We have always dismissed the idea of staying at Warner Hotels believing them to be "oldie" territory, but as we are now both over 50 maybe it was time to rethink ?
As Historic House Hotels appeal to us Warners Cotswold Manor Hotel - Heythrop Park caught our attention having recently been given a makeover costing a whopping £100M.
Heythrop House is a Grade ll listed early Italian Baroque Style 18th Century House located close to Chipping Norton with an interesting and varied history
Since 1700 ownership has passed from Aristocracy to an Industrialist, Jesuit College, National Westminster Bank, Oxfordshire Millionaire Firoz Kassam and now Warner's .
We choose the Comedy and Music Weekend breaking featuring Dolly Parton and Boy George tribute acts .
I will add that had we had known the average age at a Warner Hotel is 70 we definitely wouldn’t have booked, but then we would have missed out on a really fun experience .
The all inclusive price covered archery, rifle shooting, breakfast, dinner and entertainment,
it wasn't cheap, but we felt it offered good value.
After booking we’re invited to log on to MY WARNER STAY where we get to virtually book every aspect of our break from restaurant and showtimes, to all activities.
I imagine this is possibly a bit irritating to some guests, especially if they are not tech savvy. We found it beneficial as we could just relax get just on with the holiday as soon as we arrived.
We booked a superior room for the extra space and were pleased to be allocated a magnificent Hydrangea Room which was located in the historic Manor House. We felt like a Lord and Lady of the Manor !
It was light and bright, boosting high ceilings with tall windows which over looked ornamental gardens.
There were plenty of luxury features including his and hers marble sinks, roll top bath, William Morris wall coverings, chesterfield sofa and an enormous bed.
We could have easily spent the whole weekend in the luxury of the room , but we had booked ourselves a packed schedule.
Heythrop has lots of grounds where you can walk freely, there is a golf course , swimming pool, gym , sauna and steam room , as well a olde world Billiards Room in the basement of the old ManorHouse.
Croquet and Archery takes place in the grounds and rifle shooting is close to the Gym .
There are a lot of new rooms built on to the old Manor House as well as a modern block further away . I think you can request which are you would prefer to stay when booking.
We ate in Brassiere 32 or in Market Garden Buffet Restaurants. We didn’t choose the pub option, as to be honest it didn’t appeal to our taste buds. Our favourite was the the Market Garden, we liked the less formal environment, variety of dishes , themed nights and a la carte options.
The Brassiere offered a more formal dining experience and was fully booked all weekend, Market Kitchen however always had availability.
We found the quality of the food equally good in both restaurants.
Heythrop has lots of stylish lounge areas for guests to relax, play board games or take selfies in. These were often empty as there is no service for drinks or snacks in these .
Drinks are served in the Brassey Bar, which meant people mainly congregated around that area .
The Theatre and Late Lounge are the locations for the afternoon and evening entertainment. Shows last between 45mins and 1hr. We saw a lots over the weekend, including Definitely Dolly, Asa Elliot, from the TV series Benidorm and the hilarious Peter Kay tribute , Simon Mark.
Our favourite was Jasun Watkins, the voice of Boy George, who looks and sings just like the real George . It was an interactive show and we ended up joining in a 'Recruitment Conga' around the Theatre .
Paid for Extras are available at Heyhrop. We choose a couple of Spa Treatments (deep tissue, back, neck, shoulder massage) and Afternoon Tea in the Wedgwood Room. These alongside Rifle Shooting and Archery (inclusive) made the weekend extra special .
Verdict
My screen time over the weekend was down by 95% . I was too busy having fun, trying out new things and r didn't have any time for my phone. Whenever we had a break from planned activities we would go for a walk around the grounds.
The room made the stay feel very luxurious, but all rooms appeared to be of a high standard as all are freshly refurbished.
Heythrop wasn't at capacity, without prior booking we have gone to shows and use the spa. We dropped in on unbooked shows with plenty of free seats.
There is so much to do at Heythrop, but for those wanting a change of scenery we noticed there were some day trips on offer from Heythrop by coach to local attractions on offer.
My advice
Check before booking your accommodation if you have mobility issues as the site is vast and you will probably want to be near the amenities. The majority of the room are new, and accessible. There are a few Heritage old style rooms , these are located in the old Manor House.
As soon as you can after booking log onto My Warner Stay and book your times for the restaurants and free activities as these get booked up very quickly. If you change your mind about things afterwards you can easily rearrange times durning your stay (subject to availability).
Go for one of the free organised walks to orientate yourself as soon as you can after you arrive . Alternatively grab a map and explore - just watch out for the golf balls !
Try out as many of the free activities as possible. You may surprise yourself and discover a new hobby or interest you'd never otherwise of thought of doing.
Take your own shampoo and shower gels as the ones in the room are single use plastic small sample size products.
My only negative comment about our stay was that we didn't enjoy any of tea and coffees served at the hotel all weekend (with the exception of our "extra" afternoon tea).
In Summary
Warners do their best to make sure all guests are happy, and without exception the staff were always helpful and kind .
Three nights was a good amount of time to stay at Heythrop as there is so much on offer to do. We gave ourselves a packed schedule and still didn't fit in everything we would have liked - Nordic Walking , Tea and Gin Tasting and more swimming we need a return trip !
We went to a lot more shows than we planned as the standard of the entertainment was so good .
Going back to my original assumption of Warner's being 'Oldies Territory'. . . Yes, this a holiday environment currently attracting an older clientele, but depending on the theme of the break the age profile will no doubt vary. To be honest it didn’t bother us at all.
I commented to another guest "I have never been on a cruise but this is what I imagine it to be like". He replied “I have, and you’re spot on ! "
A Warners Holiday at Heythrop Park is like a cruise on dry land .
Useful links -
Warner Hotels
The nearest town to Heythrop is Chipping Norton
https://www.cotswolds.com/plan-your-trip/towns-and-villages/chipping-nortohttps://www.cotswolds.com/plan-your-trip/towns-and-villages/chipping-norton
Diddly Squat Farmshop is close to Heythrop
Find out more about William Morris Wallpaper and Design
All photos in this blog were taken by me.
We paid for full price for our accommodation at Heythrop Park.