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Now and again the royal family need to swap their sprawling residences, scattered across the country, for a deliciously smart hotel. Whether they’re heading for staycation, away from their hectic hand-shaking schedules and looking for something more pared-back, or making a mid-tour pitstop, these places have to offer more than just a decent night’s sleep.
In the world of a royal, travelling can be cumbersome. A hotel has to deliver privacy and discretion, washed down with a personalised service that’s willing to bend like an Olympic gymnast. An entire wing of the hotel? No problem! MI5 security and complete exclusivity? Absolutely! Nothing is ever too much trouble, even if plans are thrown out the window at a moment’s notice (not literally, the royals are better behaved than rock stars).
Of course, sometimes it’s the low-key places, the ones that wrap themselves around cosily, like a knitted scarf still hanging on to your granny’s scent of Murray Mints and soggy Rich Tea biscuits. These are often homes of friends of family or unassuming family-run hotels, less lavish retreats than the royals’ own, offering an easy getaway to the simpler life they always craved.
It takes rather a special kind of place to capture this loyalty – here’s our round up of the spots loved by the royals across the British Isles that you can also experience.
