Cotswold House, Chipping Campden, United Kingdom
Hotel Overview
Review of Cotswold House, by Louise Pyne
Nestled in the heart of the idyllic postcard-perfect town of Chipping Campden, Cotswold House is a delightful hotel exuding a stylish super-luxe modern feel with a traditional twist. Period-style finishings have been fused with the latest in high-tech facilities, catapulting this luxurious establishment into a league of its own.
Two acres of well-kept gardens are filled with lush greenery (yes even in winter!), and potted plants as far as the eye can see. Wooden benches are dotted all around and there's also a pretty terrace which adds to the exterior's overall charm. When it comes to fine dining, the hotel's two eateries tick all the boxes. Wholesome, locally-produced, country-style fare has its place of honour on the tables of Juliana's, which specialises in British and Mediterranean fine dining executed with impeccable presentation. Hicks' Brasserie, with its relaxed ambience, is the ideal spot to enjoy a hearty Sunday lunch or sumptuous afternoon tea.
The hotel also boasts a state-of-the-art spa which will open to the public at the end of December. Once again pulling out all the stops, it will house a hydrotherapy pool and extensive range of aromatherapy face and body treatments which will use the exclusive Temple Spa range.
The 28 rooms have been styled to suit all tastes - each room comes complete with a unique layout and its own signature features from log fires to airy balconies. There's the main house, Montrose House and garden cottages and suites, all of which offer super-plush facilities from rotating Bang & Olufsen TV screens, a complimentary mini bar, huge beds complete with white Frette linen sheets and even a pillow menu!
The bathrooms also offer a real treat. Under-floor heating, mood lighting and bathtubs big enough for two - these luxurious facilities simply ooze indulgence.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Rooms
28Awards
"Hot List", Conde Nast Traveller 08; "Gold List", Conde Nast Traveler 07Who stays here?
A good mix - couples on romantic breaks at weekends, families at half-term, lots of regulars. Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow have stayed here.
Come for...
- Excellent, friendly service
- Private hot tubs in garden cottages
- Geek chic - lots of gadgets
Not Suitable for...
- Lovers of chintz
- Those seeking a secluded location - Chipping Campden is very popular with tourists
Children
The hotel welcomes children and can arrange a babysitting service for guests. Extra beds are available for the room, and interconnecting rooms are an option for families. The Brasserie offers a special kid's menu.
Eating in
Cotswold Grill is open all day for informal, café-style eating. The room service is available 24 hours and there is a wonderful breakfast served from 7.30am to 10.30am.
The Press Say
“Charming olde England village setting that oozes charm. The hotel is set in the honey stone square with its own landscaped gardens and terrace.” Waitrose Food Illustrated 08
“One special Cotswolds attraction is the graceful old house converted into a smart hotel. The golden stone Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden is among the best.” Mail on Sunday 08
Reviews
Review of Cotswold House Hotel, by Angela Moore
"Panache, not pretension", reads the Cotswold House Hotel's website, and nothing could better sum up this paragon of a Cotswold hotel. It stands in front of the market square in Chipping Campden, an almost laughably perfect little mellow-stoned Cotswold market town. The hotel has a genial, relaxed atmosphere, but underneath this it runs like a precision Rolex, with polished service from the excellent staff.
The owners have left the elegant bones of the house in place, but have done it all up in a smart, luxurious, contemporary-country style. Happily, it does not feel over-designed. It's unfussy and not fancy-fancy, but luxurious in that everything is of the highest quality. It is accessorised with some beautiful, ultramodern glassware - a light sculpture in the bar, a chandelier above the lovely, swirling original staircase.
The facilities
Cotswold House incorporates a brasserie, Hicks', and a restaurant, Juliana's, both of which are very well-regarded. The boutique hotel's restaurant has views out onto the gardens - two acres of fragrant plants spilling out of giant, lichened urns; little hideaway benches; terraces for summer dining. It adds an alluring, secret-garden dimension to the place - quite magical.
The rooms
The 28 rooms are split into three main areas - the main house, the new Montrose House (adjoining) and the cottage-style rooms in the gardens. All are stylish and extremely comfortable - before you go, you can choose from a pillow menu, pick the bedding you prefer and even decide what you want in your minibar. All the rooms in this boutique hotel are also different in layout, so that you will be surprised by a little balcony, or a sense of high-ceilinged grandeur, or a gas log fireplace in Cotswold stone.
For a real treat, pick a room in Montrose House or a cottage suite in the garden. The Montrose House rooms are particularly chic and luxurious, with delicious beds and linens. Room 17, a junior suite, has a huge black leather chaise-longue in front of a fireplace, and an idyllic view over the gardens and distant hills. Room 18 is a thrillingly romantic loft room, tucked under the exposed beams, with a bathtub in the bedroom. The adorable Garden Cottages are spacious split-level suites, most with bedrooms under the eaves; two of these have private walled terraces with outdoor hot tubs.
A word about the bathrooms, which are in a league of their own. Again, all the rooms have something different to offer, from a combination walk-in shower/steam room to an egg-shaped stone bathtub large enough for three. They've not stinted on amenities in their hotel with heated floors, plasma tvs, adjustable lighting, delicious goodies. Half an hour in the bath and you feel like you've had a day at a spa. In Room 17, you can lie in bed and control the fireplace, the tv/dvd and the music. There's even a remote control for the lighting effects, which vary from brisk Monday morning bright to seductive, Friday night dim. Lush.