Cosseting Luxury at Foxhill Manor – Review
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6 months ago
Your home-from-home for the weekend
A boutique Cotswolds hotel with a difference, Foxhill Manor has a dedicated team of staff to look after your every wish.
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Hotel Review: Foxhill Manor
Tucked into the rolling green fields of the 500-acre Farncombe Estate near Broadway, in the Cotswolds, is Foxhill Manor, a gorgeous, honey-stoned country house with just five rooms and three suites to choose from.
STAY
Foxhill Manor isn’t your average boutique hotel: think of it instead as a weekend at a country house, hosted by friendly faces who usher in a luxurious level of comfort, and who look after you with care and attention from start to finish. Its Full Fox package is a must to make the most of your stay here, offering lunch, dinner, unlimited house spirits, champagne and soft drinks, wine with dinner and full raiding rights of the pantry – the well-stocked treat cupboard on the first floor.
As soon as you pull into the fountain-decked driveway, you’re met with a cold glass of champagne and a charming welcome. A tour of the elegant, warmly furnished manor is next, as you’re shown all the spaces that are yours to call your own for the duration of your stay: the drawing room, with its roaring fire; packed drinks bar (with more champagne permanently on ice) and views over towards Broadway; the media room, with its cinema-style screen; and various secluded seating areas for reading, working or just meditating with an herbal tea. There’s also the wine cellar, yours to raid if you so wish, plus a sun trap of a terrace with more glorious views, and a secluded hot tub and sauna set apart from the house in an idyllic bluebell wood.
The final stop on the tour is your room or suite for the night. Each is individually designed and luxuriously comfortable, with unique details that give them character and warmth. Love a bath? Then Juniper, with its humongous double free-standing bath will have you splashing around happily for hours. After a cosy country cottage feel? Willow, with its floral wallpaper and traditional wrought iron king-size bed, expertly balances cute with chic. If you’re on your honeymoon, then it has to be the Oak suite, with its grand four-poster and twin baths.
EAT
During your stay at Foxhill Manor the talented kitchen team is also at your disposal. Want crunchy homemade granola for breakfast? Done. Oven-warm scones for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up? Already on the table. A midnight feast after a film in the media room? They’ll rustle you up a delicious and indulgent snack. Oh, and there’s no specific dining room – you’re free to eat wherever and whenever takes your fancy.
A visit to the chef before dinner is also essential, as he’ll talk you through the local, seasonal ingredients he has available that day; he then whips up a meal to your exact specifications. Whether it’s a mouthwatering burger oozing cheddar, or a Michelin-worthy fine dining experience, the Foxhill kitchen can make just about anything you’re craving.
DO
Relaxation is the name of the game at Foxhill Manor. Take an afternoon stroll along its nature trail, which loops around the estate, across green fields and pretty woodland, before watching the sunset from the privacy of its secluded hot tub – with a glass of champagne, of course.
Alternatively, you can catch a lift around the corner to Dormy House spa, which is fresh from a recent renovation. Here, you can swim lazy laps of its indoor pool, catch some rays in the terrace hydrotherapy pool, zone out in the thermal suite (with Himalayan salt sauna, steam room, rainforest shower, and icy snow shower) and book in for a rejuvenating body scrub, detoxifying facial, or soothing massage.
If you fancy something slightly more energetic, then the Farncombe Estate offers a range of activities for all levels, from clay pigeon shooting to falconry and axe throwing. Plus, the beautiful village of Broadway is just around the corner, perfect for an afternoon of meandering. Nearby is also the Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, where you can spot its giraffes, rhinos and lions, plus National Trust properties like Snowshill Manor and Gardens, and Hidcote to explore. The historic towns of Stratford-upon-Avon and Cheltenham are just 30-minute drives away, too.
THE FINAL WORD
If you’re looking for somewhere to really take a load off, and to have an expert team of staff take care of your every wish, then Foxhill Manor is the place for you. It’s like going to stay with old friends – if your friends have a glorious, honey-hued manor in the middle of the Cotswolds, that is. You’ll leave feeling relaxed, nourished, and inspired.
BOOK
The Full Fox package is from £895, based on two people sharing. foxhillmanor.com