Dormy House: This Cotswolds Hotel Is The Ultimate UK Honeymoon Spot

After a quintessential Cotswolds wedding, C&TH’s Ellie Smith stayed local for her honeymoon, soaking up the newlywed bliss in one of the UK’s most idyllic hotels, Dormy House.

Review: Honeymooning At Dormy House

However organised you’ve been throughout the planning process, there’s no avoiding the pure chaos that ensues in the weeks leading up to a wedding. Bills are piling up in your inbox, outfits are waiting to be picked up and questions are being fired left right and centre. For me, the stifling heatwave added a sticky new layer of stress to the situation as I frantically googled portable air conditioning units and my now-husband panic ordered batches of medical-grade deodorant. 

It’s enough to make you wonder why you ever decided to get married in the first place – but of course on the day the stresses quickly melt away. Nevertheless, when the wedding was over the exhaustion hit us like a tonne of bricks. We were in need of some serious R&R, and luckily we had booked the ideal place to do so: countryside retreat Dormy House. No long-haul flight needed, we simply drove ten minutes down the road, and flopped. 

Dormy House

STAY

Set within a 500-acre estate in between the chocolate-box towns of Broadway and Chipping Campden, Dormy House does a stellar job of combining that unrivalled Cotswolds cosiness with a touch of luxe. It’s designed as a home away from home – albeit an impeccably designed one. The hotel’s original function as a 17th century Victorian farmhouse dictates the cottagecore aesthetic, with roaring fireplaces, stone walls and wood panelling, but this is brought into the modern day with Scandi decor and quirky wallpaper patterns. 

There are 39 rooms and suites dotted across the hotel, spread across the main farmhouse, the courtyard and the lodge, all featuring unique designs. For those who really want to splash out, the suites are something special (some boasting their own hot tub), and The Studio Suite is a dream for music lovers, complete with its own drumkit, vinyl collection and turntable. 

We stayed in one of the Top-Notch Rooms, which are generously sized and feature four-poster beds, chandeliers and bathrooms decked out with rolltop baths and Temple Spa bath products. Ours also had a patio area complete with sun loungers – a nice touch for honeymooners after a bit of privacy. We spent a fair few hours lying horizontal in our gowns here, reminiscing on our wedding day with a drink in hand (the mini bar includes beers and MOTH cocktail cans).

EAT

Food is a big draw at Dormy House, with two restaurants to choose from: The Back Garden and MO, both well suited to couples. The former is open all day, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the kitchen garden where some ingredients are grown, bathing the space in natural light. It has a relaxed feel, with the menu centred around local, seasonal vegetables and high welfare rare-breed meats. There are dishes to suit all preferences and appetites: the courgette and basil risotto was delightfully fresh and perfect for a light main, while the steak and ale pie was suitably hearty, served with buttery mash and drizzled in a rich red wine sauce. Whatever you go for, save some space for the standout Baked Alaska dessert. 

Breakfast is also served here, featuring a buffet of fresh fruit, cereals and pastries, plus a Bloody Mary station, alongside made-to-order dishes such as poached eggs and avocado on toast, and fluffy stacks of pancakes.

For a chef’s table experience, head to MO, which serves an eight-course tasting menu for just 12 diners. Dishes change regularly, but it’s all about honouring hyper-seasonal ingredients: right now, that includes scallop with squid and lemongrass sauce, BBQ monkfish with cauliflower, and Hereford beef with maitake mushroom and black garlic. 

Be sure to stop by The Shed for a pre- or post-dinner tipple – on the terrace, if the weather plays ball. The Back Garden Bramble Spritz is a refreshing cocktail made with Italicus, prosecco and elderflower cordial, while the Toffee Affogato is well-suited to sweet-toothed diners after an extra treat. 

DO

Relaxation was our main goal so we spent the majority of the time lounging about the spa – and what a spa it is. There’s a sprawling 16m pool, an outdoor hydrotherapy pool and a thermal suite complete with a Himalayan salt sauna, steam room and snow shower, designed to create that tried-and-tested hot and cold therapy experience. Despite the hotel being nearly full, the spa never felt overly crowded, meaning we had the hot tub to ourselves on multiple occasions, adding to the honeymoon feel.

Of course, being located in one of the most sought-after parts of the UK, there’s plenty to explore nearby too. Broadway is a lovely place to stroll around, filled with pretty boutiques and cafes, and you’re just down the road from honeyed Bourton-on-the-Water, known as the Venice of the Cotswolds. We took a leisurely 30-minute stroll through the fields to Broadway Tower (donning our Muck Boots, which were helpfully placed in our room upon arrival), which offers beautiful views of the rolling landscape.

THE FINAL WORD

The facilities at Dormy House are second-to-none, but truly it was the service that stood out for us the most. From the moment we arrived, we felt genuinely looked after in a relaxed, informal way – and everyone who worked at the hotel was warm and friendly. 

For any nearlyweds searching for a post-wedding getaway that doesn’t require a long-haul fight, Dormy House is a romantic, tranquil place to recuperate and connect with your other half amid the most glorious of settings. The only hard part was leaving – but we vowed to return for our anniversary. It’s that kind of place.

BOOK IT:

Doubles from £309 per night, dormyhouse.co.uk