Whimsical Cotswold manor
Bold colors, checkerboard floors, and storybook whimsy bring Parisian energy to a grand 17th-century Italianate Cotswolds estate.
“You’ll see nods to the timeless storybook throughout rooms, where you’ll find bold colors and checkerboard accents.”
Where it shines
Remarkable
Checkerboard carpets, baldaquin beds, and glossy lacquer bring storybook whimsy to bedrooms.
What they say
One Michelin Key
Michelin
UK Readers' Choice Awards – The best hotels in the rest of the UK
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
Also in Wallpaper*.
One way or another, this well-loved country-house hotel now flies the flag of its French owners, as Cowley Manor Experimental.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Fifty-five acres of Victorian cascades, lakes, and parkland surround the estate, located just fifteen minutes from Regency Cheltenham.
The rooms
Baldaquin beds anchor bedrooms styled with blurred maple, verdigris accents, and checkerboard details, while larger suites open to lakeside terraces.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
A 17-metre slate-lined indoor pool looks onto the woods, beside a heated outdoor pool lined with sun loungers.
The spa and gym
Treatment rooms use Biologique Recherche and Oskia products, set alongside a gym, sauna, and hammam.
The Restaurant at Cowley Manor Experimental
Jackson Boxer oversees modern British cooking in a grand wood-panelled dining room with carved fireplaces.
the seductive, tactile mood-board of Paris-based interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon’s skilfully pairs whimsical touches … with large windows that frame the Arcadian gardens.
Bar
Experimental Cocktail Club Cotswolds
Glossy blue lacquer and walnut panelling frame the bar, which mixes botanical cocktails and martinis.
At the table
Quiet lounge corners with wood panelling and upholstered armchairs offer spaces for drinks throughout the day.
How it began
Dating to 1695, the historic manor house famously provided Lewis Carroll with the landscape that inspired Alice in Wonderland.
Good to know
Stay here
Cowley Manor Experimental
See rooms and prices on Expedia or Booking.com.
Add dates to see the price for your stay.
We may earn a commission when you book through Expedia or Booking.com. It never decides which hotels we include or how we rate them.
Cotswolds
More like this
Soho Farmhouse
“Pastoral members playground”
Bull Burford
“Subversive art clubhouse”
The Lygon Arms
“Seventeenth-century coaching inn”
The Pig-in the Cotswolds
“Arts-and-Crafts garden rectory”
Dormy House
“Cotswold spa farmhouse”
Foxhill Manor
“Cotswolds manor hideaway”
Calcot & Spa
“Rewilded Cotswolds hideaway”
Painswick Hotel
“Palladian hillside vicarage”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.