Burrows D.L is the co-founder of Wildhive, for which Callow Hall is the flagship hotel. He said: “This is an extremely exciting and proud moment for us. Having opened this year under challenging circumstances faced by the whole industry, we are honoured to have been awarded ‘Hotel of the Year’ by the Sunday Times.

"The incredible team is what makes Callow Hall so special - they bring the magic and that home-from-home warmth that we want our guests to feel when they stay with us. This award only spurs us on as we work to create exceptional memories for our guests that celebrate our spectacular location in rural Derbyshire. ”

Callow Hall is a stylish country-house, set in a 35 acres of ancient woodland and meadows just outside of Ashbourne. Mr Burrows and his business partner, Charles Randall, had a concept for hotels rooted in nature in lesser-known locations, with an emphasis on an improved work-life balance for staff and a responsibility towards the planet.

Callow Hall makes use of its surroundings to help guests reconnect with nature.

The hotel has 15 individually-designed rooms in the main house, two treehouses and 11 woodland hives to stay in. The Garden Room is their glass-box, living-roof restaurant and they offer complimentary yoga classes in their wellness centre.

The menus at Callow Hall are inspired by the seasons, and they revolve around sustainably sourced ingredients, as well as produce from both local and British suppliers.

Rooms start from £179 a night, and the Callow Hall website can be found here.