Whether you’re slumming it in general camping or going all out in the Tipi Village, a Smith stay before or after Glasto might be just the ticket (and one that isn’t sold out in seconds). That’s why we’ve picked five hotels near Glastonbury Festival for your glitter-spattered consideration, whether it be an esteemed pub with rooms where you can fuel up as you scour set times, or a wellness retreat after the party’s over in which to nurse dopamine-depleted noggins.
THE HEADLINER
Babington House, Somerset
(30 minutes’ drive from Worthy Farm)
We wonder how many Pyramid Stage performers have rocked up at the original countryside outpost of Soho House since it opened its doors to members in 1998, in the process setting the trend for cool out-of-city escapes that are still as discreet as ever. Musicians, mystics, journos and jet-setters are among the eclectic crowd enjoying Babington House’s gorgeous grounds, on-site cinema, fine food and after-parties.
Just like the festival, whose line-up is kept a closely-guarded secret, so too is the identity of the ‘very well-known singers’ said to have led a legendary impromptu performance at a bygone New Year’s Eve party. Exclusive as ever, you can get in on all the fun this year by adding a 12-month Soho Friends membership (£100) to your booking through Smith.
THE HEALING FIELD
42 Acres, Somerset
(30 minutes’ drive from Worthy Farm)
Glastonbury is no stranger to the ideals of natural healing remedies and holistic therapy. So where better to recuperate after a weekend of high-octane hedonism than 42 Acres, a wellness retreat and ‘regenerative estate’ half an hour’s drive from the festival. Choose a self-catered stay in one of the site’s detached cottages or sign up for the full retreat package: wild swim in the lake, take a miso-making class or beaver-spotting walk, or de-compress in the forest-fringed sauna.
Sore heads will be soothed quicker than the time it took to lose your friends at the Other Stage on Saturday night. And if you’re feeling guilty about partying for four nights in a row, at least a stay here will keep your conscience clean, since over 5,000 native trees and more than a kilometre of hedges have been sustainably planted to help rewild 42 Acres’ grounds.
THE BOUTIQUE GLAMPING SPOT
Aller Dorset
(1 hours’ drive from Worthy Farm)
As glamorous as Glastonbury has become, at the end of the night you’re still sleeping in a field and sharing a portaloo with thousands of others. For some, this is part of the ‘vibe’, while for others, it’s a bit offputting. For both parties, we prescribe a stay just across the county border at Aller Dorset, whose owners know a thing or two about ‘glamping’. For starters, you’ll have their rather more peaceful fields and meadows more or less to yourself. And instead of tents, they have some of the most luxurious shepherd huts in Europe.
Sure, you’ll still have to cart your luggage in a wheelbarrow, but it’s more than worth it for your Farrow & Ball-ed walls, enormous view-toting windows, outdoor tub, tableware from Hot Pottery, chic chintz fabrics and local-gin-laden bar carts.
THE FOODIE SCENE
The Great Bustard, Salsbury
(1 hours’ drive from Worthy Farm)
Gone are the laddish Nineties when ‘gourmet’ at Glastonbury meant a slice of soggy pizza and a can of lager. Food-truck options these days include everything from Buddha bowls and beef-brisket gyozas to lobster ravioli and roast dinners (on the Sunday, naturally). If food is your thing, your ideal stopover might be The Great Bustard, two-thirds of the way to Glastonbury from London just off the A303.
Chef Jordan Taylor is turning heads with his unfussy, hyper-local menu involving vegetables from the estate garden, game from nearby ancient woodlands, and trout caught from local chalk streams. You can stock up on supplies, too, from its excellent farm shop. And to give The Great Bustard additional Glasto kudos, Stonehenge is a 15-minute drive away. To prep, undergo your own personal solstice ritual in one of the hotel’s spa-treatment rooms.
THE CIDER BAR
The Queen’s Arms, Somerset
(40 minutes’ drive from Worthy Farm)
You might want to scrub off the glow-in-the-dark face jewels and, y’know, hydrate a bit, but at least The Queen’s Arms not only allows muddy boots, it actively encourages them. And it’s not just the great walking trails in and around the lovely village of Corton Denham that appeals here. In keeping with the drink of choice for many a festival-goer, this family-owned pub with rooms serves some of the West Country’s finest. In fact, once upon a time it even took payment in apples, which the landlord at the time would use in his next brew (it’s no longer official currency, sadly).
Still, there’s a roaring fireplace in its super-welcoming lounge, where plates of seasonally elevated pub staples are going down a storm both locally and nationally. Upstairs, each room is individually styled, and there’s even a self-catered cottage in the garden with huge beamed ceilings if your entire group of mates want to crash out.
Awaiting the encore? Let’s hear it for our full collection of boutique hotels in Somerset…