Best hotels in Bristol 2023

The rumours are true – Bristol is banging. Brunel’s staggering suspension bridge, Banksy-scrawled walls, sweeping Georgian crescents and a pulsing centre heaving with arts, food revolutionaries and people with passion make the city a special place to be.

From the thriving docks – home to Wapping Wharf, with its cluster of lively restaurants made from old shipping containers – to cool Southville, antiques enclave Old Market and the up-market Clifton Village, there’s truly something for everyone in Bristol – one of England’s buzziest cities.

As for the restaurant scene, whether you’re after a simple latte at the Clifton Observatory’s cafe with 360-degree views of the city, or ready to splurge on the Michelin-starred delights at Paco Tapas, you won’t be stuck for somewhere to hit the sweet spot.

Likewise for where to bed down. Hotels in and around ‘Brizzle’ (the city’s affectionate nickname – a reference to its residents’ instantly recognisable accent) range from glamorous out-of-town lodges through to classic mid-century establishments and arty hipster joints, with something to suit all tastes and budgets.

The best hotels in Bristol 2023:

Neighbourhood: Clifton

The terrace of the Avon Gorge Hotel has always drawn a crowd but, until relatively recently, the place was down at heel. Built in 1898, the glamour of the building, originally known as the Grand Clifton Spa and Hydropathic Institution, had faded and 60 per cent of it was left derelict. Enter now, though, and the extent of Hotel Du Vin’s £16.5m renovation is clear: think midnight blues, sumptuous velvets and sparkling chandeliers.

Book the Laurent Perrier Executive suite for a bath with a view, and sample the wood-smoked delights of the Goram & Vincent Smokehouse. The once-shabby White Lion pub has scrubbed up well, and the original spa (buried for decades under the floorboards) is a fancy events space. Look out for the wine cellar in the old Turkish bath, too.