Mercure Gloucester Bowden Hall

Set in 12 acres of gardens and grounds, the elegant Bowden Hall Hotel provides a great base from which to explore the Cotswolds, the city of Gloucester, and beyond. It’s a classic country house hotel with a room for every type of traveller. Our pick would be the superior rooms, which offer plenty of space and a few extras, plus lovely views of the lake. But whether it’s the vistas or great value that’s important to you, there’ll be a room for you here. There are accessible rooms, family rooms and dogs are welcome too.

Bowden Hall is a Grade II-listed Georgian manor house that had a long list of private owners before it was turned into a hotel some 50 years ago. Heritage features follow you from the outside in, but inside, they're the backdrop to modern comfort. A recent refurbishment to the reception, lounge, bar and restaurant has brought it bang up to date, while maintaining a classic style that’s just right for this well-to-do part of the world.

Curved sash windows and architraving frame the countryside views from the hotel’s restaurant, and the lawn outlooks from the lounge. There, afternoon tea forms a daily tradition. Seating, meanwhile, gives a nod to Regency style but is elegantly contemporary in colour and feel; likewise, the modern chandeliers. Artwork is fresh and locally inspired. The same could be said for the food, which, by the way, can be enjoyed in the sociable setting of the restaurant, as room service or in the hotel’s lakeside dining pods. These unique geodesic domes offer a private dining experience out by the lake with 360-degree views. They're popular, though, so you need to book ahead.

Guest rooms here are classified as Classic, Privilege and Superior: space is the main differential, give or take a Nespresso machine and robes and slippers, and all are well appointed and well furnished. Beds are comfy, curtains are full, and lighting is well thought out. All are en-suite and all have good WiFi as well as an HDTV, hairdryer and tea- and coffee-making facilities of some kind, if not the Nespresso machine.

And it’s worth mentioning too that Bowden Hall is that rarest of properties – a luxury hotel offering exclusive hire. Whether you’re planning a corporate away day, private party, retreat, or any kind of social gathering for that matter, the team at Bowden Hall will be more than happy to help your event go off without a hitch. The hotel can be hired exclusively for up to 200 guests, with the expansive grounds and all 72 bedrooms at your disposal.

There’s a fitness suite with enough equipment to keep you trim, and short walks within the 12-acre grounds, but it’s likely you’ve come here for the rolling hills and chocolate box villages of the Cotswolds or to visit the city of Gloucester, which is only three miles away.