The Best Hotels in Warwickshire
Situated in the West Midlands, the county of Warwickshire skirts around some incredible towns and villages. For one, it’s the heart of Shakespeare’s England, with Stratford-upon-Avon at its centre. Here, you’ll discover the Royal Shakespeare Company and many homes that once belonged to the Shakespeare family. Nearby, are the medieval market towns of Warwick and Kenilworth, both of which feature signature motte-and-bailey castles, exquisite Elizabethan gatehouses and towers, and acres of pristine parks and gardens. The Royal Leamington Spa is known for its wide boulevards and Regency architecture, while Conventry’s 14th-century Guildhall and medieval cathedral are a must visit! Since there is a lot to see, it’s worth spending at least two days and I’ve put together a list of the best hotels in Warwickshire for your stay!
How to get to Warwickshire
As I said, Warwickshire is located in the West Midlands region of England and is known as Shakespeare’s County. Since it’s in the heart of the country, Warwickshire is easily reached by car, bus and train.
You can check the National Rail and the National Express for details.
To get to Stratford-upon-Avon: There are many trains to Stratford from Birmingham New Street and London Marylebone. There are also plenty of National Express busses from London Victoria which take about three hours. You can also take the local buses by Stagecoach from Birmingham and Leamington Spa.
To get to Warwick: Warwick has many motorway networks surrounding it. From London, take the southeast M40, and exit at Junction 13. From the northwest, take the M6, M42 and M40, and exit at Junction 15, while northeast travellers should take the M1, M69, A45 and A46 and follow signs to Warwick. You can take the National Express bus to Warwick, or trains from Birmingham, London (Marylebone) or Stratford-upon-Avon.
To get to Kenilworth: If you’re driving to Kenilworth, the town is located on the A46. There are regular bus services connecting Kenilworth with Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick and Coventry.
To get to Royal Leamington Spa: Leamington is situated just five miles from Junctions 13 and 14 of the M40. There is also a train station in the town, with direct routes to Coventry, Birmingham and London Marylebone. If you’re coming overseas, you can fly to Birmingham Airport which is about 30 minutes away by train.
To get to Coventry: Birmingham is the nearest airport, while the West Coast Main Line has regular train services linking the city with other major towns and cities. The major arterial routes into and out of the city of Coventry are the M6, M6 Toll, M40, M42, M5, M69 and the A45/A46.
The Best Hotels in Warwickshire
The Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon
Situated opposite the RSC and the Swan Theatre is The Arden Hotel, while Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, and his final home, New Place, flank the hotel’s rear. The Arden is perfectly positioned to explore Stratford-upon-Avon on foot, with the furthest site being around 15 minutes away and because of its location you really do feel like you’ve touched down in ‘Shakespeare Land’. When we arrived in the hotel’s car park, we could hear the cast of Comedy of Errors rehearsing over the road at the theatre! Inside, the hotel walls are adorned with framed pictures of Shakespearean actors, while the double-AA-rosette Waterside Brasserie offers pre-theatre meals. Their spring vegetable risotto is to die for, and breakfast is also served here with a choice of a full English or a continental breakfast, like yoghurts and pain au chocolat. After a night sitting stage-front at the RSC, the Arden’s 45 sumptuous bedrooms have uber-snug beds and every amenity you could possibly need, including spa-like robes and slippers! You can also book an Afternoon Tea experience here!
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- The RSC Theatre Package Includes: Overnight accommodation with two A-class tickets to a Royal Shakespeare Theatre production, a pre-theatre dinner and a full breakfast
- The RSC Theatre Package Cost: £310.00 per room, per night
- Classic Room: Around £120 per night
- Address: The Arden Hotel, Waterside, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6BA
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Karma Salford Hall, Abbot’s Salford
In the Vale of Evesham sits a historic country retreat that was once fit for a king. Even today, its ancient walls, grand exterior and sumptuous beds make you – the guest – feel like royalty! Karma Salford Hall, which is a part of the internationally-renowned Karma Group, dates back 700 years, with a timeline starting with Benedictine Monks and Kind Henry VIII. This means the hotel has long been a place for drinking, hosting and celebrating. Its Tudor frame of Elizabethan windows and oaks beams are a testament to this history, while its library, talented chef, games room (complete with a snooker table, vinyl player and table football) and spa add a sliver of modern entertainment and luxury to the property. Speaking about the chef, the Tempest Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea in a wood-panelled hall bearing coats of arms and vibrant paintings. The menu is crafted from locally sourced ingredients, and the roasted pumpkin and butternut squash risotto is to die for! The spa with its ‘traditional and 21st-century Asian-infused therapies‘ sends you to heaven, and you can continue your repose in one of the 32 period-styled bedrooms! Or end the night in the bar which has a wonderful ornate fireplace!
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- Room Rates: Rooms start from £90 per person, per night and include breakfast
- Getting There: Easily accessed from Evesham train station which has a direct route from London Paddington. Otherwise, drive to the hotel via the M40 from London.
- Address: Karma Salford Hall, Abbot’s Salford WR11 8UT
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Hotel du Vin, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Hotel du Vin is perhaps one of the swankiest hotels in Warwickshire, combining its French roots and British location to add a sliver of sophistication and refined tastes to Stratford-upon-Avon. Set within an 18th-century townhouse, Hotel du Vin offers timeless elegance well before you enter the property, and inside is no different. The vintage and speakeasy-like decor centres around an informal design with rich colours, wooden furniture and dim lighting, while its 46 bedrooms are uniquely decorated to encourage guests to decompress in style. Each room is named after an eminent wine producer, and contemporary artwork pays homage to the text and characters of William Shakespeare’s plays. Some rooms have a balcony, a separate seating area and the hotel’s signature roll-top bath. Downstairs, you’ll find more Shakespeare-inspired artwork and a French bistro and Mediterranean-styled courtyard. In both, you can enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea or a la carte menu accompanied by a wine list with notable French vintners.
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- Room Rates: A classic room starts from £102 per room
- Address: Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LU
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Walton Hall Hotel and Spa, Walton
Mercure Warwickshire Walton Hall Hotel and Spa is one of the best hotels in Warwickshire for families! Firstly, it has 65 acres (with at least 30+ pheasants darting around), a spa offering treatments, facials, a sauna and steam room, a leisure pool, and an extensive menu. The main mansion is a 16th-century, Grade II-listed building with Gothic Revival architecture and inside are 37 rooms, featuring suites and superior twin or double rooms. In these, there are original period features like a four-poster bed, a chaise lounge, and a grand fireplace. The outer buildings have the remaining 160 rooms. These are of standard quality for a chain hotel, but it does have the necessary tea-making facilities, toiletries, fruit bowl and faux leather armchairs. The Orangery Restaurant offers a fixed-priced menu. Three courses cost £28.50; two courses cost £22.50; while one course is £15.50. Of particular note, is the ballotine of chicken wrapped in smoked bacon with chicken jus, potatoes and seasonal vegetables!
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- Room Rates: Start from £79 per person, per night
- Getting There: The hotel can easily be reached from London via the M40. Alternatively, Warwick Parkway Station is only 10 miles away, while Birmingham Airport is 28 miles
- Address: Walton, Jubilee Drive, Wellesbourne, Wellesbourne Hastings, CV35 9HG
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THE CROWNE PLAZA, Stratford-upon-Avon
Of all the hotels in Warwickshire, The Crowne Plaza might be the most family-friendly of them all! As part of the IHG brand, The Crowne Plaza Hotel offers a chic yet homely environment with over 250 rooms, including 22 executive rooms that give an exclusive penthouse feel to your stay. If you opt for an executive room, you also get exclusive access to the hotel’s Club Lounge. The hotel is set within its own landscaped gardens and terrace which overlooks the River Avon and has a dock for the Bancroft Cruise. Their theatre-mask-shaped seats, white wicker chairs and Tipi hut are excellent for post-dinner cocktails. The hotel also offers ‘terrace takeovers‘, meaning DJs or local businesses lead classes on the terrace. Inside, the Riverside Restaurant and Bar has booth-style tables and classic dishes like roast red pepper penne with chilli, shallots, wilted spinach and cherry tomatoes. Young families will particularly enjoy the Leisure Club, which contains a swimming pool, gym, and sauna, while business people might find the 14+ meeting rooms useful!
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- Rooms from £87 per night
- Address: Bridgefoot, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YR
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Warwick Castle, Warwick
One of the most luxurious hotels in Warwickshire is Warwick Castle itself! That’s right, you heard me – you can stay in the castle’s 14th-century Caesar’s Tower suites which are extravagantly decorated with high-vaulted ceilings, stunning tapestries and four-poster beds. Included in the stay is a complimentary breakfast, a private tour of the castle and concierge service. Alternatively, you can opt for one of the lodges or medieval-themed glamping tents in Warwick Castle’s Knight’s Village. The lodges are sheltered within a secluded woodland and sleep up to five persons, with a double bed and bunk beds, along with bathroom facilities. There are 31 glamping tents which sleep up to four persons, with four-poster beds, a travel cot and power sockets!
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- Caesar’s Tower: Room prices start from around £595
- The Glamping Tents & Lodges: Included in your package are an overnight stay, tickets to the castle, themed evening entertainment and complimentary breakfast.
- The Knight’s Village: Prices start from around £99 per person
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Coombe Abbey, Coventry
Situated just outside Warwick is Coombe Abbey, a Gothic Revival mansion turned into a four-star hotel that period fans, especially of Jane Austen, will adore. There are 119 bedrooms, each with grand furnishings like four-post or canopy beds. The grand feature bedchambers seem plucked straight from a fairy tale, for example, The Princess Elizabeth room, named after the daughter of King James I who stayed here during the 17th century, has a wonderful roll-top bath tucked away in a turret. The Garden Room Restaurant is set within a floor-to-ceiling glass conservatory and you can enjoy the Abbot’s Afternoon Tea with a glass of bubbly here. The grounds have an 80-acre lake, formal gardens, several walking paths and a Go Ape adventure section with a Tarzan swing, 2000-metre dual zip wire and high ropes.
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- Room Rates: Start from £99 for the crown bedrooms
- Address: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Brinklow Road, Binley, Warwickshire, CV3 2AB
- Getting There: You can travel to Coventry City Centre by rail and then take a 20-minute bus journey to Coombe Abbey. For those driving, take the B4027
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Studley Castle, Studley
One of the best castle hotels in Warwickshire is Studley and its symmetrical crenulations, oak doorway that’s easily over 15 feet tall, and grand arched windows look like something out of a fairy-tale novel. The estate’s 28 acres have a plethora of activities that’ll awaken your inner child, including archery, shooting, and crossbow lessons. The gym, yoga or pilates classes and the Stables Spa are ideal for anyone wanting to nourish the body and relax. In the spa, the four treatment rooms have sweet aromas and low-lit lamps, and there’s also a sleek pool and jacuzzi. In the property, there are 200 rooms but only 24 are within the original castle. These are large rooms with period features and a separate lounge area. In the Studley Wing, the rooms have balconies overlooking the Warwickshire countryside, king-size beds, plasma TVs and palatial-size bathrooms. The Oak Room serves decadent afternoon tea and the roast beef sandwich with hummus and roasted tomatoes is particularly delicious. The Evesham Restaurant has themed nights, for example, Tuesday favours the taste of India, while Monday focuses on classic British cuisine.
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- Address: Studley Castle, Hardwick Lane, Studley, nr Stratford-Upon-Avon, B80 7AJ
- Getting There: Studley Castle can be reached via the M42 and A435 or A35 depending on which direction you travel from. Wootton Wawen Railway Station is 5.9 miles away, and Redditch Railway Station is 6.5 miles away
- Room Rates: A two-night break with dinner and bed and breakfast is from £179 per person
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FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE Best Hotels in Warwickshire
Whether you’re a fan of historic houses and cute villages or are simply looking for an exciting staycation in the UK, Warwickshire is the county for you!
Have you been to Warwickshire? If so, where did you stay? Have we missed any hotels worth mentioning?
Fascinating read! I agree that The Arden Hotel is one of the best in Stratford-upon-Avon. I especially like the hotel-theatre package – I saw Comedy of Errors which was great fun.
Fascinating read! I agree that The Arden Hotel is one of the best in Stratford-upon-Avon. I especially like the hotel-theatre package – I saw Comedy of Errors which was great fun, and I ate in their restaurant, which has the best Vegan Winter Risotto.
Thank you! Yes, that experience was amazing, and the package offers so much for, like, a third of the price for each individual item. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do it.