Ellenborough Park

About Ellenborough Park

Ellenborough Park occupies a restored 15th-century manor house at Southam, set in 90 acres between Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds, and the gallops at Cheltenham Racecourse. The main house has a Tudor core with mullioned windows, oak panelling and heraldic stained glass, and the estate takes its name from Lord Ellenborough, who owned it in the 19th century.

There are 61 rooms and 4 suites, spread between the manor house and converted stable and coach house buildings around the grounds. No two are laid out the same way. Several have four-poster beds, some have roll-top baths, and all have Hypnos beds and generous bathrooms. The manor house rooms carry the most period detail; the courtyard rooms are quieter and better suited to guests who want easy access to parking.

The spa has an outdoor heated pool that runs year-round, plus a sauna, steam room, hot tub, gym and treatment rooms. Dining is split between the main restaurant, which serves modern British cooking, and the Horse Box bar, a more informal room reflecting the hotel's racing connections. There is a helipad, and the grounds include formal gardens and lawns used for weddings and events.

The location makes it a natural choice during Cheltenham Festival week, when it books out early and rates rise sharply. Outside race weeks it works well as a quiet base for walking on Cleeve Common, visiting Sudeley Castle and Winchcombe, or day trips into Cheltenham itself, about ten minutes away. It suits couples, golfers and groups celebrating an occasion.