Is This The Most Serene Spa Hotel In The Cotswolds?

With a new spa retreat, delicious food and wine, and acres of green space, Ellenborough Park in Gloucestershire is an oasis of calm. Margaret Hussey checks in.

Hotel Review: Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham

Sitting in an ice bath and feeling meditative, all was good with the world. I was sampling the delights of the new Spa Garden Retreat at Ellenborough Park in Cheltenham, a tucked away oasis, which as well as an ice bath, has a Scandi sauna, hot tub, loungers and a Taittinger yacht box – the only one on dry land.

Not that staying dry was on the cards here. After a swim in Ellenborough’s generously heated outdoor pool, I had pootled over to the retreat to heat up in the sauna, cool off in the ice bath and enjoy the bubbles – both alcoholic and foamy – in the jacuzzi.

Surrounded by nature, the Spa Garden Retreat can be hired exclusively for anything from just two people to bigger groups of up to 12 guests, and it’s perfect for either a romantic getaway or a break with friends.

It’s adjacent to Ellenborough’s indoor spa, which also has a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room as well as a host of treatments. I had the Elemis de-stress body ritual – the final stage in easing away any last vestiges of tension. Which is what Ellenborough is all about.

This 15th century manor house may look grand and imposing on the outside, but inside the warmth is as big as the roaring fire in the Great Hall. There are 61 rooms, all uniquely designed, with the comfiest beds, finest fabrics, plushest pillows and Noble Isle products, too. There’s also The Lodge, a private bolthole with its own garden, where you can enjoy a mix of self-catering and the chance to sample some of the delicious food from Ellenborough’s kitchens.

In The Restaurant, produce is as local as it can be with starters of a braised lamb shoulder tagine or cauliflower velouté and mains of Creedy Carver duck or roasted brill with saffron poached fennel. The passion fruit soufflé for dessert was a fantastic marriage of taste and engineering.

The Horse Box Brasserie is great for grazing with ciabatta sandwiches of grilled aubergine, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella or large plates of burgers and fish and chips.

While breakfast is a veritable help-yourself feast with muffins, pastries, and a huge and healthy assortment of nuts, seeds and fruit. There’s a Cotswold English breakfast with all the works on offer as well as simpler classics like boiled egg and soldiers.

And there’s even a doggie menu. Four-legged friends are welcome – even encouraged – to come and visit. There’s a paw spa, where they can be pampered, with dog shampoo on hand.

Ellenborough overlooks Cheltenham racecourse and you feel the equestrian history in the building’s bones in a subtle, not in-your-face way. There’s a private track leading to the racecourse.

You can borrow wellies and jackets from the Dubarry boot room, while outside in its 90 acres, there are swings for kids, big and small – I’ll admit I had a go on one. There’s also a huge outdoor chess board, very cute dining carriages and a Taittinger sun terrace and trailer bar.

Taittinger is the house Champagne here and head sommelier David Knipli is a fountain, or should that be vineyard, of knowledge. We tried its Brut reserve, Prestige Rosé and Nocturne Sec and even a fairly limited palate can taste the difference.

Ellenborough Park

We also tried our hand at chocolate making with local artisan company Cheltenham Chocolates. Tempering and decorating is a lot harder than it looks, and while proud of our finished products, we had an even greater respect for the time and attention it takes in crafting handmade chocolates.

It was just one of a few activities that Ellenborough can help with or recommend. Its Gloucestershire location means it is perfectly located to explore the Cotswolds, so we took a spin to the nearby Sudeley Castle, whose chatelaine for the last 50 years has been the hugely elegant and knowledgeable Lady Elizabeth Ashcombe. St Mary’s Chapel at Sudeley is the resting place of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII.

It is believed Katherine may have visited Ellenborough – a beautiful portrait of her graces the walls of The Great Hall. As well as being a queen and scholar, historians say Katherine loved fine dining, scented oils and merry making. How apt.

BOOK IT

Rooms at Ellenborough Park start from £269 per night for a double room on a B&B basis. Open access for the Spa Garden Retreat is £35pp for 60 minutes and exclusive use starts from £249 based on 90 minutes. ellenboroughpark.com