A Peaceful Escape at Hatherley Manor Hotel & Spa
A peaceful Cotswolds escape when you need to stop, breathe and put yourself first.
Sometimes, the greatest luxury is simply having nowhere else to be.
No meetings to rush to, no list of jobs demanding your attention and nobody asking what needs doing next. Just a few precious hours in which you can slow down, take a breath and remember what it feels like to put yourself first.
That was the idea behind my stay at Hatherley Manor Hotel & Spa. We were staying on the hotel’s Cosy Night In package, created for those colder months when the idea of escaping to a beautiful hotel, spending time in the warmth of a spa and curling up somewhere comfortable feels particularly inviting.
We arrived at Hatherley Manor at around 9am. Jon had work nearby, which meant I had most of the day to myself, something that happens so rarely that I had been quietly looking forward to it all week.
One of the lovely touches included with the stay is a warming drink on arrival, with a choice of tea, coffee or a Baileys hot chocolate. I began my morning with coffee, although the Baileys hot chocolate sounded like the perfect choice for anyone arriving later in the day and ready to settle into a cosy evening.
I had brought my camera, my book and very little else to occupy me. There were no meetings to join, nowhere I needed to rush to and nothing that required my attention. My only plan was to explore, take photographs and enjoy a few peaceful hours alone.
A Slow Morning at Hatherley Manor
After arriving, I settled into the hotel with a coffee before heading off to explore.
Hatherley Manor has a calmness about it that makes you naturally slow down. Rather than hurrying towards the next part of the day, I wandered through the hotel and around the grounds with my camera, photographing the spaces and little details that caught my eye.
I love exploring a hotel in this way.
Looking through the lens encourages me to notice things I might otherwise walk past: the character of a room, the way the light falls and the carefully chosen touches that give a place its atmosphere.
During my wander, I also met the resident cat, who seemed entirely at home watching the world go by. Naturally, I stopped to say hello and take a few photographs. There is something about a resident cat that makes even the grandest hotel feel warm and welcoming.
With a coffee in hand, my camera beside me and a whole morning stretching ahead, I could already feel myself beginning to relax.
Time to Myself
Once I had checked in, I headed to our Executive Room and unpacked.
The room felt spacious and comfortable, with an enormous bed that immediately made the idea of a cosy night in seem very appealing. It was the sort of bed you look at and know you are going to sleep well in.
With our room, spa time and breakfast all taken care of, I unpacked, slipped into my robe and headed down to the spa with my book.
Guests staying in an Executive Room receive three hours of spa access, which gave me enough time to enjoy everything without constantly checking the clock.
The spa was lovely, with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, hot sauna, two steam rooms, relaxation beds and a bowl of crushed ice for cooling down after the heat of the thermal rooms.
The sudden rush of cold was certainly bracing, but wonderfully refreshing before I retreated gratefully towards the warmth again.
I started with a swim before warming up in the sauna and steam rooms.
I moved between the pool and jacuzzi, stopping whenever I felt like it to stretch out on one of the relaxation beds and read my book.
The rest of the spa experience was wonderfully relaxing. The heat of the sauna, the gentle movement of the water and the quiet around the pool gradually softened the edges of a very busy few weeks.
With three hours in the spa, I could swim, read, close my eyes for a while and return to the jacuzzi whenever I wanted
There is a particular kind of peace that comes from being alone without being needed. At home, even quiet moments can easily become opportunities to answer an email, tidy something away or think about what needs doing next. Here, there was nothing for me to organise and nobody waiting for an answer.
For a few lovely hours, the day was entirely my own.
An Evening Together
As afternoon slipped into early evening, Jon returned from work and joined me at the hotel.
I had loved having the day to myself, but by early evening I was ready to see Jon and enjoy the rest of the stay together.
It felt as though we had managed to create two different experiences within one stay, a peaceful retreat for me followed by a cosy evening away together.
We spent some time in our room before showering and getting ready for dinner.
The bed looked incredibly inviting, but we resisted climbing into it just yet and headed downstairs to the restaurant.
Soft lighting gave the restaurant an intimate, unhurried atmosphere, perfect for settling in over dinner together.
We settled at our table, ordered our food and enjoyed the simple pleasure of having nowhere else to be.
No cooking, no clearing away and no journey home waiting for us afterwards.
I chose the chicken supreme and Jon had the duck breast. Both dishes were beautifully presented and genuinely delicious. It was the sort of meal that makes you slow down between mouthfuls and really enjoy being there.
Dessert was an easy decision for me. I ordered the sticky toffee pudding with custard, which was warm, rich and exactly the kind of comforting pudding I wanted after an afternoon in the spa.
Jon chose the cheeseboard. I was very happy with my sticky toffee pudding, although that did not stop me from sampling some of his cheese too.
After dinner, we ordered coffee and relaxed in the bar.
Those quieter moments are often my favourite part of a night away. The evening is not being squeezed around the usual jobs waiting at home, and you can sit together for as long as you like without feeling that you should be doing something else.
Eventually, we made our way upstairs, climbed into bed and snuggled beneath the covers.
After such a peaceful day, I could feel how much I had slowed down. I was pleasantly tired from swimming, warm from dinner and completely ready to sleep.
The bed was incredibly comfortable and it did not take long before we both drifted off.
Breakfast Before Home
Morning arrived far too quickly, as it always seems to when you are sleeping in a lovely hotel bed.
We got ready and headed downstairs for breakfast, which was included as part of our Cosy Night In stay.
There were croissants and cereals alongside a selection of cooked items, including bacon, eggs, sausages and beans. Jon chose bacon and eggs, while I had sausage and egg.
The included selection gave us more than enough to choose from, although a wider breakfast menu was also available for a supplement. We had a lovely, relaxed start to the morning.
We lingered for a little while before returning to our room to collect our things. Then it was time to check out, say goodbye and leave Hatherley Manor behind.
A Night That Felt Like Much Longer
Our stay at Hatherley Manor was only for one night, yet arriving early and allowing ourselves to enjoy every part of it made it feel like a genuine escape.
I had spent the day wandering with my camera, reading beside the pool, swimming and doing very little else. Jon and I had then shared a beautiful meal, talked over coffee and slept soundly in an enormous, comfortable bed.
The little elements of the Cosy Night In made the experience feel complete, a warming drink on arrival, time in the spa, a peaceful room for the night and breakfast waiting the following morning.
Nothing about the stay felt hurried.
Sometimes we assume that we need a week away to feel rested, but this reminded me that even one night can make an enormous difference when you give yourself permission to slow down and enjoy it properly.
For me, the loveliest part was the balance. I had time alone, without responsibilities or distractions, followed by an evening spent reconnecting with Jon.
We drove home feeling relaxed, happy and as though we had been away for much longer than we actually had.
Hatherley Manor gave us warmth, calm, delicious food and the space to step away from normal life for a little while. It was exactly the kind of stay we needed, and one we would happily return to.
AD | Our stay was complimentary as part of a content collaboration with Hatherley Manor Hotel & Spa. All experiences and opinions are entirely my own.
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