When it comes to luxurious staycations and last-minute weekend getaways, the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire is an enticing choice that will tick all of the boxes for most. Steeped in rich history and with a packed calendar of cultural and sporting events, it enjoys a vibrant music scene, a tempting array of fine dining restaurants and stylish bars, and offers excellent opportunities for high-end shopping.
The question is, where to stay? And the answer is an easy one. Hotel du Vin Cheltenham is situated on a wide, quiet avenue in the town’s sophisticated Montpellier district, next to part of Cheltenham Ladies’ College and very close to the heart of town. It’s conveniently placed at only a five-minute walk from the stylish shops and designer boutiques of the Promenade, and Montpellier’s many elegant restaurants and wine bars. Cheltenham Spa railway station is a few miles from the hotel, about a 20-minute walk or a five-minute taxi ride.
This upmarket hotel brand was founded in Winchester, Hampshire in 1994 by Gerard Basset and Robin Hutson, who had both previously worked at the super lux Chewton Glen hotel where Basset was the head sommelier and Hutson the managing director. The name “Hotel du Vin” was a reference to Basset’s wine expertise. At the time, Basset was a master sommelier, and later, in 1998, went on to become a Master of Wine. KSL Capital Partners purchased the Hotel du Vin chain in 2013, before selling it to Frasers Hospitality for £363m in 2015.
Hotel du Vin operate nineteen hotels across the UK, primarily in university locations and cathedral cities including Exeter, Brighton, Henley-on-Thames and Tunbridge Wells.
Hotel
The hotel is made up of two mansions that were built in the 1870s and have been joined together. They still feature large windows to allow in plenty of natural light and create a sense of spaciousness throughout the hotel and its rooms, with an informal bar area on the ground floor that feels rather like a club lounge, with an impressive spiral staircase leading off upstairs. Featuring comfortable leather chairs and a dramatic chandelier, it’s a great space that sets the tone for what’s to come – and, just as the hotel’s name was inspired by wine, so, too, is much of the décor. There’s also a nod or two to Cheltenham’s long-standing association with horse racing (the Gold Cup – one of the most iconic events of the British sporting calendar – takes place at the town’s racecourse in March each year and attracts visitors and racing enthusiasts from far and wide).
A stylish boutique hotel offering a quintessential English experience, it’s full of charm and elegance in a finely re-devised old building. As you’d expect of a Hotel du Vin property, good food and an impressive variety of wines are offered as standard.
Rooms and suites
The guest rooms have been newly renovated to celebrate English Heritage style but also capture the rustic allure of country living. Decoupage wall coverings bearing antique prints with tapestries of insect and bird life, as well as the rich flora and fauna of the British Isles, are present throughout, with some rooms also featuring a contemporary interpretation of the famous flying ducks by Mulberry Home.
Upholstered headboard by Colefax and Fowler, and refurbished bathrooms with rustic tiles from Solus Ceramics all add to the sense of old-world charm that is combined expertly with contemporary luxury.
The theme of wine isn’t limited to the downstairs areas of the hotel, with all rooms also named after wines. I stayed in the Hartenberg room; a newly renovated junior suite boasting a huge super king size bed with plush bedding and a stylish headboard by Colefax and Fowler, a cosy seating area with a desk chair and ottoman sofa, and an LCD TV. Luxurious extras like the Nespresso coffee machine and robe and slippers combo ensure that you feel instantly at home and ready to kick back and relax.
In the bathroom, which featured rustic tiles from Solus Ceramics, there was an opulent free-standing cast iron roll-top bath (some rooms have them in the bedrooms, and in certain cases, there are two!) and a spacious walk-in monsoon shower – which was a real highlight and one of the best I’ve experienced in a long time.
Food and drink
The hotel’s Bistro du Vin is set in a large lower-ground floor dining room and serves classical French dishes with a modern British twist, from a menu designed by chef director Matt Powell. Again, the space combines elements of contemporary and traditional design to create an elegant and sophisticated space in which to enjoy its heart-warming food, all of which is based around quality artisan ingredients.
There’s a combination of classic dishes and seasonal specials to choose from, with something to suit every taste. I enjoyed the tiger prawns with chilli, garlic and pastis butter, aioli dip for starter – the prawns were large, juicy and perfectly cooked; very strong on the garlic front, with a nice touch of heat from the chilli, making for a really enjoyable dish and a great way to start the meal.
For mains, the rib-eye steak was a real show-stopper, and a dish I’d order again and again. 28 day aged and generously marbled for intense flavour, it was succulent, juicy and best served medium rare of course – which is how I opted to have mine, along with a light yet satisfying side of a house salad and some glazed carrots.
A great steak deserves to be washed down with a great wine, and the BEAUJOLAIS Château de Belleverne, Chénas, France was just the ticket. A medium bodied wine full of flavour but also quite easy drinking, it complemented the dish without overpowering it, making for the perfect pairing. A sommelier was on hand to help me make the choice from the selection of more than 400 wines on offer – a decent selection of which is offered by the glass if you don’t fancy going for a whole bottle. Despite being young, he really knew his stuff, which was rather impressive, and his passion for them really came across.
For dessert, I opted for the classic apple tarte tatin, which was served with vanilla ice cream. The crunch of the pastry, the tartness of the apple and the creaminess of the ice cream was the perfect combination, and one that never fails.
Breakfast is also served in the dining room, and is a buffet spread of juices, granola, pastries and more, with cooked options including a Full English, Eggs Benedict, oak-smoked salmon and avocado on toast.
And of course, there’s also the relaxed and informal bar for pre- or post-dinner drinks should the mood strike, with a wide variety of wines, beers, ales and spirits to choose from throughout the day and evening.
To do
Cheltenham is home to a wide variety of designer shops and boutiques, so if you’re a fan of high-end shopping then you’ve come to the right place. As we’ve touched upon, the Promenade is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the hotel, where you’ll find the best of them, and with the sophisticated restaurants and wine bars of Montpellier right on your doorstep, you’re perfectly located for exploring the town’s thriving food and drink scene.
The Everyman Theatre is only slightly further afield, and reachable in around ten minutes on foot. With a variety of shows taking place here throughout the year, there will almost certainly be something on worth seeing – and the Cheltenham Town Hall hosts numerous high-level music and comedy events, so be sure to check the line-up during your visit.
Pittville Park is the perfect place for a scenic stroll – just jump in the car, and in ten minutes, you’ll be meandering through its manicured green spaces, which come alive with picnickers during the spring and summer, and taking in picturesque views over its lakes. The park is also home to the historic Pitville Pump Room, the last and largest of the spa buildings to be built in Cheltenham (and one of the reasons it is considered a spa town). Through its rich and varied history the iconic pump room has been an entertainment venue, hosted Royalty and housed American GIs during the Second World War after the US entered the war in 1942
As we’ve touched upon, the Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place here each March, but it isn’t the only notable event on the town’s calendar. The famous Cheltenham Jazz Festival happens in April or May, the Wychwood Music Festival and Cheltenham Music Festival are in June and July respectively, and the well-respected Cheltenham Literary Festival takes place in October, all on an annual basis. So, if you’re looking for a culture-packed destination for your next UK staycation, then look no further, because this place really does have it all.
In a nutshell
A luxurious boutique hotel offering a quintessentially British experience in one of the UK’s most vibrant and culturally rich spa towns, the Hotel du Vin Cheltenham is the perfect place for a luxurious weekend getaway.
Factbox
Double rooms from £105 (room only). Bed and breakfast rates from £135. Free Wi-Fi.
Address: Parabola Rd, Cheltenham GL50 3AH
Phone: 0844 736 4254
Website: hotelduvin.com/locations/cheltenham/
All imagery unless stated otherwise credit: Hotel du Vin Cheltenham
