Cotswold House Hotel & Spa

The setting, location, and staff already make a strong impression. Cotswold House Hotel is in what may be Chipping Campden's best position, with a beautiful historic building, spectacular gardens, and a genuinely lovely balcony room overlooking the grounds. The staff were consistently warm, professional, and keen to help. We enjoyed our visit and loved the room, but too many practical details fell short of what a hotel aiming to be the town's premium property should deliver. Our bathtub drain wouldn't seal properly and then took nearly an hour to empty. A maintenance visit didn't fix it. The room fridge also failed to keep drinks and medication properly cold. At checkout, we heard another guest mention refrigerator and phone problems in their room. Breakfast, which was included, was our biggest disappointment. We stopped eating it after the first couple of mornings, even though we'd paid for it. The coffee was poor both in the room and at breakfast, and the food felt functional rather than memorable. Tea wasn't replenished, and we were charged £7.50 for a very modest amount of ice. Those small things added to the feeling that guest comfort wasn't getting the same attention as the property's appearance. None of this ruined our stay, but the maintenance and day-to-day care need to match the hotel's setting and its position at the top end of the local market.

Breakfast the next morning was lovely, with attentive staff and good service. But the way the toiletries were handled completely spoiled what was meant to be a birthday break, and I won't return or recommend the hotel. After breakfast, while we were waiting for our spa treatments, the spa receptionist told us hotel reception had said to return the toiletries before leaving or face a £100.00 charge. I was astonished. We'd paid £350.00 for one night, bed and breakfast, and two treatments, and had already opened and used half the bottles, including shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion. I asked if she was joking, but she said we'd be charged if we didn't hand them back. Earlier, I'd discovered there were no toiletries in the bathroom when I went looking for soap. Reception then sent up a woman with assorted small bottles and two tiny bars of soap. I'd booked the overnight stay and spa treatments for my friend's birthday. The room looked a little tired but was comfortable, though there was crumbling plaster in the bathroom that needed repair. It had a deep bath with a step-over shower, despite my request for a walk-in shower when booking. My friend struggled to climb over the bath. When we called reception, they offered a room upgrade for another £40. We declined, as that felt excessive just to get a walk-in shower for one night, especially after paying £350.00. I've stayed in many hotels around the world and in this country, and have never experienced anything like this.

The village was a lovely place to wander around, with good pubs, restaurants and cafés nearby. We really enjoyed the dinner and breakfast, and the staff were so friendly. They also handled a few last-minute booking changes to make sure we were comfortable. The spa is small but has a lovely feel, and upgrading our room was well worth it.

We had another lovely two-night stay. Dawn deserves a special thank you for finding us such a nice room, and everyone on the team was lovely. The restaurant food was excellent too.