The Greenway Hotel & Spa Cheltenham Review – Luxury Cotswolds Escape with Fine Dining & Elan Spa
Step inside the Greenway Hotel and Spa near Cheltenham, where history gave us an owner called Dulcibella, a Colonel Godfrey, and more luxury, fine dining, and wry English charm than even Trollope could have imagined.
The Greenway Hotel & Spa Cheltenham Review
One doesn’t simply pass through the Cotswolds; one glides through it in a stately fashion, ideally in a gleaming Audi Q8. It was in just such a manner that we swept up to the Greenway Hotel and Spa, a 16th-century Elizabethan manor just outside Cheltenham. There are grand hotels, boutique boltholes, and heritage inns, but the Greenway manages to be all three at once: a luxurious little country estate with a serious culinary pedigree, an Elan Spa that makes monks of even the most restless, and a garden straight from Alice’s dreamscape.
First Impressions – Country House Glamour
The approach is promising: a tree-lined drive scattered with chalk-white stones, leading to a historic façade that whispers of Elizabethan gentlemen, foxhunting parties, and a discreet brandy after vespers. The reception hall greets you with a roaring fire of heroic proportions, and windows latticed with ancient lead, framing views over lawns that appear to have been combed by angels. Velvet curtains hang heavy as a duke’s conscience. One immediately feels one should have brought at least three Labrador retrievers.
History with a Wink – Dulcibella and Colonel Godfrey
The Greenway’s history reads like a minor novel by Trollope, albeit with better wallpaper. Originally owned by the Lawrences, who built it in 1584, the house later passed into the hands of the delightfully named Dulcibella in the late 17th century. One imagines her sweeping through the great hall in silks, issuing decrees about hedgerows and fireplaces, and terrorising the servants by insisting that the curtains must match the cushions. A name like Dulcibella simply demands chandeliers and sonnets — anything less would be a betrayal.
Then, in a later century, comes Colonel Godfrey. Now there’s a pairing: Dulcibella and Colonel Godfrey. She sounds like a heroine in a Restoration comedy, while he sounds like the chap in charge of the regimental tea rota. Put together, they could headline an operetta — Dulcibella & Godfrey: A Light Musical in Two Acts, with Interval Champagne.
The Feature Room – A Minor Royal Residence
We were whisked upstairs to Room 10, a “Feature Room” – a title that doesn’t do justice to its noble character. Stone walls thick enough to repel both the weather and unwelcome suitors enclosed a chamber dressed with long floral drapes, a king-size bed (strewn with pillows of regal green and gold), and armchairs that demanded the occupant quote Byron or at least sigh in a meaningful fashion. A plate of chocolates awaited us – four pieces for three people. A cruel social experiment ensued. I lost, of course.
Elan Spa – Robes at Dawn
The spa, newly spruced, has an elan indeed. One spins the little egg timer in the sauna (a device which turns time into theatre), emerges glowing, and plunges into the hydrotherapy pool for a pummelling from jets more vigorous than a Russian masseuse. The hot tub terrace is a spot where one could comfortably plot the downfall of empires while encased in white towelling robes. TempleSpa products, suitably decadent, left our skins feeling silkier than an Italian diplomat’s chat-up line.
The Drawing Room and Bar – Country House Chic
Before dinner, we gathered in the bar, a handsome chamber adjoining the drawing room, with wingback chairs upholstered in brushed beige, candelabra glimmering against gold wallpaper, and chandeliers that clearly enjoyed their job. Soft lounge music drifted discreetly from Sonos speakers, reminding us we were in England’s 21st century, not 18th.
The Garden Room Restaurant – Candlelight and Culinary Triumph
Dinner was staged in the Garden Room, a dining hall lined with oak panelling, mirrors framed in gold, and candlelight trembling across white tablecloths. One might have expected Evelyn Waugh to stroll in and order a martini.
The amuse-bouche was a cheeky mackerel taco, followed by bread so soft and billowy it could have doubled as ecclesiastical vestments, accompanied by marmite butter – a bold nod to Britain’s greatest culinary divide.
• Starter: A velvety crab bisque, warm and comforting as a cashmere coat in November. Beetroot for Ems, suitably earthy and refined.
• Main: A Beef Wellington so tender it deserved its own fan club, paired with mash so smooth it should have been a diplomat. Plaice Véronique was cooked to the very edge of perfection, then rescued with a sauce that was practically French poetry.
• Dessert: Piña Colada and Peach Melba – playful, elegant, and gone far too soon.
The kitchen is under the command of Chef Abhijit Dasalkar, a coup of considerable note. Already celebrated in India, he has brought his mantra of “fresh, seasonal, bold, authentic flavours” to the Cotswolds, where he turns local produce into edible theatre. Bravo indeed.
Evening Diversions – With Poppy and the Hide
A final nightcap with the charming Poppy in the bar, before discovering The Hide – an outdoor cabin tucked away in eight acres of landscaped gardens, available for private events. That evening, a birthday party was in full swing, its revellers clearly enjoying themselves as though it were Ascot without the horses.
Morning – Alice in Wonderland by the Lily Pond
Breakfast was served by the lily pond and fountain, overlooking gardens so ornate they might have been dreamed up by Lewis Carroll. An astrolabe glimmered, lawns rolled into hills, and one could almost expect the White Rabbit to bolt across the terrace. The perfect restorative to a night of indulgence. We played Alice in Wonderland, diving and hiding amongst the clipped topiary and ornate garden statuary.
Olde Worlde Charm Meets Modern Indulgence
The Greenway has the relaxation and warmth of a country 4-star, yet with a dining room and spa that deliver firmly into the 5-star league. Service is polished but never pretentious, attentive yet always smiling. Dog-friendly too, which means you really should have brought those Labradors.
Part of the Eden Hotel Collection – awarded AA Small Hotel Group of the Year 2024–2025 – the Greenway delivers exactly what one hopes for in the Cotswolds: historic romance, modern indulgence, and a lingering desire to stay just one more night.
