This super cool Cotswolds hotel boasts a breathtaking pool and a menu by Jackson Boxer

Emilee Tombs checks into one of Gloucestershire’s most whimsical hotels, with impressive wellness facilities and a destination restaurant

Jun 26, 2026 - 21:15

0 18

This super cool Cotswolds hotel boasts a breathtaking pool and a menu by Jackson Boxer

This 300-year-old Cotswolds manor features the holy trinity of countryside hotel stays: incredible food, plush rooms and a fantastic spa

Location

Cowley Manor Experimental is set in the Cotswolds countryside, yet is only a 15-minute drive from the regency spa town of Cheltenham. Here, Cheltenham Spa train station connects to London Paddington, Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff Central and Manchester Piccadilly.

The quintessentially English villages of Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper Slaughter and Bibury – as well as the bustling market town Stow-on-the-Wold – are a mere 20 minutes away from the hotel.

Drive 50 minutes east and you’ll land at the Cotswolds hotspots of Soho Farmhouse, Chipping Norton, the Daylesford empire and Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm shop.

Read more: The best Cotswolds hotels

The vibe

Trendy London hotel transported to the countryside. An impressive tree-flanked driveway leads up to the 17th-century property, which sits above a lake within 55 acres of grade II-listed gardens. On site there is a lawn dotted with sun umbrellas, a woodland with a folly, a small church and a spa.

Cowley Manor Experimental sits in 55 acres of Grade II-listed gardens

Cowley Manor Experimental sits in 55 acres of Grade II-listed gardens (Mr Tripper)

While the exterior is the classic pale Cotswold stone, the interior is unexpectedly modern, with a rich colour palette, dark woodwork, organic-shaped furniture, rattan, fun decorative wallpaper and mood lighting.

There is a touch of Alice in Wonderland mischief woven into the design – think hidden doorways and geometric patterned headboards – a nod to the hotel’s most famous past guest, the author Lewis Carroll.

On my visit, the other guests were mainly young couples enjoying a romantic weekend away or a luxe babymoon.

Service

Reception staff were super friendly and helpful – changing restaurant reservation times minutes before we were due to sit down to dinner, suggesting walks in the grounds and booking taxis.

Bed and bath

The 36 rooms and suites are all individually decorated, with pillarbox red, plaster pink and forest green making regular appearances. Extremely comfortable Baldaquin beds are in every room.

One of the 36 eclectic rooms

One of the 36 eclectic rooms (Mr Tripper)

Some of the larger suites have outdoor space with deck chairs and tables, while treehouse rooms are spread across three floors and a mezzanine, which makes them ideal for a longer stay. All rooms have a well-stocked minibar, La Bruket toiletries and Nespresso coffee machines.

We stayed in a palatial 60-metre Cowley Manor Suite, with a four-poster bed, an enormous bathroom with a red lacquer bathtub and a large walk-in shower, his-and-hers sinks, and another stunning fireplace with checkerboard tiles.

Food and drink

London chef Jackson Boxer (of Brunswick House fame) designed the menu in the main restaurant, which features modern British cuisine with a French accent. Think caviar and crisps, pig head croquettes, seabass crudo and chateaubriand steak. My only complaint would be the design of the tables, which felt too low and small – an Alice in Wonderland quirk too far, perhaps?

The main restaurant has a menu by Jackson Boxer (Mr Tripper)

The bar is an excellent spot for a post-dinner cocktail, run with the same nouse as other Experimental Cocktail Club hotels and bars throughout the world, with creative and classic options. There is even a dedicated martini menu so you can suss out your favourite iteration – each one comes paired with a snack.

Facilities

The C-Side Spa (also open to non-hotel guests) is the hotel’s trump card. Wonderful, holistic massages and treatments are on offer with Biologique Recherche and Oskia natural, organic skincare products. A dedicated pregnancy massage menu is also available. My Oskia Revitalising Super-C facial left my skin looking refreshed and glowing.

C-Side spa has a 17 metre indoor pool

C-Side spa has a 17 metre indoor pool (Mr Tripper)

There is a 17 metre slate-lined indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame views of the woodland and give the impression that you are swimming in the middle of a forest. There is also a 15 metre outdoor pool and plush beds to lounge on. Unfortunately, the changing rooms let down the offering; these could have benefitted from more regular cleaning.

Beyond classic spa rituals, guests can book a Wim Hof cold water immersion and breathwork experience, which takes place in the estate’s chilly Victorian cascades, and there are other ad hoc experiences offered in the grounds of the hotel, such as Qigong, sound baths and summer pool parties with DJ sets.

Accessibility

There are two accessible ground floor rooms and most public areas on the ground floor are wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, the spa and pools are not.

Pet policy

Dogs and cats are allowed in rooms for a £25 per pet, per night fee, but are not accepted in the restaurant and bars.

Family-friendly?

There is little to keep tiny people entertained besides the alpacas that roam the grounds; however, cots are available on request, and my mini guest was given a toy, his own bath towel and baby-friendly organic bath products. Children are welcome in the spa between 8am and 11am, as well as from 3:30pm to 5pm.