Chic boltholes in the Cotswolds
The fields are awash with buttercups, the hedgerows brimming with cow parsley, while the windows of the honey-stone cottages here are framed with blooming wisteria. This is a terrific time to be in the Cotswolds. Bathed in appealing, early summer light, the area’s glorious boutique hotels are looking at their very best and the festival season is just starting: Broadway’s Arts Festival runs until June 19; the Longborough Opera season begins tomorrow; and Cheltenham’s Food and Drink Festival kicks off on Friday. Looking slightly further ahead, there’s the Blenheim Flower Show on June 17-19 and the bucolic Charlbury Beer Festival on June 25
1 The Painswick
Through the mullioned windows of this Grade II- listed mansion you take in fabulous panoramas of the lovely Painswick Valley in Gloucestershire. The 16 bedrooms are individually styled and have retro-chic flourishes – an Art Deco table here, a Twenties-style lamp there. Many rooms in the main house have claw-foot baths with a copy of Laurie Lee’s
Cider with Rosie propped up on the bath tray – the book is based on nearby Slad Valley. Such attention to detail characterises The Painswick: there are specially commissioned graphics illustrating how to use your room’s Nespresso machine; treats of homemade macaroons; and a vacuum flask of iced water in the rooms. The food is top-notch, too. Doubles from £120 telegraph.co.uk/thepainswick
2 No 131 Cheltenham
This large, Grade II-listed Georgian property was built as a very grand private residence. It was unoccupied for several years before this magnificent makeover. The 11 spacious bedrooms, ranged over the second and third floors, are furnished with an engaging mix of antiques and modern artworks. There are big windows, swathes of curtains, retro-style radiators – and stunning tiled floors in many of the bathrooms. The main restaurant, complete with cocktail bar, is elegantly unstuffy: you sink into leather chairs and eat from unadorned wooden tables, choosing from a menu that celebrates British cuisine with aplomb. Doubles from £105 telegraph.co.uk/131cheltenham Cowley Manor near Cheltenham offers laid-back chic and a modern spa
3 Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
One of the first of the new breed of contemporary country house hotels to put their spa at the heart of their offering – in this case, C-side. The glass-fronted building is a beautiful piece of modern design, sunk into a hill to one side. The treatments in the four rooms use the hotel’s own Green & Spring products. Elsewhere, the hotel exudes laid-back chic with wry details and funky flourishes, such as cowhide chair covers and bold chandeliers. Bright and generously sized, the 30 bedrooms are graded from “Good” to “Best” – some in the main building, others in an old stable block. All bathrooms feature tubs and separate walk-in, rainhead showers. Doubles from £225 telegraph.co.uk/cowleymanor
4 Dormy House, Broadway
The core is a 17th-century farmhouse, complete with big stone fireplaces and flagstone floors. It exudes a tremendous sense of comfort and geniality. Guests enter a hallway lined with oak panelling and giving on to three relaxed, stylish lounges, with reception in a sleek stone lobby behind. Sprawling over several floors and in its own wing, the Scandinavian-chic House Spa leads directly off the reception lobby, so you are in no doubt that it’s centre stage at this “reinvented rustic” country house hotel. There’s also an on-site nail parlour and an infinity pool. Doubles from £245 telegraph.co.uk/dormyhouse
5 The Close, Tetbury
This handsome hotel is well located among the boutiques and antique shops of Long Street. Although the front door is on a busy road, today the main gateway is at the back of the building, designed for guests arriving by car. The 18 bedrooms have been styled according to shape and natural light. Dove has a four-poster; Nightingale’s bathroom features a slipper bath and also an armchair. There’s a clever arrangement of fabrics in each room, with chairs covered to complement curtains or bed-heads. A good range of dining options is available. Doubles from £85 telegraph.co.uk/theclose