Sports
Although the UK is becoming more well-known for inventing sports rather than being champions at them, if you’re a sports fan looking to stay somewhere in the England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales then you’ll have plenty of options.
In the UK the sport of choice is football. This sport, also known as soccer, is a big part of the nation’s identity, and you’ll find that most weekends and even some weekdays during the football season, are filled with people playing and supporting the national game.
If you choose to stay in or near almost any city in the UK you won’t be far from a football match. But if you want to see the professionals play it may be worth booking your hotel in the major cities like London, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow, as teams in these cities play in the top leagues.
Staying in the Golden Tulip or the Old Trafford Lodge in Manchester will allow you to see the likes of Manchester United or Manchester City. Glasgow also has two top teams you can go and see so if you choose to stay in Millennium Hotel or Buchanan you could be close to matches held at Rangers’ home ground or Celtic’s home ground at Celtic Park. The Crowne Plaza or the Britannia Adelphi in Liverpool will mean you are close to Goodison Park where Everton play and Anfield Road where Liverpool FC play their home games. However for the greatest choice of top football teams then book a hotel in London. The Holiday Inn Oxford Circus and Claridge’s are centrally located and with the public transport system you should never be too far away from a top match.
However if you want to be right in the heart of the action then you should stay in hotels near the London football grounds, for example Hilton London Islington and Jury’s Inn Islington are near Arsenal’s home ground, Highbury, in North London. Hotels in south west London like Chelsea Village Hotel and Conrad Hotel are ideal if you want to see Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge or Fulham FC play at Craven Cottage, while hotels in south east London like Southwark Rose Hotel and Novotel Greenwich are more suitable if you want accommodation near Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace’s home ground, or accommodation near The Valley, the home ground of Charlton Athletic.
One thing to remember though is that tickets to see these teams are likely to sell out quickly as these are all top flight clubs, so if seeing a game is an important part of your trip, you should make sure you can get tickets before booking your hotel.
You will find that if you want to take in excitement of a great game that you’ll probably have to stay in a city centre hotel, as most football clubs in the UK are based in the city. However some of the football teams in the leagues around the UK are based in places where it’s easy to getaway from the typical city buzz, for example the Belgrave Classic Hotel and the Brighton Hotel are in Brighton and Hilton Southampton and the Holiday Inn are in Southampton, both vibrant cities, but because they are located by the sea, so you can also make the most of the calming characteristics of the seaside.
Historic places too have football teams you could go and see, for example if you stay at The Queen Hotel and the Ramada in Chester, you could catch a home game at Chester FC on the Saturday and then explore the beautiful history and architecture of the area on Sunday. Staying at a hotel in Bristol, like the Bristol Marriott or Corus hotel, or Bath like the MacDonald Bath Spa or the Abbey Hotel or even a hotel in Oxford like the Express Holiday Inn or the Oxford Hotel will give you the same flexibility.
Rugby is also a major sport in the UK and has some similarities to American football. As with football, most of the major cities in the UK boast a team or two. However if you are a rugby fan, or are curious about the game then possibly the best time to visit the UK is during the annual 6 Nations competition. This is where the national teams from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy all compete for the championship, so if you want to be close to the action you should find a hotel near Murrayfield in if you’re a Scotland fan like The Apex European and the Edinburgh Marriott. Alternatively fans of Ireland should look for a hotel in Dublin, close to the Lansdowne Road stadium like The Burlington Hotel or the Berkeley Court. Wales supporters should look for a room in Cardiff possibly at the Copthorne or the Park Plaza because the national games are played at Millennium Stadium in the capital. And finally England fans should search for a hotel in Twickenham like Richmond Park Hotel or the Park Lodge Hotel in Teddington, although if you did want to combine the game with some sightseeing, you could book a hotel in London like the Express Holiday Inn Wandsworth or the Hotel Lily as there are good transport connections from London to Twickenham.
For those looking to enjoy the quintessential English sport of cricket, then you have several options when it comes to deciding where to stay. Domestic cricket is played by county teams like, Warwickshire, Kent, Surrey, Worcestershire and Lancashire to name just a few, however choosing a hotel based on the county, may still leave you miles from the cricket ground! For example Bridgewood Manor at Rochester, Chatsworth Hotel in Hastings, or Churchill Hotel Dover are lovely hotels in Kent but they are not as close to where Kent cricket team play as The Falstaff in Canterbury, Chilston Park Hotel in Maidstone and the New Wellington in Tunbridge Wells. So it’s best to find out what city or town the main county ground is near before you book your hotel.
However to be close to some great domestic or international cricket, you can’t go far wrong by staying in hotels like the Birmingham Marriott or Apollo Hotel in Birmingham which are close to Edgbaston, Express by Holiday Inn and the Quality Hotel, which are close to Old Trafford in Manchester and Welbeck Hotel and Rutland Square in Nottingham that are near Trent Bridge. If you plan to stay in London, then hotels in central London like Hampstead Britannia Hotel or the Novotel London Euston if you want to splash out and Ibis London Excel or Euston Square Hotel if you are looking for budget accommodation are likely to be the most ideal because you’ll be close to Lord’s cricket ground, the home of cricket.
Golf is another popular sporting option for those taking a break in the UK. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales all boast some top quality golf courses. Whether you’re looking for a hotel with a golf course or a hotel near a golf course you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Scotland especially is known for offering golfing breaks, giving visitors the chance to play some of the best-known courses in the world. Royal Troon is a championship golf course in Scotland and hotels nearby include the Marine Hotel. Close to Nairn golf club, another championship course in Nairn you’ll find Ben Wyvis Hotel however Nairn is also close to Inverness so if you don’t mind a drive you could book a room at Drumossie Hotel and The Columba. St. Andrews is probably one of the most well known golf clubs in Scotland and if you want to stay near it then try MacDonald Rusacks hotel and St Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa hotels or Keavil House Hotel in Fife which won’t be too much further away.
If you want to stay near the main attractions then book a hotel with parking in Edinburgh like Apex City Hotel and Menzies Belford Hotel or Glasgow like Ramada or Tulip Inn, then when you feel the need for a game you can drive out to a top golf course of your choice nearby.
Top golf courses in England include Royal Lytham & St. Annes, hotels in Blackpool like The Imperial and Hilton Blackpool are within comfortable driving distance, The Belfry in Warwickshire close to the De Vere Belfry. In Ireland there’s Royal Portrush in County Antrim close to Everglades Hotel, and the Royal Dublin Golf Club, which is close to the city centre and Jury’s Montrose Hotel and Tara Towers Hotel. And in Wales, if you want to be within easy reach of some of the best golf courses in the country you could book Travelodge in Bangor in Gwynedd to be near Royal St David’s or find a hotel in Newport like Hilton Newport or The Celtic Manor Resort so you’ll be close to Celtic Manor in South Wales.
Alternatively, you could find a UK hotel that offers accommodation and access to a nearby or on site golf course like Forest of Arden in Warwickshire. There are plenty of them around, but you’re likely to find them on the outskirts of a town or city, or right in the heart of the countryside.
Apart from these main sports played across the UK, you will find there are many other places in the UK that are great for spectators and players alike. If you book a hotel in Belfast, possibly the Malmaison Belfast or the Hilton Belfast, then you can enjoy the smooth skills on show or get on the ice and have a go yourself. You can watch all the thrills and spills of an ice hockey match, enjoy the talented professionals at one of the ice skating championship events or take to the ice yourself at the biggest ice rink in Ireland.
If you are in Scotland during the summer months then you shouldn’t miss out on a chance to see the Highland Games. If you book into the Marriott or the Britannia for example in Aberdeen, or find accommodation in one of the Grampian villages like Grampian Hotel or Craighaar Hotel, then you’ll probably not be far from one of these colourful and competitive events.
For somewhere to go rock climbing or bouldering, why not try Sheffield. You could stay at the Hilton Sheffield or Novotel Sheffield but wherever you choose to stay in Sheffield, you’re never too far away from a great rock climbing site. Hotels near Froggatt and Higgar Torr are popular with climbers, but even if you opt for a city centre hotel in Sheffield like Sheffield Park Hotel, there’s great road and public transport links to the surrounding countryside.
A little less strenuous but just as exhilarating is walking or hiking in the Cotswolds. It’s a popular pastime for locals, and is the reason why many visitors go to the area. There are many places to enjoy the fresh air, and plenty of hotels in the Cotswolds to accommodate your needs. For example The Swan Classic Hotel in Bidbury or why not try or for something in the heart of the countryside you could choose the Royal George Hotel in Birdlip. Alternatively, if walking holidays are your thing, you could venture to one of the UK’s coastal destinations where you’ll find hotels with sea views and plenty of opportunities to take bracing walks along the beach, or book your hotel close to one of the National Trails, which are spread across England and Wales. For example the Cleveland Way is in the north of England and hotels near here include Royal Hotel and Mallyan Spout Hotel, meanwhile the Pennine Way is a little more central and hotels near it include Devonshire Arms Country House. In the south you’ll find the South West Coastal path, which is near hotels like Headland Hotel or the Royal Duchy Hotel and the South Downs Way so you could stay in Grand Hotel Eastbourne or Chatsworth Hotel and Restaurant.