Hotel reviews: The Painswick and Barnsley House
Last weekend I headed back to The Cotswolds with my friend Morena (if you didn’t already know, it’s one of my favourite parts of the UK!) to visit two boutique hotels that I have been wanting to stay at for a while. Both The Painswick and Barnsley House are part of the luxurious Calcot Collection (a trio of hotels also including sister hotel Calcot & Spa), located in the Gloucestershire part of The Cotswolds. Read on for reviews of both beautiful properties below.
The Painswick
First impressions: 4/5
Situated in the heart of Painswick, a beautiful and quiet town in the heart of Gloucestershire, The Painswick is a stunning Cotswolds house that has been converted into a sixteen bedroom boutique hotel. With its honey-coloured hues and sweeping views, first impressions when arriving at the property are incredibly positive. Step inside, and you’ll discover plush interiors with a modern theme: the main restaurant has a smart-casual feel with slick surfaces and bold pops of colour; there’s also a cosy drawing room where you can choose to eat breakfast or afternoon tea. Upstairs there’s a cosy bar and lounge area with sofas and a roaring fireplace: the overall atmosphere is sociable and communal. Whilst we were staying here, there were quite a few families and the hotel was at full occupancy, but it never felt too busy or crammed.
Other than George’s Suite, rooms in the hotel vary in size and are aptly named ‘Small’, ‘Medium,’ ‘Big, and ‘Bigger.’ Our room was one of the largest in the house, featuring a king-size bed, sofa, and desk area - featuring elegant fabrics and a muted colour scheme, with touches of lilac running throughout, the bedroom was immediately welcoming and cosy. Add to this, there were also home baked chocolate chip cookies waiting for us upon arrival, as well as beautiful views over the surrounding hills and town - meanwhile, the bathroom featured a generous walk-in shower, freestanding bathtub, and Ren toiletries.
One of the hotel’s most impressive features is also its stunning garden, which offers direct views across the surrounding hills. With its sweeping lawn, featuring outdoor tables to socialise and sun loungers to relax on, it certainly makes an idyllic location to escape to.
To do: 3/5
The Painswick is the type of property you visit to relax and unwind, which is just what we were looking for - when the weather is good, guests can relax on the sun loungers outside, or curl up with a book in the lounge next to the fireplace. After exploring the beautiful village of Painswick, head to the nearby Rococo Gardens, which are beautiful - just make sure to book in advance as they’re currently limiting time slots during Covid. As the hotel is fairly boutique, it doesn’t have facilities such as a pool, gym or spa, but its luxurious bedrooms and restaurant (which acts as the beating hub of the hotel) are perfectly formed.
Food and drink: 4/5
The casual dining area is where guests gather for a three-course dinner in the evenings. During our stay here, our favourite dishes that we enjoyed were the delicious homemade herb gnocchi with burrata, chilli, and tenderstem broccoli, as well as desserts such as the delicate strawberry meringue, and indulgent chocolate fondant: each course was as flawless as the next.
Breakfast is a more casual affair: choose one of the tables in the lounge for views over the village and hills, and choose from granola, yoghurt, fruit, and croissants to begin with, before moving onto a cooked breakfast of your choosing, including eggs and avocado toast. Cooked options were tasty and satisfactory, but weren’t as special when compared to the impressive dinner we’d enjoyed the night before.
If you’re peckish during the day, rather than serving a traditional lunch menu, The Painswick offer an all-day afternoon tea, which is very reasonably priced and involves an impressive array of buttery homemade scones served with cream and jam, as well as sandwiches, other savoury nibbles, and daily-changing cakes. We couldn’t stomach the entire spread, but ordered a cream tea between us, and the scones were perhaps the best I’ve had in years (no exaggeration!).
Comfort and service: 3.5/5
Staff at The Painswick are friendly, energetic and willing to please: other than at mealtimes, we didn’t encounter the staff much during our stay, but this is perhaps testament to our bedroom being fully sufficient to all our needs. Given that there are only sixteen bedrooms in the hotel, the house never felt overly busy or crowded at all during our stay, with plenty of space to lounge around. The atmosphere throughout The Painswick is overwhelmingly peaceful, which is just what we were hoping for.
From the elegant interiors, to the delicious dining experience and stunning location, our stay at The Painswick was just the tonic we needed to escape from the city. It’s certainly an idyllic countryside escape - if you’re looking for a boutique spot in Cotswolds country, this is just the spot for you.
Barnsley House
First impressions: 5/5
Our second night was spent at Barnsley House, sister hotel to The Painswick, and known as the most romantic of the hotel trio. Functioning as a luxurious but boutique hotel, there are bedrooms of varying size throughout the main house, as well as individual suites scattered across the garden and various parts of the property in romantic seclusion. Interiors are luxe and cosy, with muted colour schemes and a contemporary Cotswolds feel: our bedroom was in the eaves of the house, and featured soaring ceilings and wooden beams, with beautiful views over the garden, as well as a large seating area. The spacious bathroom featured a walk-in shower and freestanding bathtub - some of the bedrooms even feature twin bathtubs!
To do: 4/5
For outdoor types, nearby Bibury is a short cycle away, or the hotel staff will be able to point you in the direction of a number of walks, but the real jewel in the hotel’s crown is its famous spa, which is hidden in the gardens of the property.
Featuring a small outdoor swimming pool, individual treatment rooms, and a relaxing lounge space, the spa is intimate and cosy - guests must book a slot in advance, and are therefore able to enjoy the facilities in total privacy as a couple. However, I would add that unless you’re willing to pay for a spa treatment, hotel guests aren’t able to use the pool, as this is just limited to spa visitors.
In the evenings, there a couple of small seating areas located on the ground floor of the hotel, as well as the intimate bar - in the summer, guests spill onto tables that are scattered across the impressive gardens.
Food and drink: 3.5/5
Barnsley has one restaurant where breakfast is served in the mornings, as well as dinner in the evenings - a light lunch and afternoon tea are also available throughout the day. Breakfast is definitely not an afterthought at the hotel, and we were impressed with the variation of classic cooked options available (including creamy scrambled eggs on buttered sourdough with sliced avocado, and perfectly soft boiled eggs with soldiers), as well as a generous continental spread, including fresh fruit and croissants.
We did not experience dinner at the hotel, but instead headed to their sister property The Village Pub, a cosy, casual property which is a short walk from the main hotel; we had high expectations for our meal based on our breakfast at Barnsley, but found it a little disappointing, with my fish and chips tasting rubbery and ordinary. I would advise eating dinner in the main hotel as I am sure that this would be delicious based on our breakfast experience.
Comfort and service: 4/5
Staff at Barnsley House were incredibly welcoming and attentive, going out of their way to make our experience as comfortable as possible. The hotel has an overall feel of laidback luxury, which immediately puts you at ease - add to that, the secluded location and elegant interiors make it a wonderful countryside property. Thanks to its intimate spa and spacious suites, it was no surprise that almost all of the other guests in the hotel were couples - I would highly recommend visiting the hotel if you’re looking for a romantic Cotswolds escape.
Both of these stays were gifted but all opinions are my own. I do not accept and write about gifted stays unless I truly enjoy them.
