The best hotels in the Cotswolds for budget-friendly breaks and affordable rooms

Independent

17-02-2025

Think ' Cotswolds ' and you might conjure up mental images of holidaying among softly rolling hills and green valleys, perhaps with woodsmoke curling over the honey-stoned manor house or country inn you're staying in. What you probably don't picture is a cheap and cheerful budget hotel – the Cotswolds is statistically one of the spendiest places to live in the UK and has been well-known as a postcard-worthy holiday destination for centuries.
But there's no need to spend a packet to rub shoulders with Taylor Swift, Kate Moss and other famous fans of the Cotswolds National Landscape if you're savvy enough to book one of these brilliant budget stays. These 12 hotels offer affordable yet cosy rooms in the Cotswolds that come complete with little luxuries and have beautiful places to explore right on the doorstep. We've included manor houses, ancient inns, spa stays and smart hotels in our roundup, and while many would make a treat weekend complete, they all come in at under £120 per night.
1. No.38 The Park hotel
Cheltenham
Call this posh Georgian townhouse your home from home or a night or two to explore the smart spa town of Cheltenham. Life at No.38 is easy – rooms are an artful mix of the old and the new, with nice touches like rolltop baths and espresso machines (and the hotel will upgrade you for free if something fancier is available). Check out is at the very civilized 1pm if you fancy a lie-in the day after sampling the seasonal menus whipped up downstairs.
2. De Vere Tortworth Court hotel
Tortworth
A spa break for under £100 per night? Pack your swimming costume for palatial Tortworth Court, near Wotton-under-Edge. This sprawling Victorian mansion boasts a beautiful atrium bar with soaring glass ceiling ideal for a cocktail or two, plus a small but pleasant spa complete with sauna, steam room, warm indoor pool and a gym. While the spa is a bit on the small and simple side, it's also far more affordable than most Cotswolds stays offering somewhere you can swim and steam.
3. De Vere Cotswold Water Park hotel
Cirencester
Man-made in the 1960s, Cotswold Water Park is now a haven for wildlife as well as for water lovers, who flock to these 180 lakes for a spot of wild swimming, walking or water sports. On the edge of Lake 6 is De Vere Cotswolds Water Park, which looks and feels far fancier than its modest price tag might suggest – this hotel on the waterfront features three restaurants, a spa and rooms with views of the lake, and the feel is airy and contemporary throughout. A great base for aquatic adventures.
Address: Lake, 6 Spine Road East, Cirencester GL7 5FP
4. The Porch House hotel
Stow-on-the-Wold
The Porch House reckons it's England's oldest inn, and while many establishments may vie for that title, parts of this hotel have been proven to date back to AD947, so it's the most likely contender. While prices per night have remained on the modest side at this hotel over the centuries, its 13 rooms have been gussied up more recently, and now feel modern and restful, while the cosy downstairs restaurant is all about fresh and local fare. Stow-on-the-Wold, one of the prettiest Cotswolds villages, is waiting to be explored out-of-doors.
5. The Z Hotel
Bath
The beautiful Georgian city of Bath, on the southern edge of the Cotswolds, is one of Britain's finest. Explore it from the Z Hotel, a very affordable and fuss-free base right in the heart of the action. While you may only head back to the Z to rest your head each night after trotting round the golden-hued Thermae Spa, Roman Baths, Assembly Rooms and myriad shops in the city centre, the Z's 149 bedrooms are sleek and comfortable, and family and accessible rooms are also available.
6. The Wheatsheaf Inn hotel
Northleach
This ivy-clad inn with rooms is informal and friendly but still makes sure all mod cons are present and correct. 14 bedrooms include luxe touches such as roll-top baths and have had modern makeovers exposing their original brickwork. The clubbable dining room is standout for tasty takes on old pub favourites and close by are some of the Cotswolds' prettiest corners, including Bibury, Broadway and Bourton-on-the-water. This might just be the perfect pub with rooms.
7. The Lion Inn hotel
Winchcombe
Pack your hiking boots for the town of Winchcombe, which claims the title of 'walking capital' of the Cotswolds with six long-distance paths passing through it (including The Cotswolds Way, St Kenelm's Way, Isbourne Way and the 42-mile Winchcombe Way). Rest your head – and legs – at this inviting 15th-century coaching inn in the middle of town, which boasts nine comfy bedrooms, great pub grub and pints of ale from owners Butcombe Brewery on tap. A cheery crowd-pleaser.
8. The Frogmill hotel
Shipton Oliffe
This stylish country pub's recipe of a warm welcome and a roaring fire feels like heaven on a chilly night – this is a good cosy base for a frosty winter weekender. Foodies will be happy here too – the menu celebrates local ingredients magic-ed into proper pub grub such as steak pies and braised lamb shank but there are also great options for veggies as well as hearty breakfasts. Even the tiniest rooms are a delight but if you can afford to, splash out on the Signature Room complete with vaulted ceiling and private roof terrace.
9. The Bell Inn hotel
Langford
Roaring fires – tick. Beamed ceilings – tick. Cosy stone-flagged restaurant serving comfort food and flagons of ale – tick. The 16th-century Bell Inn is everything we'd look for in a lovely pub, with the bonus of eight small bedrooms tucked away upstairs. The rooms are sweet, if on the basic side, but the food and snug seats by the fire downstairs are outstanding. Come for a roast and stay the night because you're too full to move, then explore the medieval town of Burford the next day.
Address: The Bell Inn, Langford GL7 3LF
10. The Bell at Stow hotel
Stow on the Wold
Head to peaceful Stow-on-the-Wold to seek out The Bell (not to be confused with the Bell in Langford, above), a country pub with rooms where beamed ceilings and flagstone floors will make you feel like you've stepped into past times. The 14 boutique-y bedrooms upstairs are pleasingly modern, however - the affordable 'cosy' rooms are snug but smart in velvet hues and start at £83, and the boutique and bigger boutique bedrooms, from £116, are positively luxurious. The bar's cask ales are just what the doctor ordered after a stomp through the Cotswolds.
11. Ingleside House hotel
Cirencester
Intimate, inviting Ingleside sits at the pricier end of our best budget picks, but we think it's well worth the extra pennies. This boutique hotel is on the edge of charming Cirencester, and the town centre and miles of walking in leafy Cirencester Park are all within easy reach of its front door. Chill out after all that exploring in one of 11 unique bedrooms or pop downstairs for cocktails or supper in the flamboyant Teatro restaurant, which comes complete with a piano bar.
12. The Hare & Hounds hotel
Westonbirt
At £121 a night the Hare is just a smidge over our top price for a budget hotel, but we reckon this sprawling hotel is worth including. Its location, right next to Westonbirt Arboretum and close to the antique-y delights of Tetbury, is a brilliant base for the Cotswolds and 42 bedrooms are simple and soothing (Magnolia and Gamekeeper have their own hot tubs in the garden if you fancy splashing out). Dogs are very welcome too, with good walkies in the hotel's own acres of gardens.