THE LOWDOWN

If boutique hotels in historic buildings are like travel catnip, then Hotel du Vin Cheltenham is hard to resist. Located in the cool Montpellier district, this 49-bed hotel was once two mansion houses built in the 1870s (we love the tall windows and stucco work) on one of the most elegant avenues in this pretty spa town.

A wide spiral staircase and crystal wine glass chandelier dominate the ground floor bar area, where you’ll find plenty of comfy sitting with slouchy leather chairs and 50 shades of beige décor. Parking is limited, but Cheltenham Spa railway station is a few miles west: about a 20-minute walk or a five-minute taxi ride. If you love shopping, you’re five minutes away from giving your credit card a workout. Or join a long line of health tourists and waft around the beautiful pleasure gardens.

THE VIBE

Hotel du Vin Cheltenham is stylish without being stuffy welcoming guests for food and drink, as well as cheeky overnighters. The Anglo-French decor sets the tone. By day, flooded with light from the floor to ceiling, by night the twinkly chandeliers and dramatic staircase creates the perfect backdrop for one of your Instagram squares. The bar area is open plan with sumptuous sofas and leather armchairs, but seek out the elegant private dining rooms for intimate date nights or celebrations.

Wine is the inspiration and there are plenty of reminders to sample the goods. From the impressive artwork to decorative nicknacks, there’s a nod to the hotel’s grape expectations and Cheltenham’s horse racing heritage. It may be a spa town but it’s also the home of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. In fact, book ‘The Sinners Enclosure’ – a private dining room with a rather saucy curtained mural. Fancy a peek? Think whips, silks and jockeys riding in every sense of the phrase. Saucy. 

SCOFF & QUAFF

The Bistro is based in a huge underground cellar and is a great example of modern classic French cookery. It’s relaxed atmosphere, extensive wine selection and glass wine-tasting room would appeal to informal diners and real wine enthusiasts. Dishes are a culinary entente cordiale of local and French produce bursting with flavour and flair.

Fans of French classics will love the moules marinière and French onion soup. But we went off-piste and kicked off with tiger prawns bathed in chilli, garlic and pastis butter, and ham hock and parsley terrine. We treated ourselves to the châteaubriand for two. It’s served on a rustic wooden board, with pommes frites and the choice of bearnaise or peppercorn sauce. So often steak can be a disappointment, but this was cooked to perfection, portions were generous and beautifully presented.

For pud? We flexed our elasticated pants to make room for a deliciously creamy crème brûlée and a rich, gooey chocolate pot. We may have also squeezed in a plate of Anglo-French cheeses and biscuits. No judging please. All in the name of French-Anglo relations.

When you’re a hotel with a passion for wine, the pressure is on. But it didn’t disappoint. The wine list offers 120 bottles to choose from. A who’s who of French reds and whites took centre stage; Bordeaux, Beaujolais and Pinot Noir to Muscadet, Chablis and Sancerre but if you wanted to explore the rest of the world you could take your pick from Italian Chianti, Californian Cabernet Sauvignon, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Spanish Verdejo to name just a few. Prices ranged from a very reasonable £23 Maison Rouge to an eye-watering £850 for a bottle of 1^st Cru Pauillac! 

PILLOW TALK

With 49 rooms, this Hotel du Vin feels intimate. Our oak-beamed Classic room was up in the eaves of the hotel. Loved the large, sumptuous bed and who can resist a deep roll-top bath – especially when the complimentary beauty products are all L’Occitane. Coffee addicts will appreciate the Nespresso machine. Surely no hotel room can be without one these days.

All in all, it felt private and tucked away from other guests. A place to put your feet up from a busy day of Cheltenham shopping before going down to dinner. We recommend booking a room with one of Hotel du Vin’s signature freestanding baths (or two) for a little extra luxury. Personally, I’d splash out on the Wairau River Suite for the 8ft four poster bed and, um, rocking horse – you can rock your way to the Gold Cup winners’ enclosure. 

OUT & ABOUT

Cheltenham Spa is best known for its Regency loveliness with grand tree-lined Promenades, pretty parks and swoon-worthy architecture, but this is a countryside-with-benefits kind of place. For starters it’s the town of festivals – Literature, is it’s most famous (6-15 Oct) – Hillary Clinton, Dawn French, Joan Collins, you name it headline here. There’s also the gee-gees of course, which during Gold Cup week (14-17 Mar) sees the town flooded with togged-up revellers. Not forgetting the Jazz Festival on 24 Apr-1 May, Science Festival on 6-11 June and and music fans should not miss the Cheltenham Music Festival from 8-15 July and the Insta-fabulous Paint Festival in July.

For shopping, Cheltenham’s de facto King’s Road is the Promenade where you can rifle through the rails of Toast, The White Company and Anthropologie. Make sure you swing by The Scandinavian Coffee Pod (behind the Promenade) for a caffeine and cool Scandi design fix. Or cocktails at The Clarence Social – a buzzy bar with Mad Men vibes. There are some beautiful gardens – Montpellier, Imperial and Pittville Park. All three served 18^th and 19^th century health tourists who came to take the waters and you can still taste it at the Town Hall and the majestic Pump Room in Pittville Park (warning: it tastes foul, so be prepared!). The stunning 1930s Sandford Parks Lido, is well worth a visit when temperatures head into double digits. It’s hard to believe it’s just five minutes’ from the centre. 

KID FRIENDLY?

Absolutely. Request an extra bed in your room (there’s an additional £30 charge per bed) but note only the larger rooms can accommodate them. The Bistro du Vin also offers a kids menu. But the hotel feels more cocktails than crayons.

DOG FRIENDLY?

Dogs can stay in pet-friendly rooms, for an additional fee. Just make sure you mention you are bringing fido when you book. They’re also welcome to curl up at your feet in all the public areas, except the restaurant.

ACCESSIBILITY

The restaurant and bars are fully accessible, but there’s only one disabled access room and parking is limited – so get in quick.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR: Fun, affordable weekends with the girls or flirty overnighters with your other half. There’s plenty of shopping, cocktails and culture! Its location makes it the perfect base for any of the Cheltenham Festivals.

NOT FOR: Design mavens seeking trendy interiors or wall to wall marble and brass, Hotel du Vin is a homage to classic styling, offering affordable luxury. 

THE DAMAGE: Our overnight stay was the Glorious Getaway package including Champagne, dinner, bed and Breakfast Du Vin from £185 (one room/two adults sharing). Starters in Bistro du Vin from £7.95, mains £12.95 (or from £32.95 for steak). Kids menu available. Well-behaved dogs over one-year-old may share their owner’s room for a charge of £20pn.

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Cheltenham, Parbola Road Cheltenham GL50 2AH. Tel: 01242 370584