Deep in the Cotswolds, I found the hotel of every history lover's dreams
Metro checks in to Ellenborough Park, a history lover's dream hotel with an elegant spa in the Cotswolds.
Dusk light pours through the stained glass windows into the lavish wood-panelled room, as a sommelier tops up my champagne flute.
I take a bite of my smoked salmon blini with Oscietra caviar, all while a crackling fireplace roars nearby.
I'm at a Taittinger tasting in the Great Hall of Ellenborough Park in the Cotswolds, a 15th-century manor house turned five-star hotel at the foot of Cleeve Hill with history in every corner. It's a stone's throw away from Cheltenham Racecourse; you can see the tips of the iconic white tents through the window.
I'm suited and booted under high ceilings and chandeliers, as portraits of Catherine Parr – the sixth, and last, wife of King Henry VIII – and Richard Sackville stare me down.
I have never felt so bougie.
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Getting to Ellenborough Park from London is a breeze – a two-hour train from Paddington to Cheltenham Spa, then about 20 minutes in a taxi. Alternatively, it's a two-and-a-half hour drive from London.
Originally constructed in 1485 as a humble home to local farmer Thomas Goodman, the manor went on to host King George III and later became a girls' boarding school, before transforming into a hotel in 1973.
After closing for a major renovation in 2008, it was restored to its original glory and expanded to 90 acres.
Today, there are 61 rooms and suites on offer (including converted stables) all complete with modern amenities and ensuite bathrooms with roll-top baths.
During my tour of the grounds, I'm told it's a popular wedding destination – I can see why. The Old Chapel can hold up to 120 guests and there are versatile events spaces, including bright, leafy areas under the Decar Pavilions.
Throughout my stay, friendly and attentive staff are happy to guide me through the snaking hallways that I get lost in on more than one occasion.
There's even more history on Ellenborough Park's doorstep, too. A short 10-minute taxi takes me to Sudeley castle.
Owned and maintained by Lady Ashcombe, it's most famous for being the lost burial site of Catherine Parr (sensing a common thread here?).
After the monarch's death, she married Thomas Seymour (the brother of Jane Seymour – Henry's third wife) and moved to Sudeley Castle, where she had her first child, Mary. Sadly, she died after complications from childbirth and was buried in the private church on the castle grounds.
Walking through the castle and elaborate gardens (with a collection of Six The Musical songs playing on a loop in my head), I marvel at the history before me.
After my private tour (£40, I'm lucky enough to have tea and scones with Lady Ashcombe herself and her two curious dogs.
The crown and jewel of Ellenborough Park is its new Scandinavian-designed Spa Garden Retreat (from £35 per person for 60 minutes).
Tucked away in a secluded, cobbled area of the 90-acre grounds, it's the perfect place to sweat it out in the sauna, plunge into the ice bath, and relax in the hot tub under the glass pergola.
I can't refuse a glass of champagne while another form of bubbles from the jacuzzi jets swirl around me.
In one of the spa's six treatment rooms, I opt for a 50-minute traditional Swedish massage and spend every second of it melting into the table, as a piano version of Sting's Fields of Gold plays softly in the background.
Afterwards, I take a dip in the outdoor heated pool (which averages between 28 and 30 degrees) and recline on a lounger in the sun.
There is even a dog spa, which I don't personally try but have heard it gets a real round of a paws. Sorry.
If there's such a thing as too much relaxation, you can get your sweat on at the gym. Or rent a pair of Dubarry boots to go for a hike around the countryside.
The hotel also offers unique experiences, including chocolate-making workshops with Cheltenham Chocolates (starting from £70) or the aforementioned Taittinger tastings (£55) with an in-house sommelier.
If I had more time, I'd spend all day in the spa – the perfect little staycation.
Ellenborough Park has two restaurant options, including the Horse Box Brasserie (open from 12:30pm to 9pm daily) and the main restaurant in the lavishly-decorated dining room.
The latter showcases the original features of the former stately home, with stained-glass windows, wood panelling and a carved fireplace. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJCYoWJOurz/?hl=en
At the Horse Box Brasserie, I try a decadent charcuterie board (£35 per head) and a delightfully refreshing aperol spritz.
But the real show-stopper is in the main restaurant's dinner menu – specifically the king prawns with chorizo starter and the roasted Creedy Carver duck breast and confit leg (£34) as a main. All with free-flowing bubbles too.
For dessert, the fluffy passionfruit souffle with mango iced parfait is deliciously light, while the first crack of the cinnamon creme brulee triumphantly echoes around the room.
I swear I can still hear it the next morning during the buffet breakfast in the same spot.
During spring and summer, I'm told alfresco dining is available in the quirky carriages on the hotel's front lawn.
Walking through a tour of the grounds and some of the suites, it's clear that every room is unique.
The overall vibe is affluent country chic: floral wallpaper, rustic wood beams, ottoman boxes at the end of four-poster beds.
My room is at the top of a spiral staircase in a flagpole tower. As soon as I enter, I clock the bathtub in the corner of the living room, right next to the bed and TV.
I can see everything from the window – the heated pool, gym, garden, and Cheltenham Racecourse in the distance. More Trending
I can also make out the Lodge, which is a self-contained one-bedroom bolthole with a cosy sitting room, wood burner, fully-equipped kitchen, private garden, dining area, and an outdoor swing.
For a prime Cotswolds location dripping in history, Ellenborough Park room rates start from £269 per night for a double room on a B&B basis.
Train tickets from London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa start at £70.90 for a super off-peak return journey.
James Besanvalle was a guest of Ellenborough Park Hotel.
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