The UK’s top wish-listed accommodations

Daydreams of anywhere but home seem to be the only thing on our collective mind these days. But with all international travel temporarily on hold, it’s close-to-home getaways that have caught the imagination of UK travellers – and we’ve found the top five accommodations making it onto their staycation wish lists*.

If a local trip is on your mind too, then create a wish list on the Booking.com app.

Edinburgh’s wealth of cultural and historical sights – from the Old Town to Arthur’s Seat – means you could fill several days simply exploring. To make sure you’re well-rested and ready for your next adventure, check into the trendy Leonardo Royal Edinburgh Haymarket. In this hotel, you’ll find a seamless blend of up-to-date style and local tradition, with designer furniture and contemporary food alongside touches of tartan and Scottish landscape photography. The bar plays a part too, serving up time-tested Scotch whiskies in a boldly designed, colourfully lit lounge setting.

A striking, burnt-red facade, polished floor-to-ceiling windows and playful decor set the scene for a stay at Innside by Melia Manchester. You’ll get a feel for the hotel’s eye-catching design as soon as you arrive in the lobby, which is furnished with flower arrangements, low-lying black leather sofas and smooth wooden panelling. The suites echo the clean-cut yet comfortable theme with on-trend white, black and purple colour schemes, minimalist furniture and beds you’ll sink right into. Innside is surrounded by all the bars, eateries and entertainment venues that make up Manchester’s First Street neighbourhood – but with a Mediterranean restaurant, a Finnish sauna and live DJing inside the hotel, there’s a chance you won’t want to leave.

Enviable views, a wide variety of rooms to choose from and award-winning food make the Park Plaza London Riverbank a highly sought-after stay in the capital. With a river view room, you’ll wake up to London landmarks like the Thames, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament – a perfect taster to get you in the mood for sightseeing along the nearby South Bank, and the rest of the city. Back at the hotel, you can look forward to an evening in rooms ranging from futuristic suites to studios designed with families in mind. You’re covered when it comes to food and drink too – the sleek Chino Latino restaurant crafts plates of sushi, seafood, dim sum and other Pan-Asian favourites, and serves them alongside expertly mixed, Latin-influenced cocktails.

It’s all about contemporary chic and sophisticated style at The Edwardian Manchester. Everything from the penthouse suites to the city view rooms is decorated in an effortlessly smart monochrome colour palette, accented by wooden furnishings and occasional hints of crimson or yellow ochre. The gym, spa and swimming pool areas are a similarly sleek affair, kitted out with state-of-the-art equipment and modern minimalist design. When you’re suitably rested and refreshed, evenings at The Edwardian call for curated cocktails and French-influenced cuisine in ‘the Library’ lounge.

You’ll find Burnside Hotel & Spa nestled in the Lake District, just a few minutes’ walk from Windermere, the largest lake in England. While it’s well worth getting outside to explore the expansive Cumbrian countryside, you can see plenty of it without even leaving your lake view suite (or its private hot tub). If you do venture out on a Lake District hike, the hotel’s sauna, jacuzzi and poolside bar are just the places to unwind and recover when you return. The rustic, log fire-warmed pub adds an extra welcoming feel to breaks at Burnside.

*We looked at the top domestic accommodations our UK travellers added to their Booking.com wish lists since March 2020.