Travel: New hotels with that old touch of magic for future breaks

George Bernard Shaw once claimed: “ The great advantage of a hotel is that it is a refuge from home life.”

He had a point.

After a year cooped up at home, a change of scenery has never been more appealing and the idea of having someone else cook, clean and even pull the curtains at night seems blissful.

Although local restrictions have created barriers for hoteliers, many are forging ahead with plans to open new properties in 2021.

If you’re plotting escape plans for when we’re allowed to travel again, here are a few of the top new hotels to seek out.

The Londoner, London

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Glamour and sophistication are set to bounce back next year with the opening of The Londoner. Billed as the “World’s first super boutique hotel”, the 350-room property promises to deliver an intimate, designer set-up on a much bigger scale.

Built with sustainability in mind, it has received an excellent rating from BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), exceeding requirements for energy and water use and choice of materials.

Expect to find a ballroom, private screening rooms, underground spa and six restaurants in the Leicester Square setting. Open from April 12. From £341 per night with breakfast.

The Cashel Palace, Ireland

Following a restoration project, this sprawling country house is set to re-open in 2021. Built in 1734, it was once home to an Archbishop, eventually becoming a hotel in the 1960s.

Along with 42 bedrooms, new additions to the property include a ballroom, a spa overlooking the gardens and the Bishop’s Buttery Restaurant.

Attractions close by include The Rock Of Cashel, once the seat of the High Kings of Munster. Prices TBC.

Bodmin Jail Hotel, Cornwall

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A night behind bars might not sound too appealing, but the Bodmin Jail Hotel puts a fun spin on mock prison stays.

Find bars on the windows, stone walls and an original guard tower at the 70-room property, which sits alongside a new visitor attraction inside the revamped 18th Century Bodmin Jail.

Fortunately, the cells today, which form part of the original civil, naval and women’s wings, have more luxurious fittings such as free-standing baths, and The Governor’s Office has been transformed into a cocktail bar. Open from February 12. Rooms from £104.

The Harper, North Norfolk.

A short drive from Blakeney on the coast, in the village of Langham, the former glass-blowing factory will feature 32 rooms, two restaurants, a bar, a lounge, play area with a projector for movie nights, and a luxury spa with a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and treatments. Paying homage to its past, the property will be decorated with locally-crafted artisan glass features.

Rooms from £175.

Eden Project Hotel, Cornwall

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The Eden Project is one of the highlights of any visit to Cornwall, and next year, will see the addition of a 109-bedroom hotel.

Designed by Tate Harmer, one of the UK’s leading architects for sustainability and natural environments, the property has been built to blend into the surrounding environment, incorporating existing features such as trees and stone walls.

There are also plans to create a meadow and an orchard around the hotel. Alongside bedrooms, a series of classrooms will support students enrolling for educational programmes. Open 2021. Prices TBC.

Gleneagles, Edinburgh

Famous for being the archetypal Scottish country estate in Perthshire, Gleneagles launches its urban arm in Edinburgh in Autumn 2021.

Housed in a renovated 200-year-old Bank of Scotland building in St Andrew Square, the townhouse will have 33 bedrooms, an all-day restaurant and two bars, including a panoramic rooftop terrace.

Local residents can enjoy access to a members’ club – for work or play, with access to exclusive private spaces and on-site gym and wellness facilities. Prices TBC.