Molly’s Travel Edit: 5 Star, Hampton Manor
Molly Cooper, founder of Curated and host of the Curated Spaces podcast, shares her insider lens on the world’s most inspiring boutique stays — those rare places where design, nature, and culinary craft align in quiet, unforgettable harmony.
This week’s UK Staycation Selects?
A foodies heaven Hampton Manor, an award-winning, independently owned country manor house, offers an immersive experience where heritage, contemporary design, and culinary excellence meet.
Places that stay with you, long after you’ve left.
Hampton Manor: A Luxurious British Retreat for Year-Round Culinary Escapes
Tucked away in the heart of the English countryside, Hampton Manor is a rare gem that redefines the art of the staycation. This award-winning, independently owned manor house offers an immersive experience where heritage, contemporary design, and culinary excellence meet. Located in the charming village of Hampton-in-Arden, just a short drive from Birmingham and easily accessible from London, Hampton Manor invites discerning travellers to slow down, indulge, and savour the very best of modern British luxury.
The Ultimate British Staycation — In Every Season
Set amidst 45 acres of lush woodland and gardens, Hampton Manor offers an idyllic escape from the everyday. Each of the 15 individually designed bedrooms is a masterclass in style, blending Arts and Crafts influences with contemporary touches — think deep freestanding tubs, sumptuous beds, and curated design details that honour the manor’s rich history. Whether you're sipping wine in front of a roaring log fire in winter or enjoying a glass of English sparkling on the terrace in summer, the manor provides a timeless backdrop for year-round getaways.
Staycations here aren’t just about escaping — they’re about arriving. Arriving in a place where sustainability, creativity, and British hospitality flourish in harmony. With no distractions but nature, art, and food, Hampton Manor is an invitation to reconnect — with yourself, your partner, and the pleasures of a slower pace of life.
Molly’s thoughts: An emerging travel trend is ‘behind the scenes’ experiences like Hampton Manor’s Meet the Makers’ concept where every guest gets a kind of ‘backstage pass’ to meet the artisans, chefs, and craftspeople behind their stay.
It’s about breaking down the barrier between guest and host—turning a stay into an immersive experience where you can see, feel, and understand the passion that goes into these spaces. This taps into something deeper: curiosity, playfulness, and getting in tune with your inner child by engaging with the world around you in a hands-on way.
A Culinary Destination in Its Own Right
At the heart of the Hampton Manor experience is its foodie philosophy — a celebration of craft, provenance, and bold innovation. Food lovers are drawn to the estate not just for a restful night’s sleep, but for an unforgettable culinary journey.
Grace & Savour, the estate’s immersive fine dining restaurant, holds a Michelin star and has been widely acclaimed for its sustainability-led ethos and extraordinary tasting menu. Led by chef David Taylor, the kitchen draws directly from the estate’s regenerative walled garden and local producers, creating dishes that are deeply rooted in the land and layered with Nordic-inspired finesse. Guests are encouraged to connect with where their food comes from — even taking part in garden tours and chef-led storytelling that deepens the sensory journey.
For a more casual yet equally refined experience, Smoke offers rustic fire-led cooking in the manor’s old furnace house. Helmed by MasterChef winner Stuart Deeley, this vibrant restaurant brings bold, smoky flavours to the fore, serving up seasonal plates with a contemporary edge. Think charred native vegetables, perfectly grilled heritage meats, and inventive takes on British classics — all with an open-kitchen theatre that adds to the experience.
Complementing the food is an award-winning wine programme and one of the UK’s most exciting natural wine cellars, plus expertly crafted cocktails from the manor’s lounge bar, where guests can unwind in front of stained-glass windows and modern art installations.
If you're searching for the perfect UK break where food, design, and relaxation reign supreme, Hampton Manor should be top of your list — a five-star rural retreat where indulgence is second nature, and every season has its own story to tell.
Hampton Manor: Shadowbrook Lane, Hampton-In-Arden, B92 0EN
You can also explore an extensions of Molly’s Fluxx finds including, Molly’s Curated Edit: Secret Restaurant Finds—featuring the stays and dining spots that truly bring her design-led philosophy to life.