Hotel Review by Wendy Ashworth, May 2009

Lords of the Manor, 4-star hotel in Upper Slaughter in the Cotswolds, England

In December 2008 Wendy and her husband Richard spent a weekend at the Lords of the Manor hotel in Upper Slaughter, in the Cotswolds (England).

Arrival at Lords of the Manor

Upon arrival we were greeted and welcomed most warmly and shown up to our room: Chadlington at the far end of the group of buildings that make up Lords of the Manor.

Andy, who I believe is a Butler, showed us to our room and then got us a tray to make our own tea and coffee complete with fresh milk and home made biscuits.

No nasty little cartons here, when you run out of milk just ring housekeeping and they will replenish it.

Rooms

Chadlington is a mid-priced “Manor” room both attractive and comfortable with a huge bed complete with an oversized headboard, beautiful linens and fabrics, a small table, two comfy armchairs, a desk and a state-of-the-art flat screen television. Lots of storage and good lighting are also provided, although the style of the furniture is best described as “eclectic”.

The room has a docking facility for your iPod as well as loan of such an item from reception, fully loaded with music should you so desire!

We were very comfortable here as the room was both private and quiet.

The small bathroom, tiled throughout in beautiful cream limestone, is also very attractive with an over the bath shower, lots of hot water and an abundance of the requisite soft and fluffy towels. Lighting and storage were good in this small space too. Toiletries by L’Occitane complete the scene here.

Our bed and bathroom was serviced to a very high standard twice a day.

Rooms and bathrooms have been refurbished recently and I particularly admired the owner’s eye for choosing a welcoming soft palette of greens, taupes and neutrals highlighted here and there, with a dash of red. The effect is soothing, and unfussy. A gallery of wall hangings of an eclectic mix added interest throughout the hotel.

Some very thoughtful touches such as fresh bottled water, a delicious local fruit cordial and a form for ordering early morning tea or coffee in our room really set the tone for our stay at Lords of the Manor.

Public Areas

After unpacking we went and sat by the fire in the bar and enjoyed light as feather scones for afternoon tea. The tea menu was magnificent with teas sourced from all over the world so it is a great opportunity to try something new.

There are several public rooms to choose from to sit in. A beautiful big drawing room had the best fire, but there are also several smaller rooms where you can choose to sit and play a good selection of board games or curl up with a book.

The hotel provides a good selection of books in the library as well as a few in the bedroom should you have forgotten your own.

Location

The hotel sits in beautiful parkland with its own gardens in the small village of Upper Slaughter, with many good walks from the doorstep.

Upper Slaughter is worthy of exploring as it is a village of quiet, hidden beauty, with the River Windrush flowing through and the beautiful church of St Peter with Saxon foundations.

Late Afternoon Wine Tasting

At 5:30pm we were invited to a wine tasting with Fabrice, head Sommelier, who is a fountain of knowledge and extremely hospitable. The whole exercise is to help you carefully select your wine for the evenings’ meal, but unfortunately we are unable to drink very much due to medications, but we did learn a little and highly recommend you go along should you be there on a Friday or Saturday evening at the right time.

Meals at the Hotel

Dinner in the calm and welcoming dining room was well orchestrated with only one glitch which meant I went without a starter as my fresh fruit platter, pre-requested had been forgotten. Desserts were a tour de force and dining here comes highly recommended. With advance notice most special diets can be catered for. I am pleased to report a complete absence of background music which is good judgment on the management’s behalf.

Breakfast was good enough but the service was somewhat haphazard on both mornings. As the quality of food is not at fault here it may be that the staff are inadequately briefed and or trained? The coffee was not good, particularly so the Italian varieties, espresso, etc so I suggest a Barista is employed to train staff accordingly! Likewise drinking chocolate which was also over priced at £5 per person.

Conclusions

Much the same can be said of The Lords of the Manor, it has its own quiet beauty thus allowing relaxation to come easily and naturally without the need for glamorous spas with their expensive treatments. Thankfully it is not chi chi or trendy, but it is truly welcoming and an ideal location for a few days relaxation.

With only 26 rooms staff are able to give you their full attention and it was delightful to be addressed by name by about 80% of those who spoke to us.

We hope to return soon to try out some of the walks from the doorstep.

Resources

• Lords of the Manor, 4-star hotel in Upper Slaughter in the Cotswolds, England
• Read more about Stow-on-the-Wold and the nearby villages on Cotswolder.

Photos by Richard Ashworth, taken December 2008