Ellenborough Park - Cheltenham

FarAway57264941067

Overall had an enjoyable stay although I do not agree that this hotel is 5*. The spa facilities are very average compared to other spa hotels in my opinion. The size of the spa is small and feels very cramped with only a few guests inside and the number of beds significantly outweighs the number of guests using the spa at any one time. No booking slot is required for use of the spa facilities which does not help with this. The jacuzzi temperature was too low and the humidity level/temperature of the steam room was too low in my opinion. We ordered 2 glasses of 175ml wine to the spa and one of the wines was 125ml (paid for 2x175ml). There was also no toilet roll left in the toilet in the female changing rooms. The complementary biscuits in the room expired in Feb 2025 and had the look of biscuits that were about the expire. I felt as though the bottles of the complementary toiletries in the rooms (Noble Isle) were re-filled with cheaper product although can’t say for sure. Certain aspects of the decor inside the hotel were also not up to a 5* rating. The actual grounds of the hotel are stunning. The food in the restaurant was OK but certainly not an ‘unforgettable dining experience’ as mentioned on the website. ||The staff were all very friendly and the room was clean. ||Overall has a nice stay but I don’t feel this hotel is 5* compared to others we have stayed in

Jack S.

Four stars as we only stayed the one night for a wedding reception. The food was very and tasty but some I would not have chosen but everything else was great. The arranged breakfast buffet was banging so really enjoyed that. There was any horse racing so relaxing and quiet too.

Derise B.

My husband and I booked overnight for a pre-Christmas getaway. The setting is spectacular - the building, the grounds, the location. Once you enter you are in a real bubble which is so nice.|The service doesn't match the setting - the staff are all nice, but it's all so disjointed. We were checked in for lunch and an afternoon in the spa, but the receptionist at the hotel couldn't tell us what time our spa sessions were, we had to walk next door complete with baggage to check ourselves. |The spa treatment was excellent - communication fantastic throughout from a very nice lady with good strong hands. The relaxation room was warm and quiet. We went downstairs to the 'spa' but needn't have bothered - it's very small with just 6 spaces for all spa and hotel guests. |The food was very nice, but again service in the main restaurant in the evening a little lacking. But the setting is so nice that we weren't put off. Breakfast was very tasty.|This was a treat but at the price paid we would have appreciated a better level of service.

Cathy H.

We had a delightful time having our afternoon tea here! I definitely recommend and it's a 10 out of 10 that Jack was the absolute attentive and helpful server. He made sure we were okay several times, demonstrated the tea samples for us, and checked on us consistently. He was very helpful, pleasant, and accommodating to us. We were more than satisfied and enjoyed every moment of our afternoon tea time. Thank you so much, Jack!

Helen M.

I organised a family dinner in one of the private rooms for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in September. The planning of the event went very smoothly and Amber in the Events team, could not have been more helpful.||On the day however it was a different story. I had pre-ordered a specific champagne for pre-dinner drinks to be told it was not available despite having paid in advance. My 2nd and 3rd choice were also not available. As a result the drinks reception started 30minutes late whilst the waiter scrabbled to find a suitable alternative. They also ran out of the red wine I had pre-ordered.||The room had been decorated with a lovely table centrepiece and card for my parents, wishing them a happy 60th anniversary, some 10 years too early. In addition lightbulbs were not working and the room came with an unplugged TV on a trolley, perfect for your next business meeting.||I asked if we could have some music on in the room. During the starter the waiter fell through the door with a 3ft speaker…. Enough said.||At the end of the evening we spoke with the Duty Manager and he was rude and seemingly could not have cared less. ||The only redeeming fact is that the food was good.||I chose this venue as Ellenborough Park has a reputation for being one of the best in the area. It was a huge disappointment made worse by the attitude of those in charge. I wrote an email of complaint the week after, I’m still waiting on a reply.

Jack O.

Had a lovely Afternoon Tea here with the family; staff were very welcoming and the food was delicious.

It was priced middle of the road in comparison to other businesses that I've gone to for Afternoon Tea.

Will definitely be visiting again here in the future, and would be interested to learn more about hosting an event here at some stage in the marquees in the grounds.

Artemis V.

Let’s start with the first impression. A Wow! The building is beautiful and the entrance as well as restaurant room and bar are in their original historical atmosphere, which is what you are looking for when booking such a hotel in the beautiful Cotswolds. The porter is absolutely lovely and interesting although the reception seems initially to have lost our reservation. All sorted, so the beginning sounds like a dream stay doesn’t it? But it’s not… |... I don’t know what the rooms in the main building are like, but what we saw is certainly not what we were expecting, or for that matter what we paid for. The hallways are low, dark and bear. The wallpaper quite ugly to be honest. gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum … but the devil is in the details, so I won’t go any further. The rooms have no imagination nor elegance. The staff banging doors near The bedrooms and the reception staff seem to be quite clueless too… although, I do have to mention that the F&B staff were very nice and the food quite good. |Let’s get to the pampering. In which spa hotel (that opens at 10am) do you have to walk too outside below 0 from and back to your room only wearing big slippers where your feet get wet and cold and where you freeze under an old bathrobe? |You want more. Well, is the massage room, smelling of sewage good enough for you? Not very relaxing, would you think! The facial did not even include a scrub. The downlight above the washbasin was hidden behind a deteriorating brown scotch tape. |Seriously! After the massage, although ok but not great. my neck was stiff again from the cold. One of the spa showers was broken. The sauna was tiny and the rest, uninteresting. The staff not very welcoming either. |Finally, on our second night we find out by chance, literally, at 6pm that the main restaurant is closed and that we have to move to the “horsebox”, where the TV is on!|Everything is there to make it a magical place but unfortunately they have missed the sense of quality and elegance.|So, honestly not worth your time nor money! ||P.S. oh, and none of the pens properly work!

James S.

We had a wonderful weekend at Ellenborough Park in early January, 2025. The staff were particularly helpful and welcoming. And the building and grounds are superb. We had a delightful sunny, frosty morning walk on the Saturday, which was gorgeous. Would definitely recommend.