Posted on January 19, 2023
As a place for quiet retreat, getting in touch with nature and enjoying the luxury of countryside living, The Cotswolds has naturally become home to a collection of stunning hotels. From staying among the woodland treetops to rooms inspired by the area's heritage, we’ve narrowed down our favourite hotel stays in The Cotswolds to this top 10 list.
The Fish Hotel
The Fish Hotel can be found within the 400-acre Farncombe Estate, high above one of our favourite villages in The Cotswolds, Broadway. Stays in this boutique hotel focus in bringing you back to nature with little touches of luxury. You can stay in rooms across the estates buildings, or immerse yourself in nature with a stay in their Huts or Treehouses.
The treetop hideaways are what make The Fish Hotel truly unique. Surrounded by woodland, high above the ground, the treehouses take you back to the childhood dream of living amid the trees while enjoying some more grown-up luxuries like outdoor baths (which you can order room service to!), cosy underfloor heating, a well-stocked mini bar and gorgeous interiors.
The Painswick
A picture-perfect Palladian house, nestled in the gorgeous village of Painswick, this Cotswold hotel is a countryside home-away-from-home paired with cosy luxuries to elevate your stay. The 17 rooms at The Painswick hail to a chic country style but each one is unique in design and decorated to encourage a lazy weekend break.
Highlights are the Palladian Rooms which are fully luxurious in design, in keeping with the building’s heritage and feature roll-top baths, plus George’s Suite, the jewel of the house. Flaunting a four-poster bed, separate living room, roll top bath and shower and private balcony overlooking views of Painswick, it’s a little slice of quiet heaven in the countryside.
The Wild Rabbit
The Wild Rabbit is a historic 18th century inn, brought into the modern day focused on serving local, quality food and creating relaxing spaces to rest-up with plenty of creature comforts.
The interiors of the inn’s rooms are warm yet breezy, making the most of the building’s original structure and using raw, rural elements in its decor to tie in with the surrounding countryside. Each room has a distinct personality and even a unique name with each named after woodland animals such as “The Deer, The Squirrel, The Fox” etc. The thing that makes The Wild Rabbit stand out is its commitment to sustainability as part of the Daylesford estate, one of the most sustainable organic farms in the UK. Here you can relax in luxury, knowing every element you enjoy has been chosen for its little impact on the environment.
Wild Thyme and Honey
Shortlisted in The Times’ Top 50 Boutique Hotels 2022, Wild Thyme and Honey just outside of Cirencester designed their rooms with loving attention to detail to create the ultimate relaxing retreat. This boutique hotel is all about symbiosis with its natural environment, it’s name inspired by the honey-coloured stone and the wild thyme that surrounds the estate.
The 24 rooms are thoughtfully designed to let the idyllic countryside in, showing off beautiful, exposed Cotswolds stone, natural wood floors, and lovely woolly textures. This is blended with a a cool New York loft-style look but the rest of the amenities are wholly country-focussed. Borrow Hunter wellies if you forget your own, enjoy quality comfort food in the pub and explore their hotel’s pantry, stocked full of essentials and goodies!
Double Red Duke
A well-reviewed favourite in The Cotswolds by The Sunday Times, Telegraph, Condé Nast Traveller, ELLE and more, Double Red Duke is a relatively new hotel that has already become an established boutique stay among the rolling hills.
Cosy with bold colourful interiors, this hotel excels in great British hospitality with the Country Creatures team behind the scenes. Every small detail that makes up your stay is thoughtfully considered. The Double Red Duke is a culmination of their experience across refurbishing and managing a vast catalogue of hotels, inns, pubs and restaurants across the UK, to bring you one of the best stays across the country.
Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons
You know that any experience under the Belmond name oozes luxury, and a stay at Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons is no exception. Enjoy a Michelin-starred feast in the restaurant before retiring to one of the manor’s 32 rooms, each one drawing inspiration from Chef and hotel creator, Patron Raymond Blanc OBE’s travels.
There’s no compromise on comfort, with plush cushions, marble bathrooms, and romantic design details. One of our favourites is the Bluebell room, featuring wall-to-ceiling Toile de Jouy wallpaper with matching soft bed linens, giving classic French luxury in the heart of The Cotswolds.
Dormy House
Kick off your shoes, put your feet up, and make yourself at home… We have stunning Cotswold bedrooms for every mood. Whether you want to go traditional in the main farmhouse, private and secluded, super stylish, or rustic in Rose Cottage, there’s a room waiting for you
This luxury hotel and spa, part of the Farncombe Estate, is perched high on the hills overlooking the village of Broadway and surrounding Cotswold countryside. Described as Farmhouse chic in the country, it is a fabulous home away from home.
Beautifully laid out, with gorgeous interior decor ranging from traditional styling in the main farmhouse to stylish yet rustic in the Rose Cottage, it is the perfect rural retreat. The hotel has its own The Back Garden restaurant which serves delicious locally sourced produce. If you’re looking to hunker down and enjoy some ’me’ time, you don’t even need to step outside – everything is on hand to ensure you have a relaxing and fulfilled stay.
No131 & The George Hotel
For a town stay in Cheltenham, No131 is the hotel of choice. Its central location near the Montpellier district is super handy for shopping and discovering all that Cheltenham has to offer. Superbly situated for the exciting festivals Cheltenham hosts throughout the year, the hotel is contemporary and eclectic in style and décor with stunning Georgian architecture.
The carefully thought out living spaces include antique finishing touches, original period features paired with statement wallpaper, industrial lighting and original artwork from David Hockney and Banksy, everything blends seamlessly to create a truly gorgeous destination.
Another notable mention from the same group is The George Hotel also in Cheltenham. With 46 design-led bedrooms, expect ultra-comfy Hypnos mattresses, waterfall showers, Sprekenhus skincare products and Hi-Speed WiFi. We love the gorgeous cool-toned hues throughout all of the bedrooms to bring a very cool, edgy hotel experience that doesn’t compromise on quality.
Thyme
If you’re looking for the privacy of your own place but with the benefits of a superb hotel then Thyme in the gorgeous village of Southrop has a choice of rooms and cottages which could fit the bill perfectly.
All the rooms are botanically inspired. Expect soft pinks in the English Rose Room and pastel green hues in the Pear Tree room. In the eaves of the farmhouse, we love the Teeny Cosy rooms, full of character with a walk-in shower, mini-bar and access to the house’s honesty bar.
The Tallet is one of the cottages, offering fabulous open plan living space and four gorgeous bedrooms. Nearby Old Walls is a two bedroom cottage with a delightful walled garden which also welcomes children and dogs. The décor for both cottages is dreamy with an abundance of light throughout and elegant neutrals which enhance their natural beauty.
One to watch: Cowley Manor
Fabulously positioned in the heart of the village, Cowley Manor is superbly located for exploring the Cotswolds and taking in both the stunning surrounding countryside alongside the buzz of the nearby towns of Cirencester and Cheltenham.
It’s remained one of our favourite country manor hotels but has closed its doors from January with new owners taking over the property and a whole new look and experience set to launch in summer 2023. Dorothée Meilichzon is overseeing the redesign where she is infusing lush fabrics and sumptuous textures whilst paying homage to this iconic building, land and its history. We can’t wait to see the grand unveiling!