Whether it’s a classic hotel, country pile or spa that you’re seeking, Daisy Finer chooses six of the best in the Cotswolds
1. Barnsley House, Barnsley
Best for Garden Lovers
There are hiding places galore in the house and grounds of this gorgeous gardener’s home turned hotel, from the tiny secret cinema with pink leather two-seat sofas nestled behind the trees to the topsy-turvy layout of the armchair-strewn nooks in the main house. Whether you’re strolling around the vast kitchen garden past the world’s happiest chickens or sitting on one of the terraces in the sun looking out onto the lawns, it’s all wonderfully quiet and secluded. The Potager restaurant uses as much of the hotel’s own produce as possible (the beetroot-flecked hash browns at breakfast are so scrummy that you’ll wish they were on the menu for lunch and dinner, too), while the bedrooms themselves are almost a Cotswold cliché in their comfort levels: thick, soft duvets on the beds, traditional stone fireplaces, bunches of fresh mint in the fridge, homemade cookies in the minibar and vintage paperbacks to read in the bath. There’s also an exquisite tucked-away spa with floor-to-ceiling windows and dry stone walls, huge bunches of drying herbs hanging from the beams in the steam room and an outside hydrotherapy pool where you can watch the sun set.
Doubles from £290, including breakfast. 01285 740000
barnsleyhouse.com
2. Cowley Manor, near Cheltenham
Best Outdoor Pool
The setting of this contemporary country house – 55 acres of parkland, woods and Grade II-listed gardens in the village of Cowley – is seriously pretty. There are natural springs, several lakes with ducks and trout and even a small church in its grounds, so grab a pair of the hotel’s wellies and explore. Then relax on a lounger by the heated outdoor pool at the C-Side spa: in summer, there’s a bar and full waiter service but it’s just as refreshing in the colder months, swimming with the steam rising around you. Book in for the Cloud Nine treatment, a blissful combination of an aromatherapy massage, reflexology and acupressure using Green & Spring products (some of which contain herbs picked from the hotel grounds). Rooms are split between the main house and the stable block; some come with cantilevered bathrooms, wooden four posters and terraces, but they all have the same funky design details (geometric patterned rugs and bright, jewel coloured furniture) as the rest of the house. Play snooker in the billiard room, board games in the sitting room and eat modern British fare in the oak-panelled dining room. Country house living at its coolest.
Doubles from £195, including breakfast. 01242 870900
cowleymanor.com
3. Five Alls, Lechlade
Best for Food
This charming 18th-century coaching inn, which was revamped last year, is in the picturesque village of Lechlade. It’s cosy in the winter – crackling inglenook fires and lots of candlelight – with lovely outside space for when the sun shines. Upstairs, there is a handful of understated rooms, prettily furnished in neutral shades with low wooden beams, rustic kitchen chairs as bedside tables and checked cushions on the bed. The locally sourced menu mixes traditional with contemporary pub fare so good that you’ll eat like kings: crab tart, hearty soups and prawn tempura to start, followed by fish and chips or squash and goat’s cheese salad. And the equally impressive breakfast, served in the flagstone bar – homemade granola, pastries, smoked salmon and eggs – will set you up for the day. Personal touches include homemade jams and fudge that you can buy. Rumour has it that Kate Moss lunched here as part of her 40th birthday celebrations – and if it’s good enough for Kate…
Doubles from £110, including breakfast. 01367 860875
thefiveallsfilkins.co.uk
4. Whatley Manor, Malmesbury
Best Spa
A restored manor house with fancy food, 12 acres of tranquil grounds and – the biggest draw of all – one of the most sublime spas around. Book in for the La Prairie treatments (the Aquarias La Prairie Signature Facial – which combines caviar extracts, a hot stone massage on the face, hands and arms, and a lower leg and foot massage – is excellent) and waft from the heated relaxation beds for a dip in the hydrotherapy pool. Dress up for dinner at the formal, two Michelin-starred restaurant (there is also Le Mazot, a more relaxed brasserie) where you can tuck into braised snails, roast loin of venison and dessert of apple and maple syrup cheesecake with caramelised pecan nuts and poached pears. Bedrooms are vast, combining four posters and antiques with more modern touches such as B&O sound systems and walk-in wardrobes.
Doubles from £305, including breakfast. 01666 822888
whatleymanor.com
5. The Porch House, Stow-on-the-Wold
Best Friday Night Crash Pad
Drive through the tiny village of Stow-on-the-Wold and you can’t miss this cosy restaurant with rooms. Formerly a rather tired-looking hotel, last year it was re-named and revamped into exactly the kind of low-key place you want to crash out on a Friday night. Eat in the light-filled conservatory bar or, more formally, in the buzzing dining room. Bread is warm from the oven and the menu is full of classics like fish pie or rib-eye steaks with hand-cut chips. The look is all flagstone floors, wooden beams and a mix of battered leather sofas and smart tweed chairs. Upstairs, rooms have exposed brick and mushroom-hued walls with knitted cushions and wool blankets on kingsize beds.
Doubles from £99, including breakfast. 01451 870048
porch-house.co.uk
6. 131, Cheltenham
Best New Hot Spot
In a handsome Regency townhouse on the main tree-lined promenade in Cheltenham, 131 oozes New York-style glamour. Good-looking staff wear cobalt blue French worker’s jackets. Period marble fireplaces and antique furniture blend in with framed moths and art by Hockney. Bedrooms boast muted green and mustard Moroccan tiles, hand-woven knotted rugs and sherbert lemons to snack on. The heavenly ‘100 Acres’ goodies in the bathroom are made from natural botanical and essential oils such as rose and lavender – do buy some to take home or for pressies. Crazy Eights is the official restaurant but it’s also fun to eat in the indoor/outdoor courtyard or one of the super cool, den-like private dining rooms.
Doubles from £150, including breakfast. 01242 822939
no131.com