There are hotels – and, then, there are hotel resorts (or resort hotels), offering everything you might possibly want without leaving the compound and then a bit more besides.
Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire is firmly in the latter camp, with some 3,000 acres of prime Cotswolds parkland on its grand doorstep.
For those of us unaccustomed to opulence at every turn this lavish undertaking takes the gilded biscuit. First, there’s the long, sweeping drive; then bright young things in tweed insisting on parking your car and carrying your luggage, after which a welcoming committee of sorts makes it clear it’s OK to feel OK.
The neo-Jacobean stately pile (formerly Eynsham Hall hotel) was built in 1908 and over the years has been a maternity hospital and police training academy.
Sharan Pasricha and his wife Eiesha, daughter of Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal, took it over in 2017 and started to welcome guests late last year. But the massive Romanesque spa complex has just opened, plus padel courts, vast gym, axe throwing, archery, foraging, falconry, bike riding and even mini, electric Land Rovers for children, along with a kids’ club of the kind you might find in London’s Mayfair.
Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire, which is the Hotel Inspector’s favourite hotel in Britain
Estelle Manor is a neo-Jacobean stately pile (formerly Eynsham Hall hotel) which was built in 1908
The hotel has just opened its Romanesque spa complex
Something of a theme park you might think – but you’d be wrong. This is a layered triumph with no expense spared. There are 108 rooms of various shapes and sizes, some in the main house, others surrounding the kitchen garden and in the converted stables.
Ours, overlooking the terrace (love the parasols) and heated swimming pool, has a colonial edge to it, with four-poster bed, club chairs and sofas, exquisite antiques and wood panelling. It’s probably the nicest room I’ve ever stayed in – and the marble bathroom isn’t too shabby either.
Soho Farmhouse is nearby and there’s a member element here, too, albeit a pricey one (£3,600 per year, with a £500 joining fee), for which you have access to a special members area, including a Japanese restaurant and its own lively bar.
We eat spectacularly well in the Brasserie (we could have opted for the Chinese restaurant or the Glasshouse in the middle of the kitchen garden), although my wife thinks her steak is on the tough side – until a waiter politely points out that she is holding her knife with the blunted edge face down.
The high-ceilinged drawing room, which leads off the library, is a sensual feast. Its glamorous bar calls for a gimlet cocktail served in a beautiful glass. There’s arresting modern art – and a general sense that the Pasrichas (who own Gleneagles resort in Scotland and the Hoxton hotels) are setting a new benchmark for high-end hospitality.
It’s a given that deep pockets are required. Even if staying (and if not a member) you must pay £95 to enjoy a ‘thermal journey’ in the Romanesque Eynsham Baths, which features a huge tepidarium bathing hall and then a series of hot and (very) cold pools.
We stay as long as we possibly can, ending with a fabulous lunch in the Glasshouse. Going back down the drive and re-entering our normal orbit is not going to be fun.
Doubles from £450 b&b (estellemanor.com)
….and some other UK hotels to get the Inspector’s five star rating:
The Grove of Narberth, Molleston, Pembrokeshire
This fabulous family-run hotel sits in a dip behind a pond, surrounded by ancient woodland and sky-blue hydrangeas. There’s no ugly signage; no framed AA Rosette awards; no leaflets. Just a beautiful, somewhat quirky house, parts of which can be traced back to the 14th century. The restaurant has a Michelin star.
Doubles from £201, grovenarberth.co.uk
The Nici, Bournemouth, Dorset
Miami Beach comes to Bournemouth in the form of this chic hotel that’s just had £25 million lavished on it. Your spirits will soar on stepping into the sunny Art Deco-style lobby, with palm-themed art and fun touches such as a Playboy pinball machine and table football.
Opt for a seaview room and don’t miss the spa in the basement. The outdoor pool, flanked by cabanas, quality sun-loungers and sunken fire pits is as swanky as anything Miami can muster.
Doubles from £155, thenici.com
Wildhive Callow Hall, Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Following its opening two years ago, Wildhive Callow Hall, on the edge of the Peak District, has gained all sorts of plaudits. Rightly so. It’s bang on-trend, with Penny Morrison fabrics, Robert Kime wallpaper and Fermoie lampshades. The house dates back to the 1850s and the cedar tree near the front door is 800 years old. A fabulous glass box at the back of the building houses the bar and restaurant.
Doubles from £224, wildhive.uk
The Olive Branch, Clipsham, Rutland
Ben Jones, who has worked at both Hambleton Hall and Gravetye Manor, bought this closed pub in 1999 and then acquired the pretty little house opposite where there are now six bedrooms. The atmosphere is inviting (Ben’s father used to be in the antiques trade), the food utterly delicious. A perfect stay. Terrific value for money.
Doubles from £175, theolivebranchpub.com
The Bell, Charlbury, Oxfordshire
It’s easy to mock Lord and Lady Bamford’s expanding Daylesford empire — but this latest revamped pub with 12 rooms won’t disappoint. Every nook and cranny works. There are at least three crackling open fires; the wood panelling and artwork (including a wall of pressed flowers and herbs) have a sense of belonging; the staff are all friendly. the food is fabulous.
Doubles from £176, thebellatcharlbury.com
Lime Tree Hotel, Ebury St, London
This exceptional B&B in a double-fronted Belgravia house is one of London’s best-kept secrets. There are 27 rooms, all revamped within the past three years.
It has a private country house feel, with plush sofas, bright cushions and a pretty walled garden. All that’s missing is a golden retriever spread out in the hall. Breakfast is served in the Buttery next door, where residents get a 10 per cent discount.
Doubles from £220, limetreehotel.co.uk
Grantley Hall, Ripon, Yorkshire
This is an ongoing project of such lavishness (reportedly £100 million) that apparently house prices in the area have risen by 20 per cent. It’s glitzy, with five restaurants, including Shaun Rankin’s Michelin-star outlet; a nightclub; the swankiest of gyms (plus an underwater treadmill); a cryotherapy chamber; a motorsport simulator; a lifestyle consultant; an indoor/outdoor pool in the Three Graces Spa; a ‘snow room’; a gift shop; a Japanese garden and so on.
Doubles from £500, grantleyhall.co.uk
The Village Pub, Barnsley, Gloucestershire
The latest venture from The Pig group — and it’s a charmer. There are just six rooms (only one has a bath). It has exquisite antique and quirky furniture, with three fires, plus some outside space for al fresco dining. Look out for the high-backed wooden banquette at a table laid for six. Delightful staff. Excellent grub.
Doubles from £215 B&B, thepighotel.com
Locanda On The Weir, Porlock Weir, Somerset
There are only four rooms, three of which face the sea. The building is set back from the main drag, which draws visitors throughout the summer. It was bought six years ago by a former Italian city trader and his designer partner. Dinner is the big deal — fresh, creative and beautifully presented.
Doubles from £225, locandaontheweir.co.uk
Schloss Roxburghe, Kelso, Scotland
It looks like Balmoral from the outside, albeit with a huge newly built spa at the rear of the building. It used to be owned by the Duke of Roxburghe before being sold to a German company.
Fabulous rooms with high ceilings, antique furniture and two restaurants. Locals say some £50 million has been bumped into this resort hotel in the Scottish Borders. It shows.
Doubles from £194, schlosshotel-roxburghe.com
The Bottle & Glass Inn, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
This is a tiny thatched pub in the Chiltern Hills, which has been expanded to create a large eating area and three rooms in an adjoining building. You come here for the atmosphere and the food. Value for money, too.
Doubles from £120, bottleandglassinn.com
Middleton Lodge, Richmond, Yorkshire
A Georgian house designed by John Carr is the centrepiece, but there are rooms scattered about in the converted stables, dairy, orchard and wall garden. You’re minutes away from the A1(M) near Scotch Corner, but it feels like Provence.
The staff are cheerful; the food all locally sourced; the wines carefully chosen and fairly priced. Some rooms have their own wood-burners. Take a walk in the gardens before leaving.
Doubles from £245 b&b, middletonlodge.co.uk
The Lamb Inn, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire
Arriving here amid the chatter of happy diners dotted about in various nooks and crannies, with flagstone floors, a creaking bar and five understated rooms, is a life-enhancer. Good value, too. Two thirtysomethings, Peter and Tom, are in charge, offering a superb menu (don’t miss the anchovy toast). Antique furniture and sumptuous linen await when it’s time to say goodnight.
Doubles from £99, thelambshipton.com
Boys Hall, Ashford, Kent
Not the most salubrious of areas, but once you’re cocooned in this fabulous Jacobean house (built by Thomas and Margaret Boys in 1616), all is well.
Rooms are big and tasteful, some with freestanding baths. The restaurant is a barn-like conversion at the back with a vast fireplace. There are no TVs, apart from one in the pub, hidden away off the main hall.
Currently there are seven rooms, but more are planned — some in lodges in the garden.
Doubles from £180, boys-hall.com
Trewornan Manor, Wadebridge, Cornwall
This Grade II-listed manor near the spectacular North Cornish coast was in a terrible state when the owners bought it in 2014.
Today, it’s a terrific B&B, with a generosity of spirit (complimentary cakes at teatime), honesty bar and 25 acres of grounds. All rooms are named after beaches in the area. Not cheap but for ever cheerful.
Doubles from £180, trewornanmanor.co.uk
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