The UK’s independent guesthouses are enjoying renewed popularity in 2025, according to VisitBritain’s 2025 Travel Trends report, which highlights that 53% of British travellers now choose authentic guesthouse stays over hotel chains.
While chain hotels continue expanding, travellers are increasingly valuing personalised service, cultural immersion, and community-driven hospitality. Projections from VisitEngland indicate a 12% growth in bookings for boutique and independent stays this year, with international visitors especially drawn to their unique charm and individuality.
For Inga Grigaitiene, owner of the multi-award-winning A & B Guesthouse in Cambridge, these figures simply validate what she has experienced within the sector for years.
“Guests rarely remember the size of the TV or the thread count of the sheets,” she said. “They remember how they felt – welcomed, valued, and at home. That is something a chain cannot replicate.”
Her guesthouse has hosted everyone from academics and global business leaders to families visiting their children at university. The feedback is consistently the same: it’s the human connection that stands out.
The trend towards more intimate stays mirrors wider UK travel behaviour in 2025:
- Domestic tourism is up 6% year-on-year, with more Britons opting for shorter, personalised breaks rather than standardised hotel offerings [VisitBritain].
- The so-called ‘Airbnb effect’ has shifted consumer expectations, with 7 in 10 UK travellers now saying they seek accommodation that feels “unique and rooted in local culture” [Mintel Travel Report 2025].
- Sustainability and community impact are driving decisions, with independent guesthouses seen as more eco-conscious and supportive of local economies than corporate chains.
For Inga, hospitality has never been just a business transaction but a calling.
“We are more than service providers – we are storytellers, connectors, and cultural ambassadors. The future of hospitality belongs to those who dare to lead with heart.”
With guesthouses across the UK reporting increased bookings for 2025, the sector is poised to thrive in the face of competition from big hotel brands – proving that in the age of automation, human hospitality will always win.
