Walton Hall Hotel ★★★★

“To be, or not to be…” – William Shakespeare

… To be, of course! After living abroad for a number of years, we were craving something quintessentially British. While the majority of our fellow Brits jetted off to exotic destinations or chic European cities in search of sun and glamour, we wanted to get away from it all in the romantic countryside. Luckily VeryChic had provided us the perfect hotel – you can’t get much more English than Stratford-upon-Avon, the hometown of England’s greatest writer, William Shakespeare. The Walton Hall Hotel is a grand 16th-century landmark, well situated for exploring the Cotswolds and Warwickshire.

Driving up the tree-lined driveway towards Walton Hall, my husband and I were in awe. Constructed as the ancestral home of the Mourdaunt family, it served as a high-society residence before being lovingly transformed into the luxury hotel it is today. The stunning mullion windows, trelion arches and open fireplaces of the original stone architecture have been maintained, and sit alongside all the modern facilities you’d expect from a high-end hotel. Our exquisitely designed bedroom overlooked the lake, and we were welcomed by a bottle of wine, courtesy of VeryChic! It was hard to believe that this was all so easy and close to home… no extra costs for flights, no worrying about language barriers, and we were even greeted by glorious sunshine each day. We were starting to think we’d never go abroad again!

Determined to make the most of the facilities, I left my husband with a complementary English afternoon tea in the restaurant (he’d been missing England as much as I had!) and snuck off to the spa for a bit of me-time. I enjoyed a swim, sauna and a steam before indulging in a facial and massage, leaving me feeling well and truly pampered. We then wandered around the enormous expanse of hotel grounds, before retreating to the 2 AA Rosette Moncreiffe Restaurant, renowned for its fine dining and faultless service. With views of the manicured gardens and estate, it’s a beautiful space with dramatic crystal chandeliers and a cosy open fireplace, perfect for a crisp wintery evening. Our first day simply couldn’t have been better.

The next morning, we headed into the rolling hills to walk off the delicious breakfast that we’d been treated to… a plentiful choice although needless to say we’d both opted for the traditional cooked breakfast. The Cotswolds are truly stunning… quaint medieval villages riddled with honey-coloured mansions, thatched cottages and atmospheric churches, making us rekindle our love for the English countryside. We had a delicious lunch in a country pub, and then spent the rest of the afternoon in Stratford-upon-Avon. Set in the rural Warwickshire countryside, sitting proudly on the banks of the River Avon, it’s a history-filled market town teeming with cultural attractions. You can follow in the footsteps of the famous bard and discover his families’ houses dotted around the picturesque streets, head to the famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre to watch one of the amazing performances that they put on regularly or simply potter around the bustling streets to get a real taste of Olde England. I left feeling nostalgic, patriotic and excited to come back next year – and I knew exactly where I’d be staying!