Cowley Manor Experimental

We spent our days hiking around the area, then came back each time to the manor’s luxury. The location is amazing, and both the indoor and outdoor pools are beautiful. Dinner at the restaurant was great. The cocktail bar was a real Experimental experience too, with a menu from the mixologists who were happy to cater to any request. Breakfast was a treat, though I did miss having some vegetables.

The rooms are spacious, the interior is quirky and modern, and I loved the bathroom. The grounds are beautiful too. We were there just before Christmas for a one-night special occasion stay, hoping for somewhere festive and lovely. The weather wasn’t on our side, but that wasn’t the hotel’s fault. The chocolates left in the room were delicious and a thoughtful touch. The spa was the main reason I booked, but it didn’t live up to the price. The outdoor pool was very cold even though it was advertised as heated. The indoor pool’s layout felt poorly thought through: you can go straight from the changing rooms into the water, which looks good in pictures but isn’t practical, or walk through the lobby and use a door into the pool area. The sauna was okay but unremarkable, and the steam room took ages to heat up. I’ve been to a lot of spa hotels, and my local gym’s sauna is better. Our room was cold, and turning up the heating didn’t seem to work. The bathroom was freezing. Since we were only there one night and arrived in the afternoon, we didn’t think it was worth raising, so we got changed quickly and headed to the spa. Breakfast came with the stay and was okay. It was a good visit overall, but for what I paid for one night, I expected a better experience.

The only real highlights were the reception staff and the sommelier in training at the restaurant. The outdoor pool area could be much nicer too, but it has only a few seats and small tables. It looks unattractive, and seeing it left this way feels lazy and sad. It says something about the owners’ attitude. The spa was packed with adults and kids, though it got quieter after 5pm. Service and the overall experience were mediocre for the high price. The bar shuts at 9pm, which doesn’t feel like a hotel experience, and the food menu was inaccurate. It’s a large hotel owned by a French hotel group, but this was just an expensive, average stay. I’d head to the Green Dragon pub down the road for a much better vibe. This hotel group seems to rely on customers who haven’t experienced a quality hotel break.

The bedroom wasn’t well soundproofed, so we often heard other people walking around loudly. There was also noise in the spa with children there. The buffet breakfast was okay, but not five-star, and neither were the decor and furniture. They felt oddly plastic and modern for a country house, and not five-star at all. There were some real positives for our birthday visit to Cowley Manor Experimental: the staff did their best to make the stay enjoyable, and we had a comfortable bed in a room with a terrace and a view. I liked the outdoor pool, and I had a really good, relaxing facial. Mixed feelings about the place.