Cotswolds Hotel & Spa

The changing rooms were fantastic, with lots of space for clothes, clean fluffy towels and warm showers. The golf course itself was stunning, one of the best I’ve played in the UK. I struggled a bit at the pro shop, though. As it was my first visit, a map on the back of the scorecard would have helped, and my golf app didn’t recognise the layout. I tried the hotel food too, a bacon and egg bap with chips and a beer for £18. That’s a lot, but it was okay, and there was plenty of bacon, which suited me.

The buffet supper was the weakest part of our two nights. It was served both evenings, and the food was below average at best. The dishes seemed like a random mix that didn’t go together, almost as if four cooks had each made something without coordinating. Breakfast was also mediocre: scrambled eggs were okay, the bacon average and the sausages below average, though there was plenty of toast, jam and other help-yourself options. We were a group of 12 staying at the Cotswolds Hotel & Spa hotel for three days of golf. The rooms were clean, with tea and coffee, a good shower and a TV. There’s no air conditioning, but opening the balcony window brought in plenty of fresh air. The beds were a bit firm for me, though otherwise comfortable. The course was good overall, even with some bald patches where players hadn’t replaced divots. Tee times were easy to get while we were there, especially in the mornings. The hotel is within easy reach of the rest of the Cotswolds, and there was plenty of parking. Very poor.

The staff were great, the rooms fine, and the location is ideal for lovely Chipping Norton. But the golf course condition spoiled the trip. There was so much fairway damage from traffic that we had to use preferred lies. The bunkers were worse: most had a hard, red clay-like surface, some had no more than half an inch of sand over hard clay, and a couple were full of stones. I know the answer is “don’t go in the bunkers,” but we had to allow free relief from them to keep the competition fair. Sadly, I wouldn’t come back here for golf.

The hotel was clean and well kept, and the staff were polite and professional the whole time. Its location also worked really well for us, with lots of lovely villages nearby to explore. Diddly Squat Farm is easy to visit, Chipping Norton is about a 30-minute walk away, and both the wildlife park and the Farmers Dog pub are around a 30-minute drive. We stayed three nights and had a fantastic experience. We’d recommend it.