The first thing you should know about Ellenborough Park is that it’s posh – thoroughly posh, in all the ways you’d expect a stately country home bordering the Cheltenham Racecourse to be. There’s a boot room for renting Dubarry boots and wax jackets. Bookable activities include archery, polo, horseback riding and shooting. When the races are on, guests decked out in their finest tweeds and furs are chauffeured to the heart of the action in private luxury cars (it’s worth noting you can walk there in less than 20 minutes, but heels won’t do well with the mud).
A little hoity-toity maybe, but it’s all part of the fun of being here. When you stay in a fifteenth-century manor house, walking to your room means ducking under archways and tip-toeing along creaky floorboards in slightly wonky hallways. Gothic windows frame ridiculously idyllic views across manicured grounds and the Cotswolds hills (keep an eye out for deer). The floor and tables shake when someone walks across the restaurant. Ellenborough Park simply has character, even if that character wouldn’t be out of place in Saltburn.
The 61 rooms, unique in size and shape – some regal, others cosy and cottage-like – have been crafted with class by luxury interior designer Nina Campbell. Ours is one of the three Manor Suites, tastefully decorated with navy walls, mahogany Chippendale furniture and plump floral armchairs. Everything has the exceptional attention to detail you only get in really nice hotels: perfectly chopped cushions and fresh, crunchy linen bed sheets. There’s even an extra loo if one of you is taking too long in the roll-top tub.
I was smitten with little details like the floral Churchill crockery
Food is high-quality modern European and British classics: beef fillet and fancy fish and chips in the restaurant, smoked salmon sandwiches in the brasserie. But the restaurant is worth visiting more for its atmosphere than anything else. It’s beautiful, with wrap-around dark wood panelling and chandeliers, but despite its grandeur, it still feels laid-back and intimate, like all good restaurants should be. I was smitten with little details like the floral Churchill crockery and the make-your-own Virgin Mary station at breakfast.
My only complaint: the spa area could be a little more roomy. There’s just enough space between the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room for around four people to squeeze in and wait their turn. On a busy bank holiday weekend, compounded by a no-need-to-book system for guests, it’s all a little too close for comfort in there to fully relax. You’ll find some respite in the heated outdoor pool, mind you, and a new spa garden and lodge has recently opened to cater for private sessions.
Nearby
Walkers have the glorious Cotswolds countryside to explore, with the hotel sitting at the foot of Cleve Hill and staff on hand to lend you maps and wellies. Cheltenham town centre is twenty minutes away by car.
Time Out tip
If you’re wanting a ramble (what else would you be doing?), rent wellies from the boot room. They’re free!