Hotel on the Park - Review

IT'S RATHER LIKE STAYING AT a private club at Hotel on the Park. Inside this handsome Regency villa with its grand staircase, opulent decor and gilded mirrors, there’s a gentle hush but none of the stuffiness that goes with it.

Classically furnished with a distinctly contemporary twist, Hotel on the Park has all the comforts of a fine period residence. Bold colours complement the Regency cornices, oil paintings and contempo-classic furniture. And with 12 extravagant bedrooms. a secluded suntrap garden and some utterly indulgent bathrooms, this place has plenty of extra fizz.

Hotel on the Park positively encourages bathtime before bedtime. Before sinking into your fabulous four-poster you can have a delicious soak in your free-standing bathtubs, or turn up the heat in your private aromatherapy steam room.

Baths and beds for every mood

Each bedroom at Hotel on the Park has a its own decorative theme, set off by eclectic artworks and objets d’art. All have a choice of late-night albums, and there's even a Bedtime Bear to snuggle up with should your darling decide to throw a huff.

The Josiah Strachan room comes with gold and black striped wallpaper and a state-of-the-art whirlpool bath. William Clifford is themed around the nearby racecourse while Richard Ware has a nautical Cape Cod feel. There’s a four-poster in The Duke of Wellington suite and even a massaging bed in The Thomas Phipps Thomas bedroom.

If your idea of heaven is bathtime rather than bedtime, this is the place for you. Hotel on the Park is big on bathrooms, and there are some fabulous ones to choose from.

Thomas Phipps Thomas has an aromatherapy / chromatherapy bath that lights up the water and releases aromatherapy oils to suit your mood. Joseph Pitt has a double whirlpool bath and a separate double power shower.

There are top of the range walk-in showers, and a signature infinity bath in Catherine Sinclair, where you can lie in the suds while water cascades over the top. What’s more, it's lit with rainbow colours and champagne-like bubbles lift you up as if you’re floating.

You could easily be forgiven for skipping dinner in favour of a long soak, but it's well worth dining downstairs. Smartly furnished Parker’s Brasserie is just the place to tuck into slow braised shank of Cotswold lamb while you admire a mural of Cheltenham’s famous Pump Room. The super efficient staff are always on hand to provide any other little treats you may fancy, from champagne and strawberries to afternoon tea.

Kenneth Branagh, Alan Rickman and the cast of Harry Potter have all checked into Hotel on the Park while filming. It's a great base for having a flutter at Cheltenham races or mellowing out in nearby Cotswold villages.

But then no one would blame you if you spent your entire break here in your bedroom. Room service, anyone?


Hotel on the Park was reviewed for Room for Romance by Tasha Munro