The Times: Weekend: June 2009

BRITISH FESTIVALS

LOVE MUSIC, HATE CAMPING? GET YOURSELF A ROOM

Camping may now be cooler than a clubbing weekend in Rejkjavik with Katie Grand and the Velvet Underground, but it isn't for everyone, writes Rufus Purdy.

Spend three nights under canvas at one of the summer festivals and you run the risk of zero sleep and having your face accidentally trodden on by overstimulated teenagers. If you hanker after a proper bed - or merely want to bring your children to see their favourite experimental indie-folk noiseniks without the long nights of didgeridoo-playing students - then opt for a more peaceful night in one of these B&Bs and boutique hotels.

LOVEBOX July 18-19, Victoria Park, London E3 (www.lovebox.net). Curated by Groove Armanda, who bring the spirit of rural festivals to the heart of urban Hackney. Headliners include Duran Duran, NERD and Ladyhawke. Weekend tickets £75; one-day tickets £42.50.

WHERE TO STAY There's no camping, so take your pick from the capital's many backpacker hostels or grand hotels. To stay in the down-and-dirty festival mood, take a room at the elegantly crafted "distressed" Rough Luxe (020-78375338, www.roughluxe.co.uk; doubles from £155). Rooms have cracked, peeling paintwork and half-stripped wallpaper, and scuffed furniture sits beneath work by East London artists such as Gilbert&George. Alternatively, go for the Zetter (020-73244444, www.thezetter.com; doubles from £150, not including breakfast), a glamorous boutique establisment that was at the forefront of the East London resurgence.

THE SECRET GARDEN PARTY July 23-26, at a secret location in East Anglia (www.secretgardenparty.com/2009). It's strongly rumoured that the festival will be taking place at Grange Farm in Abbots Ripton, Cambridgeshire. Presumably the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Emmy the Great were told where to go. Weekend tickets £137.

WHERE TO STAY Good East Anglian B&Bs to consider include the New England-style White Horse at Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk, and the high-spec gourmet gateway Tuddenham Mill (01638713552, www.tuddenhammil.co.uk; doubles from £205). near Newmarket, Suffolk.

GREEN MAN FESTIVAL August 21-23, Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons, Wales (www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk). Lovely, folk-oriented festival, as popular with families as it is with earnest young men with beards. Headliners include Wilco and Bon Iver. Weekend tickets £115 (ages 13-17 £50, age 12 and under free).

WHERE TO STAY Just  a short drive away, the New White Lion (01550 720685, www.newwhitelion.co.uk; doubles from £90) in Llandovery is a gorgeous, intimate retreat. Opt for the largest room, the wonderfully named Physicians of Myddfai.

Rufus Purdy edits the hotel guides Mr and Mrs Smith (08450340700, www.mrandmrssmith.com)