The English countryside is one of the most beautiful parts of England. That is why more and more people decide to make a trip to this part of the country. During our trip to the Cotswolds we stayed in several hotels. In this article we will tell you which ones they are and the advantages or disadvantages of each one.
Is it better to book one accommodation or several in the Cotswolds?
One of the most common questions when planning a trip to the Cotswolds is whether to choose one accommodation or several.
The truth is that there is no universal answer. Much depends on your trip. The length of your trip, the Cotswolds villages you want to visit and the timing of your flights.
Bear in mind that most of the villages are located in the north-east of the English countryside. And to get there, you will probably land in Bristol or London.
My recommendation is to book only one accommodation if you can. And take advantage of the flight days to see other towns that are further away. All this, assuming that your trip will last 3-4 days.
3 recommended hotels to stay in the Cotswolds
On the trip we stayed in three different areas: Eynsham, Gloucester and Stanton.
I must admit that as we landed at Stansted in the afternoon, and it was my first time driving on the left, we booked a hotel closer to Oxford so that we didn’t have to drive for many hours. The best thing to do, if you are only going for 2-4 days, is to find something near Stow-on-the-wold or Broadway.
Eynsham Hall
This was our first accommodation.
Its main building is an impressive Jacobean style mansion. It has HUGE gardens. And it has an indoor pool and gymnasium available to guests free of charge. The hotel is not only made up of this building. It also has several annexes where most of the rooms are located. Only renovated rooms are located in the main building.
It is located 10 minutes drive from Witney and 20 minutes drive from Oxford. It has an 8.1 rating on Booking. And, with a bit of luck, you can find a good deal. As a general rule, prices tend to be around €100/night. We got one of the offers and 4 nights cost us 265£.
⭐ Review
Overall the stay was great. Everyone was very friendly. The rooms were clean and we didn’t have any problems with the heating. We booked without breakfast, but on the last day we decided to have breakfast there. If you give X amount of notice (I don’t remember if it was more than 24 hours or so), it costs less money.
The dining rooms are spectacular, overlooking the gardens – I wish I had that view every morning!
Although there are many places I would like to stay in the Cotswolds, I wouldn’t rule out coming back here. The hotel itself is wonderful. The only thing I would change is the room type. I would definitely pay a bit more for a refurbished room.
✅ Pros
- Free parking
- 24 hour reception
- Close to most towns
❌ Cons
- Small and old rooms (ours, the cheapest)
Mercure Gloucester Bowden Hall Hotel
Mercure Gloucester Bowden Hall Hotel is notable for its unique building. It is situated on the outskirts of Gloucester; surrounded by acres of gardens.
The entire hotel has been meticulously cared for. The décor is very distinct and elegant. The rooms are very modern and beautiful. And all of them have free high speed Wifi. The downside is that there is no lift. And if your room is on the fourth floor (as was my case), you will have to carry your 20 kilos suitcase.
We stayed here for two nights. The whole stay cost us 106,20£.
⭐ Review
The rooms are spacious and cosy. The hotel is very quiet. It also has free parking for guests. We didn’t book breakfast at this hotel either, but we ended up having breakfast one of the two days there. Everything was perfect. Very good service, tasty food and long opening hours.
Overall I liked this hotel very much. It is on the outskirts of Gloucester, but very close to the city. However, the big downside is that getting there is a bit of a hassle. You have to be very, very careful. At least, if you have a GPS like mine.
✅ Pros
- Free parking
- 24 hour reception
- Close to Gloucester
❌ Cons
- It’s quite tricky get to the hotel
Stanton Manor House
Our last two nights were spent at Stanton Manor House.
Like Eynsham Hall it is a historic manor house. An impressive old building surrounded by green gardens. The difference is that Stanton Manor House holds a secret or two. It is featured in the Domesday Book, and was owned by Lord Burghley, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Elizabeth I.
We stayed here for two nights for £170.
⭐ Review
The rooms are refurbished. And, the hotel in general is fine. Its super plus point is that it is within walking distance of Castle Combe, Lacock and Bath.
The stay was great. We had no problems at all. Everything worked properly, and the bed was comfortable. The best memory I have of this place was the last day. When we went for the car and it was sunrise in the middle of the countryside 😍
✅ Pros
❌ Cons
The only disadvantage I would put on it is that staff are often slow to arrive at reception. On arrival we spent about 15 minutes waiting with no one turning up.
My feeling was that it is not a conventional hotel, but more of a family hotel. A place where the staff takes on more roles than just one department. And, perhaps because of that, the reception was empty.
Although we didn’t really care about that. That’s the only bad point I could take away from the hotel. For the rest, great.