18 ideas for luxurious weekend breaks in the Cotswolds
Ahh, the Cotswolds. There's nowhere better to escape to than this marvellous corner of Britain for a weekend break in the country.
Straddling six counties and home to honey-hued villages, gently rolling hills and luxury hotels with impressive restaurants, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty truly is one of the most picturesque places in the world – and it's right here on our doorstep.
Whatever the season or weather, a weekend break in the Cotswolds makes for an idyllic escape, whether you're looking to get active with clay-pigeon shooting and country walks or rest up in a five-star spa setting and indulge in long, lazy pub lunches.
When it comes to taking off for a few days in the country, nothing beats a romantic mini-break or family staycation in the Cotswolds as you get to know towns and villages such as Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold and Broadway.
Anyone who's anyone spends their downtime here, too – and, while we can't guarantee you'll bump into Cotswold residents Kate Moss and the Beckhams, you can have a thoroughly good time by checking into our pick of the best places to stay during a weekend break.
Whether you're planning a winter escape or looking ahead to a spring break, these are the Cotswold hot spots to have on your radar.
Check in to the Cotswolds' coolest new hotel, Cowley Manor Experimental
Cowley Manor was one of the Cotswolds’ original boutique hotels and it recently got a makeover, courtesy of the supremely chic French group Experimental. The Grade II-listed manor, whose grounds feature Italianate gardens and lake, has been brought into the 2020s with all the flair the brand is famous for.
There are 31 bedrooms, a spa, a cocktail lounge and various cosy corners including an array of living rooms and a library. The new restaurant has the acclaimed British chef Jackson Boxer at the helm. Naturally, the menu has more than a little French flavour.
Reconnect with nature at secluded, sustainable estate The Lakes by Yoo
This luxury lakeside estate offers much more than a hotel – whether you're into nature walking, bike riding, wild swimming, watercrafts, or activities like archery and clay pigeon shooting.
Built around various fresh-water lakes, the modern retreat is a collaboration between The Lakes by Yoo’s founder, John Hitchcox and famed designer Philippe Starck – and the holiday homes, cabins, rooms and suites are as idyllic inside as the views they offer from within.
On site, The Lakes Bar & Kitchen (open from 9am) provides a delicious alternative to self-catering, while The Spa by Yoo is another don’t-miss. Featuring a stunning indoor lap pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, as well as a fitness suite and treatment rooms, expect holistic rituals by Gloucestershire local Kate Moss' Cosmoss – which uses potent botanicals to restore balance and enhance harmony. Like the whole concept at The Lakes by Yoo, it's the perfect escape from city life.
Eat well at Whatley Manor in Wiltshire
Whatley Manor is a short drive north of Bath in the Wiltshire market town of Malmesbury. The luxury country-house hotel has a fine-dining restaurant with two Michelin stars, beautiful grounds (spanning a courtyard, terraces and an organic kitchen garden) and a classic decor that includes mullion windows.
It’s a bucolic base from which to venture into Bath for day trips, though you may find yourself wanting to linger a little longer – especially if you book in to the spoiling spa for a Sothys treatment.
Get some rest and relaxation at Thyme near Lechlade in Gloucestershire
There are many spa hotels in the Cotswolds, but one of the most restorative is Thyme, where the Meadow Spa uses botanicals created by the retreat’s sister brand Bertioli. If that doesn’t sound soothing enough, book a visit to the Botanical Bothy, which leads out to a private veranda and garden – there are two bath tubs in which to enjoy a herbal soak, and a fireplace to ensure it feels cosy whatever the temperature outside.
The hotel is set across several stone buildings and cottages in the sleepy village of Southrop.
Try James Martin's new restaurant at the Lygon Arms in Broadway
Making the Cotswolds’ food scene even better this year is the new James Martin restaurant at the Lygon Arms in the village of Broadway. The star chef is now at the helm of the vaulted Grill restaurant, which serves classic British dishes, with many of the ingredients sourced locally. Before dinner, be sure to have a drink in one of the bar’s creaky corners.
The coaching inn in Worcestershire, which is part of the Iconic hotel collection (sister properties include Cliveden and Chewton Glen), has an impressive guestbook – famous former guests have included Charles I.
Check out the latest guest chef at the Double Red Duke in Oxfordshire
Also helping to ensure the Cotswold food scene keeps on improving is the Double Red Duke, which runs a guest-chef series – previous talents calling in to man the kitchens have included Thomasina Miers, Richard Corrigan and Ben Tish. The next round of pop-up evenings will take place on 6 September, 11 October and 19 November, and plans for next year’s takeovers are already afoot.
The 16th-century coaching inn in the Oxfordshire hamlet of Cranfield has all the beams, creaky floors and narrow staircases you’d hope for, but more modern touches include copper bath tubs, patterned headboards and colourful wallpaper.
Stay at an elevated ‘pub with rooms’ in the honey-stone village of Ascott-under-Wychwood
The Cotswolds certainly isn’t short of pubs with rooms, but some offer much more than others. Take The Swan in Ascott-under-Wychwood, a charming 16th century property comprising a characterful bar, stellar restaurant, large garden terrace with a wisteria-clad pergola, and eleven superbly welcoming rooms. Inside the accommodation interiors are elegantly executed; think exposed timber beams and stone walls juxtaposing bold upholstery bearing pops of colour or punchy prints. They promise a memorable staycation, over mere convenience.
Meanwhile, the food is everything you’d want from a classy country pub, with hearty local produce forming interesting updates on crowd pleasing classics, though there are highlights in addition to the main menu – including fresh wood fired pizzas and extravagant Sunday roasts. The atmosphere – warmed by roaring log fires – is just as inviting.
Prime position for access, The Swan is located close to Ascott-under-Wychwood station, and is a short drive to much-loved destinations Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton.
Stay at a classic Cotswolds inn near Cirencester
There are many historic inns to be found in the Cotswolds and Wild Thyme & Honey, just outside of Cirencester, is a close-to-perfect example. The 16th-century pub in the village of Ampney Crucis is now home to 24 bedrooms, with the original inn, the Crown at Ampney Brook, still in place.
After days out exploring the Gloucestershire market town, return to the cosy inn for a dinner made with ingredients sourced from the surrounding farms.
BOOK NOW
Take a group of friends to a listed manor house in Horton
Step inside this outstanding house owned by the National Trust and you can enjoy all the things you'd expect from a traditional Cotswold pad. There's enough room for 10, making it the ideal rental for families or a group of friends.
Inside, it's grand yet homely and relaxing, with glorious panelling and views of the lovely gardens from the floor-to-ceiling windows. This Grade I-listed manor house on the edge of the Cotswolds and close to Bath has starred in period dramas Wolf Hall and Poldark.
Hide out at the Fish in Broadway
If you're after a little adventure on your Cotswold weekend break, the Fish is the place for something different. Part boutique hotel, part adventure hideout, the accommodation offering includes shepherd’s huts, treehouses and rooms in the Coach House for exclusive use.
Alongside its numerous places to sleep is seafood restaurant Hook and a boot-room with wellies to borrow so you can get out and do some exploring, too.
Hole up at a cottage with a pool near Cheltenham
For a Cotswolds cottage with an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and zip wire to keep everyone entertained, look no further than this idyllic stone house with room for 12 people. Thyme & Sage offers quintessential Cotswold style and is close to Cheltenham, where you can eat out and go shopping.
The interior is as cosy as it gets for a weekend break, with an Aga for getting creative in the kitchen, a wood-burning stove to keep you toasty on colder days and beautiful original features, such as the wooden door and exposed rafters.
Have a great British break at a historic hotel in Cheltenham
Afternoon tea, the races and country walks – Ellenborough Park is just the place for indulging in all the luxuries of a rural escape in traditional surroundings. Steeped in more than 500 years of history and heritage, and set within 90 acres of sprawling countryside, the former stately home offers a quintessentially British experience.
It overlooks Cheltenham Race Course and there's plenty to keep you entertained, whether you're here in the summer or winter. You can relax with afternoon tea in the Great Hall and Minstrel’s Gallery, swim in the heated outdoor pool or borrow a Dubarry wax jacket and wellington boots to make the most of the great outdoors.
Rest up at a luxury hotel with an impressive garden near Cirencester
Set amid the rolling hills the Cotswolds are known for, Barnsley House has just 18 elegant bedrooms, a top-notch spa and a private cinema for a weekend of luxury. Once the home of famed garden designer Rosemary Very, the grand 17th-century manor house is all about grown-up rest and relaxation.
Outside, there are four acres of gardens to explore, spanning a laburnum walk, beautiful blooms and topiaries. The spa is a secret hideaway surrounded by nature and you'll want to visit the outdoor hydrotherapy pool overlooking the surrounding countryside.
Be pampered at a dog-friendly spa hotel near Bath
Looking for somewhere that treats dogs like VIPs too? Lucknam Park has it all. It's dog-friendly, has an impressive spa, Michelin-starred dining at Restaurant Hywel Jones – the works. A long drive stretches up to the 17th-century manor that crowns the amazing 500 acres of listed parkland.
You can explore the outdoors on walks through the woodland, play tennis and meet the team of beautiful horses and ponies. Expect a classic interior to match the historic surroundings as you enjoy a little R&R at one of the best hotels in the Cotswolds.
Get cosy at a restaurant with rooms in Shipston-on-Stour
Prefer something more laid-back but still stylish? Retreat to the Bower House in the market town of Shipston-on-Stour for a relaxed Cotswold break. The hotel is set in a Grade II-listed building, with all the character you'd imagine from a historic restaurant with rooms.
Upstairs, there are five luxurious rooms to retreat to after supper, which feature custom-made beds, antiques and eye-catching art.
Get away from it all at this quaint cottage in Eastleach
With its traditional feel, this characterful cottage for a small group or family is an enchanting hideaway in the quaint village of Eastleach. A Grade II-listed building, All Souls Cottage has the familiar church-style windows you'll spot around the Cotswolds and timelessly chic interiors, plus a minster fireplace housing a woodburner.
The village is in an excellent location for walking and spending lazy afternoons feasting on traditional pub lunches at centuries-old inns.
Experience farmhouse chic in Broadway
Dormy House began life as a working farmhouse in the 17th century and as a hotel today it fuses the best of quintessential countryside living with a touch of Scandinavian style, in a nod to the family who owns it.
The chic 39-bedroom hotel has three restaurants and a world-class spa, plus cosy lounges providing plenty of space for you to kick off your shoes and relax in – possibly with your canine friend.
Dine on grownup pub grub at The Chequers in Churchill
Another must-stop near Chipping Norton – in yet another picturesque village – is The Chequers, a traditional pub with unostentatious grandeur. A foodie destination, welcoming visitors from near and far, it’s known for its top of class pub grub.
The elevated (though ‘no foam’) menu is simple while hearty; think serious steaks, bulging burgers, beer-battered fish, venison wellington and root veg risotto – plus proper full-fat puds, of course. The wine list is extensive, as is that of the draft beer, cider and stout, cocktails and mocktails; and the staff are attentive, knowledgeable and warm.
Besides the bar with its open fire and storied dart board, and the studded leather chairs and antique table-lined restaurant, The Chequers has an exclusive private bar, too. But do factor in time for a stroll around the quaint surroundings of Churchill, which has a village green, historic church and modern playground offering an ideal addition to a satisfying family outing.
You Might Also Like
