Best affordable hotels in the Cotswolds 2023: Where to stay for a budget countryside break

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Scenes of timeless beauty roll out across the gentle hills and valleys of the Cotswolds; church spires stand tall over quiet, honey-stone villages; ancient woodlands dip down to rivers fringed by footpaths; tapestries of fields are grazed here and there by arcadian sheep. This is bucolic Britain at its best... and most costly. The Cotswolds is one of the most expensive regions in England for a staycation – along with Cornwall and the Lake District.

Yet, if you know where to go, you can find a wonderful combination of good value and quality in this picturesque district. Sure, there are manor house hotels where a room for the night will cost you more than a return flight (or two) to New York, and there are Michelin-star restaurants with prices to match. But, equally, there’s a good choice of lesscostly options for stylish accommodation and very decent meals. From pubs to hotels big and small, here is our selection of the best.

The best affordable Cotswolds hotels 2023 are:

• Best for foodies: The Bell
• Best hotel for relaxing: De Vere Cotswold Water Park
• Best hotel for families: Chester House Hotel
• Best hotel for a spa retreat: Stratton House Hotel
• Best for epicurean vibes: The George Inn
• Best for walkers: Lion Inn
• Best hotel for style: Ingleside House
• Best for history: The Porch House

Best for foodies: The Bell

Location: Langford

The 16th-century Bell Inn has eight rooms above its two dining rooms

— (Harriet O’Brien)

Trust the locals. If you want to know where to eat well at sensible prices, follow their lead – in this case, to a delightful 16th-century pub in the tucked-away village of Langford, south of Burford. Step into the cream-rendered Bell and you’re in a gloriously traditional hostelry with fireplaces, exposed beams and a cosy atmosphere. Its two dining rooms, invariably busy at lunch and dinner, serve deliciously wholesome food, from fluffy-dough pizzas to pub classics (think succulent cheeseburgers) to zesty flavour combinations such as sea bream with fennel and radicchio. The inn also has eight smallish bedrooms, well-priced and furnished with stylish simplicity.

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Best hotel for relaxing: De Vere Cotswold Water Park

Location: Cirencester

Enjoy calming views over the water from the comfort of your bed

— (De Vere Cotswold Water Park)

Cotswold Water Park is both a wildlife conservation area and a haven for holidaymakers. It was devised from a wide tract of gravel pits that were filled in during the late 1960s to create some 170 lakes. Today, it offers watersports, beaches (of imported sand), wonderful birdlife, a wealth of walks and more. Set on Lake 6, about six miles south of Cirencester, De Vere Cotswold Water Park is a kick-back resort hotel; a sleek world unto itself, with restaurants, a spa, plenty of chill-out space and fabulous watery views. With more than 320 bedrooms, it has accommodation to suit all budgets, from entire apartments to entry-level guest rooms with soothing New England furnishings.

Best hotel for families: Chester House Hotel

Location: Bourton-on-the-Water

The 22 bedrooms at Cheser House Hotel are spacious and homely

— (Chester House Hotel)

A rambling Victorian mansion emanating homely comfort, Chester House Hotel sits in the heart of famously picturesque Bourton-on-the-Water. The village’s host of supremely family-friendly attractions are pretty much on the doorstep, from The Model Village to the Dragonfly Maze and Birdland. There’s more family appeal back at the hotel, from a cheerful Italian restaurant complete with a children’s menu, to a cosy lounge-cum-bar with a welcoming vibe, and a small garden for outdoor dining. The 22 bedrooms are all shapes and sizes, those in the main building are quirkier, while the accommodation in a former coach house is more streamlined. In the mix, there are three generous family rooms.

Best hotel for a spa retreat: Stratton House Hotel

Location: Cirencester

A handsome restaurant adds to the indulgent vibes at Stratton House Hotel

— (Stratton House Hotel)

On the green northern fringes of Cirencester, Stratton House Hotel is a relaxing bolthole from which to explore this gracious market town as well as some of the Cotswolds’ prettiest villages a few miles away – not least Barnsley, Bibury and Burford. A Georgian house with modern additions, this is a light-filled venue with a sunny walled garden, handsome restaurant and 43 comfy bedrooms. An impressive spa, completed in 2021, offers a whirlpool tub, steam rooms, sauna, experience showers, nail parlour and a host of Temple Spa treatments.

Best for epicurean vibes: The George Inn

Location: Barford St Michael

This traditional thatched building houses nine comfortable rooms

— (The George Inn)

This venerable thatched pub on the northern Cotswold fringes has been serving pints since the 1690s. It exudes warmth, combining the attributes of an old-school hostelry (ancient beams, flagstone floors, an exposed-stone fireplace) with stylish contemporary dining – which takes place in a modern restaurant area and a glasshouse extension. Flavours are fulsome (think mains of local venison bourguignon and Thai vegetarian green curry) and the costs reasonable. What’s more, there’s an impressive and affordable wine cellar here. The nine bedrooms are comfy-chic, with king-size beds, legions of bright cushions and Nespresso machines.

Best for walkers: The Lion Inn

Location: Winchcombe

Enjoy delicious pub grub in a glorious terrace garden

— (The Lion Inn)

This 15th-century coaching inn sits on a handsome side street in the heart of Winchcombe. The tiny town claims the title of ‘walking capital’ of the Cotswolds, with at least six long-distance paths passing through it (The Cotswolds Way, St Kenelm’s Way, Isbourne Way and more – there’s even a 42-mile Winchcombe Way). The Lion is well-practised at welcoming the footsore and those wanting a characterful break. With beams, wonky floors, a wonderful snug with sink-into seating, a glorious terrace garden and nine rustic-stylish rooms, it makes an appealing retreat. The small menu offers first-class pub fare (pork belly with cider sauce, burger with smoked cheddar) and the bar serves cocktails as well as ales from Butcombe Brewery, the owner.

Best hotel for style: Ingleside House

Location: Cirencester

Vivid colours and retro furnishings make for welcoming rooms

— (Ingleside House)

Chic, intimate and priding itself on warmly professional service, Ingleside is a gem of a boutique hotel, offering pleasingly competitive rates. It’s on the eastern edge of Cirencester, within walking distance of the centre and a short drive from Cirencester Park and classic Cotswold hiking country. Step through the front door of the 18th-century building and you’re in a flamboyant venue of vivid colours and retro, stylish furnishings. Téatro restaurant has flamingos on the walls, while the Garden Room lounge features a parrot and a panther as part of the décor. Each of the 11 bedrooms has been individually designed – some have freestanding bath tubs, most have bold bedheads, while the suite has a canopy bed and opulent chez longue.

Best for history: The Porch House

Location: Stow-on-the-Wold

Soothing colours and soft fabrics make this 16th-century pub a cosy place to stay

— (The Porch House)

Folklore has it that graffiti on a 16th-century fireplace in the Porch House was carved there to scare away witches. This intriguing inn, though, is far older than that: one part has been carbon-dated to 947, making it the oldest pub in Britain. Happily, the food and décor have kept up with the times and, today, it is a retro-stylish retreat offering well-priced contemporary British dishes. Set in the picture-postcard heart of Stow-on-the-Wold, it is, in fact, an amalgamation of two adjoining inns – the oldest section now a genial pub with low beams and a bright, modern extension, the other side a more formal restaurant. Upstairs are 13 rooms, some huge, some very cosy and all pleasingly clad in soothing colours.

Read more of our UK hotel reviews:

• Best dog-friendly Cotswolds hotels
• Best boutique Cotswolds hotels
• The best cosy hotels in the UK

Read more about England travel:

• Best hotels in Norfolk
• Brighton city guide
• The UK’s best seaside hotels