Best Loved adds three new hotels in Cornwall, Yorkshire and Hertfordshire

At Best Loved, much like Jack Kerouac (or Willie Nelson), we’re always On the Road (Again) endlessly searching for unique and fantastic places to stay. All those hours spent criss-crossing the byways of the UK and Ireland have paid dividends of late as we have added three newbies  to www.bestloved.com over the past few days. Ranging between six and twelve bedrooms, these are all very exciting, intimate, well-run, character-filled places to stay.

Starting our tour in the West Country, we have Pentillie Castle & Estate on the Tamar Valley – technically in Cornwall but just a short drive from Plymouth and Dartmoor. Pentillie is very much a one-off proposition: a nine bedroom family-run B&B (though dinner can be arranged if you ask) which just happens to be located in that family’s extraordinary 17th century castle and 2000 acre estate. Pentillie Castle is perfect for house parties and weddings, there’s a marvellous heated outdoor swimming pool, the local riverside walks are sublime – frankly, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more romantic and magical location.

Moving further north into Yorkshire, we found Burythorpe House, a marvellous country house just south of Malton, in the Yorkshire Wolds and only a short drive from Castle Howard, the North Yorkshire Moors and from York itself. The food at Burythorpe is very much worth any journey – Head Chef Daniel Farrall is one of the region’s up-and-coming chefs, and his passion for fresh, seasonally aware local ingredients is evident in every mouthful. The bedrooms are divinely comfortable and you can relax with a swim in the indoor pool, a game of tennis, a spell in the sauna or one of the many well-signposted walks in the vicinity.

Back toward the south in the much under-rated county of Hertfordshire is The Wellington at Welwyn, a handsome medieval inn which blends the traditional heritage of an olde wood-beamed building with a very fresh, modern and stylish approach. Restored and renovated this year after a fire, The Wellington is back and better than ever. Chef Sukh’s food here is justly acclaimed: British cuisine with a twist –  nothing fussy or complicated, just the best possible local ingredients treated with love and respect, complimented by a pretty amazing list of d’Arenberg  wines. After a top-class dinner, toddle up to your stylish and boutique-style bedroom, with cedar pine floors, open fireplaces and all the luxuries of contemporary living. Absolutely perfect for Sunday lunch given its proximity to central London.

We are pleased to present these fantastic hotels to you and look forward to your comments.

Ryan Eiland