Name: Calcot Manor Hotel
Type: Hotel
Country: UK
Region: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Cost per night: Approx. £554 per night for a two bedroom ‘family room’, including breakfast
Facilities: Spa, outdoor and indoor pools, restaurant, kids creche
Tripadviser rating: 4.5
Today we bring you a guest blog by Vicky, mum of a boy and a girl aged 6 and 4, all about Calcot Manor Hotel in the Cotswolds.
“After a fabulous stay at Calcot Manor with my family of 4 in 2017, we were delighted to return again in October 2018 but this time with our extended family: 3 families compromising of 6 children in total (4 to 11 years) and also a set of grandparents.
For those who don’t know the hotel, Calcot Manor is a gorgeous country house and spa set in the heart of the Cotswolds and forms part of the Calcot Collection – a wonderful selection of luxury hotels and restaurants featuring the renowned Barnsley House. Calcot Manor is the “family-friendly” hotel among the group.
On our first visit, my husband and I immediately fell in love with Calcot Manor. Not only was there a genuinely warm welcome to us and our young children but we were struck by how beautiful and polished the interiors were and with all the stylish interior touches. They had also considered the children too with miniature classic cars scattered around the corridors for them to ride on. My son was sold!
On both occasions we stayed in a Family Room which meant my husband and I had a large, comfortable double room to ourselves (bliss!) and the children had a charming adjoining little bedroom [bunk beds on the first stay and single beds the next], equipped with gorgeous little armchairs – they felt so grown up! I always love to check out the toiletries stocked in the bathroom at hotels and was thrilled to discover a selection of Aromatherapy Associates and even a child-friendly bubble bath brand for the children.
There was plenty to keep the children amused within the hotel and my son and daughter really loved going to the Mez (the complimentary crèche for the younger children, there is also a fantastic one for older ones too). My children are usually fairly reluctant to go to kids’ clubs on holidays but my daughter couldn’t wait to go back. There was an excellent mixture of indoor and outdoor activities available and a full programme of events with a Halloween theme as we were staying at the end of October, to name but a few: Halloween cooking, pumpkin carving, woodland crafts, campfires, meet the owls – the list goes on.
The crèche also allowed my husband and I to enjoy some time together guilt-free. We indulged in a few glasses of bubbles in the stunning outdoor hot tub, complete with an amazing log-burning fire, which was total heaven and also coffee and newspapers on another occasion. I also had amazing treatments at the spa on both stays – I absolutely couldn’t pass up that opportunity!
We also had lots of quality time as a family as we took advantage of the other activities available: tennis, bike riding, the outdoor play area and the swimming pool. The indoor pool does operate restricted times for children (due to the spa) however we didn’t find that a problem. Furthermore, in the summer, there is a gorgeous outdoor pool which is available to families at all times.
We were also impressed with the dining options at Calcot and how accommodating they were with the children – separate menus, dining times (high-tea), cutlery & accessories etc. We loved the Gumstool Inn for informal dining; their calamari is one of the best we’ve tasted! On our second stay, we all used the babysitters recommended by Calcot in the evening and had some amazing aperitifs and a fantastic meal in The Conservatory.
In summary, I would highly recommend Calcot to families looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and wanting to recharge and make some wonderful family memories. Calcot is a one of a kind, luxury hotel that successfully puts families’ needs at the core of what they do without compromising on quality. We can’t wait to go back – we still have so much more to discover!”
Thank you Vicky so much for this very informative guest blog. Calcot sounds like a fabulous option for guilt-free family indulgence.. Definitely one for the bucket list x
Where To Stay With Kids 