Regency-inspired stays to celebrate Bridgerton season four

With three smash hit seasons of the Regency-era drama Bridgerton under its belt, Netflix will release the fourth on January 29.

The show – based on books by Julia Quinn – tells the stories of the eight Bridgerton siblings as they search for love in London’s high society during the early 1800s, while an anonymous gossip columnist narrates their every move.

With Lady Whistledown finally unveiled, the new season focuses on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and his romance with Miss Sophie Baek, a twist on the classic fairy tale Cinderella.

The members of ‘the ton’ dance in grand ballrooms, promenade in manicured gardens and host tea in the most elegant of homes. So, if you want to embrace your inner Lady Danbury or Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, check out these exclusive stays.

1. Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire

Travelling down the grand tree-clad driveway to approach Glenapp Castle, you’ll feel like you could easily be in stepping back in time to the 1880s Bridgerton era. Built in 1870 – later in the century than the Bridgerton books and series are set, yet with all the Regency charm, it was a home for several high-society owners before being restored to its former glory in 1994 by hoteliers.

Now a 21-bedroom five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel, it’s hidden in a 110-acre private estate along the dramatic Firth of Clyde – and, if you really want to live like the ton, is home to Scotland’s largest castle penthouse suite.

There’s a real sense of grandeur and a bygone era here; with manicured gardens and glasshouses perfect for promenading in your finest attire, or put on your country gear and take to the UNESCO biosphere of the remote surrounding area.

Culinary highlights include a three-AA-Rosette restaurant in the castle itself (think red walls and chandeliers) and The Azalea, set within a glasshouse in the historic walled gardens with a menu designed from the elaborate kitchen garden.

How to book: Glenapp Castle’s Garden View Suites start from £415 on a B&B basis (glenappcastle.com / 01465 831212)

2. The Gore, London

Bridgerton is, of course, set in Mayfair, and The Gore provides a stunning West London escape for Regency-era fans in nearby Kensington. First built in 1851 as a residence for visitors attending London’s Great Exhibition, and established as a hotel in 1892, it’s now part of the Starhotels Collezione.

With antique carved beds and original artworks, it’s six floors of period details, and over the years has attracted many celebrities, artists and aristocrats.

The Judy Garland Suite – named after the actor who stayed there during a run of performances – mixes Hollywood glamour and ornate, historical charm with a gilded bed and stained glass windows.

The hotel’s iconic Bar 190, with its wood panelled walls and cosy booths, is known for its cocktails, whiskeys and gins – as well as being around the corner from The Royal Albert Hall.

How to book: Rates for a Cosy Double room start from £210.00 per night. Rates for the Judy Garland Suite are approx. £489 per room, per night, excluding breakfast. Book at collezione.starhotels.com.

3. Ellenborough Park, Cotswolds

The Cotswolds come with much of it’s own historic charm, so add five-star manor house Ellenborough Park into the mix and you’ve got elegant, Regency vibes in five-star restored luxury.

The 15th-century house feels positively aristocratic along with soft and romantic, think grand hallways, stone archways, manicured gardens, and refined interiors echoing the aesthetics of Regency storytelling on screen. While there are several different overnight options on the estate, the main house offers three open plan suites that feel Bridgerton-worthy, styled in tweeds and floral wallpaper, with four-poster beds.

With a famously good afternoon tea, guests can dig into the decadent experience with a glass of champagne, or take advantage of the more modern addition of the spa and heated outdoor pool.

How to book: Room rates start from £269 per night for a double room on a B&B basis (ellenboroughpark.com).

4. Prestonfield House, Edinburgh

You don’t need to go entirely rural to feel like you’re starring in a period romance. Five-star Prestonfield House is just five minutes from Edinburgh city centre, with all the seclusion and old-school glamour of a country estate.

Once called Priestfield, the original house dated back to medieval times. Sir James Dick acquired it in 1677 but had to entire rebuild it after a fire and renamed it Prestonfield (his portrait still hangs in it today).

Set within a 20-acre garden, the bedrooms all emit a dark, moody opulence, in various sizes with various views (including of Arthur’s Seat or Royal Holyrood Park).

The most extravagant room – The Owner’s Suite – is entered from a private turret stair and hallway, and is lavishly furnished with its own grand entrance lobby and a library-style bathroom, and all the dramatic romance of a Bridgerton storyline.

The theatrics don’t stop elsewhere in the hotel; think candle-lit drawing rooms, antique furnishings, lavish velvet textures, and peacocks roaming the manicured gardens.

How to book: Room rates for Prestonfield House start from £375 per room, per night and includes breakfast (prestonfield.com).

5. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath

Bridgerton may be set in London but a lot of the filming is done in Bath (as well as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire) to make use of the historic architecture. In fact, No.1 Royal Crescent – Bath’s iconic sweeping curved street – is the exterior of the Featherton family home, and of course, Lady Whistledown herself.

Be part of the city’s landmark and embrace the social-climbing Featherington way and stay several doors down the same street at The Royal Crescent Hotel.

With 45 rooms, this five-star is deceptively grand, and the hotel even offers a ‘Bridgerton package’ from April 1 to October 31. It includes a one-night stay and a two-hour tour of Bath taking in the filming locations including The Modiste and Lady Danbury’s house, as well as learning how the streets of Bath were turned into Regency Mayfair for filming (plus a six-course tasting dinner menu and access to the hotel’s spa).

How to book: Rates at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa start from £410 on a B&B basis (royalcrescent.co.uk). The Bath on Screen package is from £788 per night.