You know when you've reached the Cotswolds - those beautiful rolling fields lead into gorgeous thatched buildings made from golden Cotswold stone. Country lanes turn a corner into gorgeous shopping streets and village and town centres lined with rows of independent shops.
One such town is Chipping Campden, a charming old wool merchants' town that has easy links to the many delights the region has to offer.
The hotel
Our accommodation for the weekend was the rather charming boutique-style hotel, Cotswold House Hotel & Spa, a Grade II listed Regency town house, complete with its own spa.
The moment we entered the hotel and were greeted like long lost friends, we knew we were in for a lovely time. The reception itself is simple, yet classy, with an eye-catching spiral staircase reaching as far as the eye could see.
The rooms
The hotel offers accommodation ranging from small cosy rooms, to hot tub suites with their own gardens.
We stayed in a cottage room, with its own entrance hallway, with stairs leading to a bedroom and bathroom separated by a small hallway, plenty of space for a couple with one child for a long weekend.
We were incredibly pleased to find a good-sized bath tub! Those of you who read my ravel reviews regularly, will know we are fond of a bath in a hotel room. But in this situation there was also a huge shower to boot.
The room had everything we needed, with the fluffiest towels and robes, locally-made toiletries, small fridge and tea and coffee making facilities. It was a good room that could have been great with a little modernising.
The view from the room was delightful, with a partial outlook to the beautiful High Street one way and another window overlooking the hotel's pretty gardens.
The spa
I can't imagine that there are many Regency town house hotels in the heart of the Cotswolds with their own spa. But follow a path through the gorgeous gardens and you'll find such a place at Cotswold House.
After a busy day exploring places like Stow-on-the-Wold, Morton in Marsh and Bourton-on-the-Water, kick back and relax in the glorious spa and maybe treat yourself to a massage or facial.
Formed from the old stables in the grounds of Cotswold House, the small but modern spa, has a hydrotherapy pool, steam room, changing rooms, relax room, hair salon, nail bar and five further treatment rooms.
Order a glass of fizz and while away the hours in a haze of tranquility.
The restaurant
The hotel has two main dining areas - The Fig and The Bistro.
The Bistro offers an informal dining experience, with a great cocktail menu and awesome gin collection. It is also where breakfast is served to hotel residents each day.
I enjoyed a mouth-watering margarita before we headed through to The Fig, which is located in a beautiful high ceilinged Regency room.
The choices for dinner were extensive, with a long main menu, a specials menu and a children's menu available to us.
The like of ham hock and chorizo terrine, crab and twice baked double Gloucester cheese souffle on the starters menu and fillet of Atlantic cod with wild mushrooms, supreme of guinea fowl and slow braised lamb shoulder on offer for main courses.
We decided to pick from the sharing specials board. Antipasti for main, a great option to share with our four-year-old with offerings like mozzarella, olives, breads, hummus and cured meats tickling our tastebuds.
We were then recommended the cote de boeuf for main course. This is definitely one for meat lovers with 18oz of prime steak served with roasted Portobello mushroom, skin on fries and grilled tomato.
The steak was tasty, not the most tender I'd had but perfectly enjoyable. I think an additional sauce would have been a nice touch for a sharing board, especially if you aren't a fan of béarnaise, which I find a rather acquired taste. But this is me being really picky about what was a lovely meal, with some good wine to wash it down with.
Breakfast was a rather basic affair, but it did what it said on the tin, with the likes of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, eggs Benedict, smoked haddock and porridge on the menu, along with cereal juice, toast, croissants and yogurts. We do breakfast really well in this country and I would have liked to see something a little different or innovative on the breakfast menu.
However, what we had was very nice, and the staff served it all with enormous smiles.
In conclusion
This hotel is full of character and friendly, accommodating staff. But for me, one the best things it has going for it is its amazing position in the heart of a gorgeous Cotswold town.
It is easily one of the best positioned hotels I have stayed in in this country, with gorgeous independent and boutique shops on the doorstep. It is also right at the heart of the North Cotswolds, with stunning scenery and accessiblity to many beautiful towns to visit, within a very short drive.
COTSWOLD FARM PARK
If you are visiting the area with kids I highly recommend a visit to this attraction. Adam Henson’s father, Joe Henson, founded Cotswold Farm Park in 1971 to help protect some rare breeds of farm animal. Together with Adam’s business partner Duncan, Adam has carried on running the atttraction, using a sustainable and authentic approach.
There are so many things to do at the farm, which is really smart and immaculately kept by the way. The animal barn is the place to spot new arrivals and special characters. In here is where any newborn piglets will usually stay, alongside donkey foals, calves and goat kids. Meet smaller animals in the discovery barn, where you can even watch the little chicks hatch! Or play to your heart’s content in the adventure barn with its indoor sandpit, traversing wall, soft play area and ride-on toys.
There is also a rare breeds trail where you move around a circuit of the paddocks so that you can meet a whole host of characterful animals. This is just a small snapshot of what you can expect at this delightful family attraction and I highly recommend a visit with your little people – ours had a great time
