Top 18 best hotels in the Cotswolds, one of the most beautiful parts of England

With picturesque rolling hills, cosy villages with honey stone houses, and traditional pubs serving ale and truffle chips, you won't find anywhere else in the world like the Cotswolds. This unique area in Gloucestershire in the southwest of England attracts travellers regardless of the season as the landscapes retain their appeal in both summer and winter. Here you can enjoy afternoon tea, take slow walks in the beautiful gardens, or go on a day trip to Cheltenham, Bath, or Oxford.

Whether you're here for a romantic weekend getaway or planning a week-long trip with the whole family, the best Cotswolds hotels are waiting for guests. The only drawback is that housing here is never cheap, and during the holidays, prices generally rise like wildfire. The solution to save your budget is to plan your vacation in advance and avoid peak seasons whenever possible. Check out the selection of the top 18 best hotels in the Cotswolds to quickly find the best option for you.

Cowley Manor Experimental

Every year, the Cotswolds expands the boundaries of its tourist appeal. Recently, new wellness centres and clubs have appeared here, and Notting Hill has added several excellent pubs to the list of establishments that are loved by both locals and tourists. The French hospitality brand The Experimental Group, which began its activities with the production of unique cocktails in Paris and London, was no exception. In addition, a beautiful hotel in the Cotswolds was recently opened.

Cowley Manor Experimental, located near Cheltenham, occupies the former Cowley estate. The transformation of the historic building - from the lofts and lounges to the lobby - was carried out by French designer Dorothée Meilichzon. The hotel features typical features of the brand's style, such as stone brown and blue colors, glossy lava stone, seventies sofas, striped bathtubs, and antique armchairs. Both adults and children will love it here thanks to the abundance of details and amenities. In particular, the youngest guests can enjoy playing in the playroom or spending time in the pool, either outside or inside.

The menu for the hotel restaurant was created with the participation of Chef Jackson Boxer, and guests have the opportunity to enjoy delicious creative food in the garden. In particular, we advise you to try croquettes with sausages, fresh vegetables with creamy stracciatella and caviar with sour cream and chips. Be sure to order the signature fried chicken for dinner.

The Fish Hotel

Among the Farncombe Estate hotels, this good hotel in the Cotswolds has the most affordable prices. In addition, The Fish is aimed at both adult couples and those travelling with small children. The main building is decorated in a cosy Scandinavian style, with fireplaces, which are so pleasant to spend time around, and soft sheepskin carpets. The rooms are decorated in pastel shades of gray and cream.

There is an on-site restaurant serving home-cooked simple meals for lunch and gourmet dishes for dinner. The hotel team works hard to make guests feel as comfortable as possible: from the morning newspaper on the doorstep to tea and milk. In addition, you can always ask the staff for help with organizing excursions or transportation around the estate in a Land Rover. If you decide to explore the neighbouring Evesham Valley and the surrounding landscapes, you can take the necessary equipment, such as a waterproof jacket or shoes.

Maison Estelle

Maison Estelle, located in Oxfordshire, offers accommodation in 108 standard rooms and suites, which are concentrated in both the main building and new blocks in the garden. The fun, club-like atmosphere of this wonderful Cotswolds hotel is made possible by personalized, first-class service, fine food and rich interiors. The design was developed by Roman & Williams, Olivia Weström and Ennismore Design Studio, who paid special attention to the multi-layered sophistication that emphasizes the picturesque countryside. Here you will find sculptures and paintings by Erin Lawlor and Billy Chaldish, as well as antiques from Morocco to the Mediterranean.

The hotel's pride is the terrace, which includes a 25-metre swimming pool, a favourite gathering place in the summer season. The Brasserie restaurant serves delicious breakfasts and informal dinners. There is also an on-site establishment specializing in roasted meats, dim sum and bao. Another good place for leisure is the billiard room with malachite tables. The Clubhouse is also available, with a Pilates studio, kids club, high-tech gym and workspaces.

Thyme, Southrop

The Thyme is one of the best hotels in the Cotswolds, located in Southrop. The complex occupies the building of an idyllic old manor house built of local stone, with heavy oak beams, whitewashed walls and beautifully restored rooms. Initially, a cooking school was opened here, followed by several cottages, as well as an exclusive manor house with apartments decorated in a rustic yet modern style, with fireplaces that add cosiness and marble bathrooms.

Guests can attend a culinary master class led by one of the winners of the MasterChef rating show, but before learning the intricacies of the art, it is necessary to visit the garden to collect the ingredients necessary for future dishes. If you just want to enjoy a delicious meal and leave all the work to others, book a table at the famous Ox Barn restaurant.

The Stump, Cirencester

After their success with the flagship Baz & Fred Pizzeria restaurant in London, childhood friends Fred Hicks and Harry Henriques decided to open a cosy roadside establishment located just six miles from Cirencester. It's not just a place to stay for the night in cosy, warm rooms but also a favourite of locals. This particular pub offers craft beer on tap, which comes from the local DEYA brewery. Such menu items as jamon croquettes, creamy burrata, creative pizza drizzled with rosemary honey, handmade pasta, etc are also popular.

The Stump has only ten comfortable rooms with desks, TVs, and private bathrooms.

The Lygon Arms

If you are looking for a budget vacation in the Cotswolds, pay attention to the Lygon Arms. The hotel is located in a 16th-century inn in the centre of Broadway Village. The interior is decorated in a traditional country style. Accommodation options include rooms in the main building: with high ceilings, antique details and a rickety staircase that adds a special charm. You can also book more spacious courtyard suites, which include small gardens with furnished terraces. Regardless of the choice, guests will find modern amenities and pleasant textures, such as lots of tweed and checkered wool.

The on-site restaurant at this Cotswolds hotel serves traditional English fare; the beef and lamb for the dishes are raised on the family's own farm and the vegetables are sourced locally.

Double Red Duke, Clayfield

Dressed in ceremonial wisteria robes, a former 17th-century inn has been transformed into a beautiful Cotswolds hotel. The Double Red Duke is filled with cosy reading nooks, contemporary art, and ruby-hued velvet fabrics. The village of Clenfield, where the hotel is located, is considered the gateway to the Cotswolds, offering the following leisure options:

• excursions to the Wood Brothers winery;
• shooting;
• bicycle tours in the surrounding area;
• fly fishing, etc.

The apartments, where guests can spend a weekend or a whole vacation, are decorated with retro details, including Marshall radios broadcasting classical music, turquoise bakelite phones, etc. The spacious bathrooms with red and white geometric tiles deserve special attention.

The hotel offers a spa centre, which uses 100 Acres products for treatments. The hotel restaurant is run by chef Henrik Ritzen, and the waiters are dressed in country pub-style outfits that look like 1950s bowling jackets. The menu combines light food with decadent dishes. You can start your meal with wood-fried eggplant with miso sauce and finish with the famous butterscotch pudding.

Soho Farmhouse, Chipping Norton

Soho Farmhouse, located in Chipping Norton, is owned by Soho House and is a cross between an American ranch, hotel and membership club. Guests also have access to the full-service Cowshed Spa, a hair salon, and even a shop with home goods.

The hotel offers a variety of accommodation options: from cosy cottages with wood-burning stoves and porch baths to rooms in the main house. Every morning, half a liter of the freshest farm milk is delivered to your door.

Key on-site amenities include:

• free Foffa bike rental;
• outdoor and indoor swimming pools;
• a great movie theatre with comfortable velvet chairs showing the latest releases.

Soho House has rather strict rules for entering the club, but if you manage to get in, you will definitely be delighted.

Daylesford, Kingham

Traditional stone cottages, as well as modern British pubs filled every night, are in the heart of the region in Gloucestershire among the English countryside. The Daylesford location is an extension of the original farm shop opened by Carole Bamford in 2002 on a site where organic produce has been grown for over forty years. The Daylesford complex covers 2,000 acres, so in addition to a good hotel in the Cotswolds, you can find a cafe, a restaurant and a bar with a relaxed and tranquil atmosphere. There is also a spa centre featuring Bamford cosmetics. In addition, Daysleford is still a working farm, so during open days you can stroll through the 20-acre vegetable garden where a variety of vegetables and herbs are grown, and children will especially love the opportunity to get up close and personal with cows, pigs and other farm animals.

Each of the rooms is unique, and its design is based on nature, as well as architectural traditions and craftsmanship. The apartments are decorated in a sophisticated style with the best amenities, such as superior mattresses and luxurious linens, spacious bathrooms, and more.

Lucknam Park, Chippenham

Lucknam Park is one of the best hotels in the Cotswolds, with every corner of the hotel sparkling with glitter. The interiors, although very classic, are chic and decorated with flowers, silk and marble. The complex has a luxurious ESPA spa, where you can enjoy reflexology, massage and full-body scrubbing, as well as an excellent restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef.

The main building is a majestic Georgian-style mansion located at the end of an alley of beech trees. Some of the most luxurious suites include mahogany desks, four-poster beds, and crackling fireplaces. If you want more privacy or are just travelling with a large group, we recommend booking a separate cottage hidden in the back of the complex. There are two completely different dining options on site:

• The Brasserie, located in the new spa building, is decorated in light wood;
• Michelin-starred Hywel Jones, where a gourmet dinner begins with a signature cocktail in a quiet lounge.

The hotel also offers an indoor and outdoor pool with umbrellas and sun loungers, a library and a game room with popular arcades.

The Kingham Plough

If you want to find a picturesque British village as if from a postcard, look no further than Kingham, connected to London by commuter rail. Among all this greenery and beauty, The Kingham Plough stands out. The building, built of local stone, attracts attention with window frames painted in a noble green color. Six suites await the hotel guests inside. Each of the rooms provides comfortable beds, beautiful wallpaper and spacious bathrooms, as well as decor in the form of old hardcover books by Dickens and classic works by Penguin.

The complex also includes a restaurant-pub, simple in terms of interior design (wooden beams, stone walls), but always filled with locals and travellers. Don't miss the breakfast as it's home-style delicious: from sugar scones served with jam and butter and muesli to boiled eggs and fluffy pancakes.

The New Inn

The refurbished pub in Coln St. Aldwyns is the latest opening from Baz and Fred, the friends who started the beloved pizzeria The Stump. One of the best hotels in the Cotswolds occupies a 500-year-old ivy-covered building that is a hub of village life, especially at weekends.

While the ground floor is home to a restaurant offering great burgers as well as hearty mains such as tender chicken with buttermilk and hot sauce or Spanish tomato bread with anchovies, there are rooms to stay upstairs. You can book one of the 15 rooms with antique wooden beams, which include elegant bathrooms with designer toiletries. The windows offer beautiful views of the meadows or the terrace.

If you want to spend time outside the hotel, the Koln River is a five-minute walk away, where you can go fly fishing. We also recommend visiting the picturesque village of Bibury and the town of Cirencester, both located nearby.

The Lamb Inn, Shipton Under Wychwood

This Cotswolds country hotel by Tom Noest and Pete Creed is a good combination of a pub, which is so loved by locals, and cosy rooms. The Lamb Inn, Shipton Under Wychwood is located in the heart of the trendy part of the region, offering a variety of leisure options; in particular, it hosts authentic shooting parties and a local youth football team.

The walls of the cosy hotel are filled with artwork and warm photos of friends, decorated with exquisite green ivy panels. Accommodation options include ten rooms that reflect the history of the building, with wide wooden planks, elegant windows, and antique mahogany tables. The apartments also include bathrooms with elegant Burlington fittings.

No. 38 The Park

One of the most highly-rated hotels in the Cotswolds is located in the green area of Cheltenham. No. 38 The Park is a truly special place where you can have breakfast at noon, read the latest newspapers in a cosy lounge, and mix yourself a drink using the well-stocked bar in the common room. Guests have the option of booking one of the 13 gorgeous rooms with huge beds, stylish footed bathtubs and showers. Some rooms offer beautiful views of Pittville Park.

No. 38 The Park is owned by The Lucky Onion group, which includes a beloved local tavern just a short walk from the hotel. The restaurant serves seasonal European dishes in a rustic setting with a chic atmosphere. If you want to have a few cocktails before or after dinner, check out Gin & Juice, the luxurious bar in the neighbouring restaurant No. 131.

Barnsley House, Cirencester

Among the most romantic hotels not only in the Cotswolds but in the whole of the UK, Barnsley House stands out with its exquisite gardens and stunning architecture. After the establishment changed its owners to Calcot Manor, who saved it from kitschy chic, Barnsley blossomed in a new way. Thus, the interiors with lots of mirrors, stone fireplaces, and wooden floors have been carefully restored, and the recently renovated Potager restaurant offers delicious dishes based on home-grown vegetables. For example, guests are especially fond of the celery lasagna and pork brisket with stewed apples and cauliflower puree. In summer, you can dine in the garden by booking a table at The Temple.

The hotel, which occupies 11 hectares of well-kept grounds, includes sunny terraces, traditional lawns, and even vegetable gardens where chefs gather the necessary ingredients and a family of chickens stroll through the beds.

Accommodation options include duplex rooms located in former stables, as well as apartments in the main house, which are more spacious and bright, but always come with down duvets on the king-size bed and fresh mint on hand for afternoon tea. If you want maximum privacy, you can book the Potting Shed. This is a separate cottage with a wood-burning stove and a private garden.

Dormy House, Broadway

Spacious bathrooms decorated by a London designer, an exclusive spa and a gourmet restaurant are the minimum guests can expect at Dormy House, located near the village of Broadway. The popular Cotswolds hotel occupies the Farncombe Estate and is adjacent to Foxhill Manor and The Fish Hotel, also owned by the Philip-Sørensen family. The 17th-century farmhouse exterior hides charming Scandinavian furnishings with stylish pink-printed wallpaper and large bathrooms.

If you want to relax as much as possible, be sure to visit the House Spa, designed to help guests relax and feel incredible. You can order soothing treatments both in the open air and in treatment rooms, and spend time in the pool or in the hot tub on the terrace.

Ellenborough Park

Millions of pounds have been spent on transforming the majestic 19th-century Earl of Ellenborough's house with its numerous towers, arches and turrets into a 61-room Cotswold stone hotel. The Ellenborough Park is located near Cheltenham and boasts the following facilities:

• a spa;
• a pub;
• a gourmet restaurant;
• an outdoor pool with sun loungers, etc.

If the exterior may seem a bit strange, the interior, designed by Nina Campbell, is classically English, but not boring at all.

The Wild Rabbit

The Wild Rabbit is not only a beautiful hotel in the Cotswolds but also one of the most popular restaurants. Located in the quiet, peaceful Kingham, the complex is owned by Carole Bamford, who started her career in British business by opening farm shops and cafes, including in Gloucestershire. In the region's best award-winning restaurant, guests can enjoy appetizers of fresh scallops, crab tortellini and perfectly grilled Josper steaks served with homemade jenga-block chips. For an unforgettable experience, we recommend trying the tasting menu, which is harmoniously combined with wines specially selected by the sommelier. When the weather is sunny, head to the outdoor terrace and enjoy one of the signature seasonal cocktails at the bar.

The hotel has 15 cosy bedrooms with original wooden beams, pastel fabrics, furniture made of bleached oak, and many nice details, such as small flowerpots with flowers, reflecting the artisanal aesthetic. The room rate includes breakfast in the restaurant, a refillable in-room minibar, and a weekly farm and garden tour.

The renowned Daylesford Organic Centre, also owned by Lady Bamford, is just a five-minute drive from The Wild Rabbit, which includes:

• a spa;
• a restaurant;
• a farm shop;
• a culinary school.

If you want to take a short trip outside the Cotswolds, we recommend visiting the towns of Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton.