No 131 Cheltenham - hotel review

For the latest in our Design Destination series, Kate Lough checks into the Lucky Onion's luxurious boutique hotel in Cheltenham
The Lucky Onion
Kate Lough16 September 2017

This boutique hotel is a luxurious take on the restaurant with rooms concept and ideal for a cosy, foodie weekend away.

Where is it: In the middle of Regency Cheltenham, where the streets are charming and the mansions are white and stuccoed - the epitome of gentrified. The Cotswolds are an easy car ride away.

Style: A gorgeous Georgian Grade II-listed townhouse, which is part of the Lucky Onion group steered by interiors guru Georgie Pearman. Pearman and her husband restored the villa, which had been derelict for seven years, keeping in mind its Georgian heritage. It's classic and splendid on the outside, cosy and contemporary on the inside. Furnishing are handsome and velvet-clad, sofas are deep and squashy and showstopping freestanding baths are de rigeur. There are only 11 bedrooms, so you have the feeling of being in a very top notch B&B with the trappings of a boutique hotel.

Facilities: There are several cosy sitting rooms to while away an afternoon by the fire in, cup of tea in hand; an elegant restaurant for afternoon teas and dinner and a more vibrant bar downstairs, Crazy Eights. There is also a games room with a ping pong table.

A velvet-clad dining nook
The Lucky Onion

Food & Drink: The restaurants are open to the public, so always feel lively. Start your day with pastries and tea delivered to your room at a time of your choosing, then continue the decadence with breakfast in your room: we tried a delicious combination of nduja, pecorino and a fried egg on sourdough, as well as vanilla waffles with streaky bacon and maple syrup.

Nduja, pecorino and a fried egg on sourdough for breakfast
Kate Lough

After a few hours exploring – it was so bitterly cold we didn’t last long – take your afternoon tea by the fire with some glossy magazines and each other for company. Smoked salmon sandwiches were the perfect tide over til supper. We chose to eat in the bar downstairs (it's the same menu), as it has a younger, buzzier vibe. Steak lovers are in for a treat - a hearty chunk of the menu is dedicated to the stuff - the star of which was a tail on rib-eye, which we had with polenta and a green salad. Showcasing the hotel's attention to detail, you're greeted back in your room with pre-bedtime hot chocolate and cookies.

Steak features heavily on the menu at No 131

Extra-curricular: Cheltenham has a very genteel, spa town atmosphere. The street behind the hotel, Montpellier Avenue is lined with little cafes, boutiques and interiors shops. But you'll be very tempted - and rightly so - to hole up in No 131.

Which room: All the rooms are individually decorated at No 131, but bigger is definitely better.

The showstopping bathtub in Room 6

We stayed in Room 6, which is bigger than most London flats and boasts a vast bathroom complete with a contemporary freestanding bath, a double rainforest shower and his and hers sinks. The bedroom has a super king bed, smothered in Egyptian cotton linens by Three Thieving Magpies, with the kind of mattress you want to take home, and its own velvet sofa. Rooms come with hand-knitted hot water bottles, Nespresso machines, 100 Acres toiletries, mini bars and flat screen TVs. If you're likely to hit the pillow early, avoid rooms above the bar.

Best for: Couples, on the more mature side - it’s quite a grown-up place.

When to go: We visited for a cosy winter break in January and hunkered down making the most of the bath and cosy living rooms downstairs. Perfection. More intrepid travellers might prefer spring or autumn - and bookworms should book well ahead for a spot during the Cheltenham Literary Festival (October 6-15).

By the way: A new property next door is currently being converted to create more rooms.

The cosy and elegant living room

Details: 131 Imperial Gardens, theluckyonion.com

Follow Kate Lough on Twitter @kate_lough and Instagram @kateloughtravel

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