Five best … UK Christmas breaks

1. Yorkshire

The Balmoral Hotel in Harrogate fuses Victorian architecture with opulent interiors. Kick off with a breakfast martini in The Grille.

· 01423 508 208; balmoralhotel.co.uk. Two nights from December 24, £425 per room, full board.

In a little-visited corner of Skye, the Ullinish Country Lodge provides cosy seclusion. Feast, then walk it off around the lochs.

· 01470 572 214, theisleofskye.co.uk. Three nights from Christmas Eve from £395pp, full board.

Jabajak, Carmarthenshire is a restaurant with rooms that boast four-posters and bare beams. Find last-minute stocking-fillers in the craft shop.

· 01994 448 786, jabajak.co.uk. Rooms from £45 per night, excluding meals.

Have a stylish Christmas in the modern restaurant of boutique-style The Queensberry Hotel, Bath. Take a woolly jumper for the terraced gardens.

· Rooms from £190 per night. 01225 447 928; thequeensberry.co.uk

Forget the presents and splurge on Hell Bay. Champagne, boat trips, helicopter transfers from Cornwall and gourmet meals are included.

· 01720 422 947; hellbay.co.uk. Five nights from December 22, from £900pp.