THE GEORGE HOTEL, CHELTENHAM
Located just on the edge of the Cotswolds area of outstanding beauty, Cheltenham is often over-looked thanks to its more well known neighbours like Bath, Oxford and, of course, The Cotswolds themselves. But with a laid back attitude and rows of high street shops, this spa town easily fills a weekend, or would be a great jumping off point for exploring the nearby countryside too.
Our home for our weekend in Cheltenham was the freshly renovated “The George Hotel’. A quick 5 minute taxi ride (or 20minute walk) will get you from the train station to the hotel, which is perfectly placed close to both the town centre and the lovely Montpelier area. A spot close enough to all the action without being noisy or feeling ‘busy'.
The hotel is the first offering from the newly formed Cult Hotels, and aims to “create a new hotel concept that is accessible, approachable and cool. Cult Hotels exists for the savvy traveller who values aesthetic and culture at a fair price.”(source) There is also a focus on keeping the experience fuss free, with contactless check-in and drop-and-go check-out. These systems mean The George Hotel has easily adapted to the new COVID restrictions and with no communal spaces (aside from the breakfast room) we found social distancing extremely easy.
The hotel occupies five Grade II-listed Regency townhouses but the renovated interiors provide an updated urban mood. The rooms come in 4 categories; Edgy, Urban, Cool and Culture, each decorated in bold colours, mismatched textures, and industrial design. We laid our heads in an inky blue ‘Culture Room’, which featured a sprawling king size bed and air-conditioning (something sadly lacking in most hotels in the UK!) We also loved the fluffy towels and delicious-smelling Sprekenhus toiletries.
Breakfast is served in the ‘Diner’ downstairs, a retro feeling space located in the building’s basement. During our stay Coronavirus prevention measures were in place, so all guests were treated to table service. Theres a good range for the continental offering, or if you are after something a tad more hearty you can buy from a cooked breakfast menu. While there are currently no lunch or dinner facilities at the hotel, there is the ‘Pantry’ a 24-hour snack station within the reception area which has enough choice to keep any late night hunger pangs at bay. Theres also plenty of food choices within a short walk of the hotel. We’d recommend cocktails on the terrace at Gin and Juice, coffee and pastries at Baker & Graze and for lunch/dinner; Petit Coco, The Firehouse or No.131.
We found The George Hotel to be a comfortable, fuss-free hotel with friendly staff. It’s a great 3 star option in this neck of the woods if you are after something simple and easy but still design-led and affordable.
We were guests of The George Hotel, but as always our views are completely our own.