The Cotswolds is the kind of place that looks exactly like you imagine it will, and somehow still surprises you when you get there. Honey-colored stone villages, green hills, pubs that have been serving locals for centuries. It's reliably beautiful and genuinely relaxing — and the hotel scene has quietly become one of the best in England.
Last visited: July 2025
Where to Stay
Wild Rabbit / Daylesford
Kingham, Oxfordshire
The Wild Rabbit is the hotel arm of Daylesford Organic — the beloved farm shop and estate that defines a certain kind of Cotswolds life. The hotel itself is lovely, but what makes this one special is the option to rent small private homes tucked into quiet nearby villages. For couples who want their own front door, or families and groups who want real space, this is a rare and excellent option.
Great for: couples, families, groups. Hotel rooms and private village homes.
Estelle Manor
Eynsham, Oxfordshire
A beautiful estate hotel and private members club that sits at the very top end of the Cotswolds market. Worth every penny for a couples' long weekend — the kind of place where you arrive and immediately don't want to leave.
Great for: couples. Top of the price range, but worth it.
The Pig in the Cotswolds
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Part of the much-loved PIG group, whose ethos — local produce, kitchen gardens, unfussy luxury — translates beautifully to the Cotswolds setting. If you've stayed at any other PIG property you know what you're getting. If you haven't, this is a great place to start.
Great for: couples, small families.
Calcot & Spa
Tetbury, Gloucestershire
A spa hotel that has quietly become one of the best options in England for families traveling with young children. Family suites come with bunk beds for the kids, and — crucially — include around five hours of daily childcare for guests in those rooms. For parents who want a real break while still bringing the whole family, there aren't many better options anywhere.
Great for: families with young children. Includes daily childcare for family suite guests.
Where to Eat
The Fox at Oddington
Oddington, near Stow-on-the-Wold
A proper village pub in Oddington, a small and beautiful village just outside Stow-on-the-Wold and near Daylesford. Exactly what a Cotswolds pub should be — great food, real atmosphere, no tourist trap energy. The kind of place you'd be happy to walk to from your hotel and find yourself staying longer than planned.
The Kingham Plough
Kingham, near Chipping Norton
A very solid village pub in Kingham, close to the Wild Rabbit. It has a few rooms, but this is really about the food and the atmosphere — a reliably excellent local with none of the self-consciousness that sometimes creeps into Cotswolds dining.
Cotswold Ice Creams
Bourton-on-the-Water
A little peddle cart by the stream in Bourton-on-the-Water. Not fine dining — just genuinely great ice cream in one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. Perfect for a slow afternoon stroll.