Boutique boltholes

Stylish Ingleside House in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, is spot-on if you want to check in and instantly feel like a film star. It offers 11-bedrooms brimming with cool design elements, sexy velvet furnishings and modern art. The acclaimed Barn Theatre is right next door, so you can pop in to see a show, or get dinner and cocktails in the award-winning Téatro restaurant.

Brand new to the Cotswolds in 2024, The Stroud Hotel is one of the hottest places to check in. This boutique hotel in a renovated Grade II listed house is co-owned by Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows (you’ll see him in the bar some nights) and his wife Steph. It has an excellent restaurant, live music nights and is right next to the train station, making it reachable from London Paddington in 1.5 hours.

The award-winning Wild Thyme and Honey in Glos is a boutique, rustic-chic retreat with plenty of polish. Expect dreamy beds, wooden floors, organic throws and Crittall-glass panelled wet-room or roll top baths, dine out on the fire pit terrace by the beautiful babbling brook.

Muddy’s top tip? Book into the No.3 London Road apartment which has its own private terrace with hot tub and sauna and private dressing room (ideal for after parties, darling).

Taking Cotswold chic to the next level, Thyme in the idyllic village of Southrop is an epicurean country-chic stay with a first-class restaurant and spa. Take the crunchy gravel pathway to your own private cottage, where the ‘botanically inspired’ bedrooms have the comfiest beds and a complimentary trug of goodies.

Into Oxfordshire, the clue’s in the name at Artist Residence near Witney – individually designed bedrooms adorned with limited edition art can be booked across the main farmhouse but also in outbuildings including a stable, barn and shepherd’s hut at the end of the herb garden. Its own Mason Arms pub will take you from morning coffee and breakfast right through to cocktails and seasonal upscale pub grub.

In Minchinhampton, the award-winning 18-room Burleigh Court Hotel is an intimate, Grade II-listed manor house with cracking views over the Golden Valley. The Burleigh Restaurant does amazing fine dining and cocktails, and try out the Wellness Garden, new for 2024, featuring an original Victorian plunge pool, sauna and hot tub.

Treehouses

What could possibly trump a sleepover in the Cotswold canopy? Not much we reckon. Rewild Things at Elmore Court in Glos is a totally enchanting place to recharge your batteries. Choose from six sustainably built treehouses which overlook the estate’s wild wetlands with its free ranging cattle and sheep.

Take a dip in an alfresco bath tub or head outside for some wild swimming in the treehouse lake. Take your pick from cabins called Earth, Wren, Adder, Wildcat, Sky or Kite, prices start from £250pn.

Back-to-nature boltholes with lashings of luxury is the ethos at The Fish Hotel in Broadway too. There are three treehouses here featuring an open-plan lounge and bedroom, along with a separate room with bunk beds for two children.

Outside on the deck it gets even better with two heated outdoor baths, fitted with an intercom, so you can lay back, relax and order room service – direct to your tub! – and for an extra thrill your abode is accessed via a rope bridge.

The seven contemporary treehouses on the Cornbury Estate are bonkers by design but super practical and cool inside (hand crafted furniture, smart TV, underfloor heating etc). TreeDwellers has five treehouses with one bedroom, which sleep up to three people, and two with two bedrooms, sleeping up to five.

Pubs with rooms

Fancy spending hazy summer days lounging at a charming honey-coloured inn with a beautiful beer garden? The Cotswolds invented it.

Try The Wild Rabbit and Plough in Kingham, two great rustic-chic country pubs with rooms that are oozing Daylesford luxe. Newer to the Bamford stable are The Three Horsehoes Pub in Asthall, with six simpler rustic style bedrooms, but chic none-the-less and The Bell at Charlbury with its 12 pretty rooms bedecked in. Just up the road in Ascott-under-Wychwood is The Swan, an 11-bed pub with rooms. Each bedroom is individually designed with signature fabric headboards, natty wallpapers and gorgeous Cotswolds views. Closer to Cheltenham, The Green Dragon Inn in Cockleford is an award-winning pub with rooms with an idyllic garden, beamed ceilings and stone flagged floors. The roasts here are fantastic if you’re rocking up for Sunday lunch.

The Double Red Duke at Clanfield near Bampton is another chi-chi destination pub, with drop dead gorgeous interiors that’ll have you planning a glow-up of your own bedroom once you’ve had an eyeful of the wallpaper prints and bold soft furnishings. Food-wise it’s all about flame-cooked seasonal food and artisan cocktails plus local brews.

The Frogmill in Shipton Oliffe, Glos, is a larger, popular family-friendly inn, and The Bear at Rodborough in Stroud is a top choice for walkers or dog-owners, set in the middle of the spectacular National Trust Rodborough Common with its roaming cattle and the famous Winstone’s ice-cream parlour.

Bull Burford (no ‘The’ just FYI) is a 16th Century former coaching inn that’s had quite the refurb following its purchase by PR guru, Matthew Freud. There’s 18 sumptuously designed suites in gorgeous earthy tones with contemporary artwork as standard (yes, that is a Hirst). Plus three restaurants and a terrace for cocktails and streetfood.

Purveyors of proverbial weekend-away catmint, The Pig, bought Cotswolds icon Barnsley House earlier this year and plans to re-open it soon, with The Village Pub, the chain’s first pub, opening in June. Previously it had six smart and stylish rooms above the flagstone floored gastropub, so we’re expecting something similar when it’s unveiled next month.

Finally, more a restaurant with rooms than a pub, The Bower House in Shipston on Stour in Warwickshire is a stunner of a Georgian Grade II property set right in the middle of town, with five bedrooms overlooking the bustling streets outside. It’s nestled firmly between the Cotswolds’ town of Chipping Norton and Warwickshire’s Stratford-upon-Avon, so plenty of beautiful places to explore.

Luxury hotels

The Cotswolds is a hotspot for luxury retreats, if you’re in search of a blissful five-star stay you won’t be disappointed.

Cowley Manor Experimental is a Regency country house set in 55 glorious acres of grounds. It recently had a multi-million pound makeover by swanky French interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon. See if you can spot the numerous nods to Lewis Carroll who was inspired to write Alice in Wonderland here! From chequerboard details and hidden keyholes to cool colour pops galore.

The all day restaurant here is one of the best in the Cotswolds, or chill out in the cocktail lounge with its blue lacquered bar tables. Feeling flush? Treat yourself to a stay in the largest suite in the Cotswolds with a wrap-around balcony, then stop by the C-Side spa to luxuriate in the dreamiest of pools.

Or, head to the the capital of the Cotswolds at the Kings Head Hotel. Located opposite the stunning honey-stoned church and central square in Cirencester with its regular Farmer’s Market, choose from 66 beautifully designed rooms or bliss out in the spa.

There’s a stylish restaurant to feast in, regular events and live music, and kids can stay free all year round (including breakfast and some special touches!). This hotel is brilliant base for touring around the area or a day trip to the nearby Cotswolds Country Park & Beach.

Another stunning option is The Slaughters Manor House, as quintessentially English as croquet on the lawn and afternoon tea (and yes, both available here). It sits in five acres of elegant honey stone splendour in Lower Slaughter, one of the Cotswolds’ loveliest villages, with beautifully-manicured lawn to the front and dovecote, tennis court and more gardens to the rear. You’re in ideal weekender territory here, with Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Moreton-in-Marsh all within striking distance.

You don’t have to be a member at Soho Farmhouse to be a guest, so hop on down to the members club near Tew and act like you own the place. Alongside the 114 stylish bedrooms and cabins, there’s a Cowshed spa and gym, a Wellness Barn for yoga, ice baths, Reformer PIlates and the like, and sunken hot tubs in the lake. You can also make like the locals and indulge in horse riding, clay-pigeon shooting and tennis.

Over in Broadway in Worcs, pay a pilgrimage to the famous Lygon Arms. This glamorous hotel has family-friendly courtyard suites, a stand-out spa and a stunning indoor pool. Or, just down the honey-coloured road, check into Dormy House on the lush Farncombe Estate – perched above Broadway this luxury getaway has breathtaking vistas to soak up with your morning coffee.

On the Wiltshire side of the Cotswolds, Muddy Award-winning The Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury is rumoured to be the oldest hotel in England. The hotel may be ancient, but its recent revamp has breathed new life into the place – and it’s seriously cool – expect elegantly eccentric interiors and and a Tiki Bar with monkey lights swinging from the rafters. This is a hotel that’s fun with an emphasis on the fabulous. The Manor House in Castle Combe is another historic beauty, with mullioned windows and stained glass and a seriously tasty Michelin star restaurant. The grounds (and golfing) are stellar, and you may recognise the village which has starred in Downton Abbey, Dr Dolittle and War Horse.

Glamping & Camping

Go off grid with a back-to-nature stay in the AONB. Far Peak in Northleach, Glos has quirky shepherd huts, tipi tents and eco-domes to book. The site has a 25ft climbing wall (if you’re brave enough, otherwise just send the kids up), bouldering walls and acres of outside space for den-making. Plus there’s a new ‘caving zone’ where they can have their own underground adventure.

Or, stay in a four person eco yurt in your own glade at Abbey Mead Farm in Cirencester – with the Organic Farm Shop next door doing amazing Sunday lunches for those home comforts.

If you’re going with the kids, Westmoor Farm near Bampton is a good bet – its woodland cabin, yurt and bell tent are all set up if you don’t have the gear, or there’s pitches for the happy campers. It’s also got a kids play area, go karts and plenty of riverside and woodland walks to keep you entertained.

Eco-lodges

Up the brag factor on your Cotswold getaway by booking a sustainble eco lodge. On the Cotswold fringes at Lower Mill Estate in Somerford Keynes, stay at one of the Grand Design-style eco properties (with private kayaks for the lake).

Cotswold Farm Park, owned by Countryfile celebrity farmer Adam Henson in Guiting Power has Moroccan-themed tents and a range of lovely eco-pods to stay in. Overlooking the rolling hills and animal paddocks, you’ll find yourself surrounded by breathtaking scenery at every turn, with the Farm Park right next door so it’s perfect for a family stay.

Outside you can enjoy a private deck overlooking the Cotswold countryside and all six lodges now have their own luxury wood-fired hot tub. You’ll want to make sure you visit the tourist-bucket list villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter just nearby too.

Self-catering stays

Did you know you can also check in to a cottage at the famous Daylesford Organic Farm. Choose from 32 restored cottages in and around the Farm, with dreamily Enid Blyton names such as Walnut Cottage and Quince Cottage. and of course You’ll have Daylesford farm shop and restaurants right on your doorstep and it’s a great base for touring the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds.

StayCotswold has more than 200 luxury holiday cottages to choose from if you fancy a DIY stay in a dreamy location. Whether you’re after a cosy romantic hideaway for two with a hot tub or a party pad for a large get-together, many of them are also pet-friendly.

The beautiful Flower Press in Bibury – named the ‘most beautiful village in Britain’ by William Morris – is spot on for a family get-together or check out The Cotswold Letting Agency in Burford, which offers short holiday lets all over the AONB or Cotswolds Hideaways which has a large selection of rustic boltholes.

For some waterside relaxation check into one of the serene stays at Cotswold Water Park Retreats, self-catering lodges that are dog-friendly, with hot tubs too.

Historic Houses

Love Bridgerton? You’ll be staring in your own episode if you book a stay at one of the region’s decadent country houses or castles.

On the edge of the South Cotswolds book a night at De Vere Torthworth Court for a really fancy pants getaway. One of England’s finest country mansions, bliss out in the 5 star spa or explore the 30-acre estate and Victorian arboretum, housing more than 300 plants and trees. Home to the Ducie family for 350 years this stunning stayover has had a multi-million pound restoration so it’s a historic getaway with 21st-century style touches.

New kid on the block in this part of the world is Estelle Manor, another member’s club with hotel, although that’s selling it horribly short. The uber secretive celeb hangout in the Grade II Listed former Eynsham Hall is a phones/social media free zone so the A Listers can frolic free from concern that they’ll end up on the pages of Hello. It’s got three restaurants, a bar, whopping Grecian style spa and bar with kick-ass cocktails as well as fabulously designed bedrooms with swathing Cotswolds views.

Minster Mill in Minster Lovell has just completed a refurb of its rooms, so now’s a good time to go. It’s a good one for celebrations and events, with its various event spaces, three AA rosette restaurant and pretty grounds with fishing, croquet and tennis, plus options like afternoon tea hampers to take onto the grounds, and a spa with three treatment rooms, indoor pool, rock sauna and steam room.