Nothing offers comfort and a taste of luxury like staying in a castle. And Studley Castle, a 209-room Warner Hotel less than two hours from Bristol, provides its guests with just that – but without paying a king’s ransom.
This gothic revival building, with its wood-panelled rooms, quirky decor, winding corridors and turrets, is the perfect blend of historic and modern. Adjoined to the Grade II listed house itself, which was built in 1834, are further bedrooms and facilities including a boutique cinema, three lounges, restaurants, bars and even an indoor shooting range.
The impressive Stable Spa complex includes a fitness centre, a swimming pool, sauna and steam room, along with treatment rooms offering facials and massages. It really is fit for a king. The hotel has a convivial atmosphere with helpful staff always on hand to make your stay as fabulous as possible.
We stayed in one of the Castle Rooms, which has gorgeous views of the front lawn and the rolling green fields surrounding the site. The suite was huge, complete with a massive bed – a particular highlight being the bathroom and shower located in the corner turret. Along with the castle itself, guests can stay in three other locations: the modern wing, the estate’s former stables and its previous lodge.
After a royally good night’s sleep, we enjoyed a breakfast at the Brassiere 32, one of two on-site restaurants, which offers a continental buffet of pastries, yogurts and fruit juices, along with cooked breakfasts. From there it was into nearby Stratford-upon-Avon, with the hotel running buses from outside the grand castle entrance into the town centre, a journey of roughly 30 minutes.
The market town, the home of William Shakespeare, has multiple attractions to discover more about the Bard, including his birthplace, the site of his family home and his wife Anne Hathaway’s childhood cottage.
We paid a trip to the Holy Trinity Church, where the Bard is buried, followed by a walk down the beautiful River Avon, before popping into the Chaucer Head Bookshop to browse its weighty collection of second-hand titles.
You can also spend the afternoon catching a matinee show at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is on the banks of Avon.
There are endless pubs, restaurants and cafes to choose from, too, with the Bell an ideal spot for an afternoon drink in its big beer garden.
You will be blown away by the area’s listed buildings dotted throughout the picturesque town. After an afternoon taking in the sights and atmosphere, it was back to the castle, where we soaked up the last of the sun.
Set in 28 acres, the castle grounds have plenty of different seating areas for guests to have a quiet drink and admire the beautiful countryside. We enjoyed a peaceful moment reading our books on the Brasserie’s terrace with a drink from the hotel’s extensive bar menu.
The surrounding woods are worth exploring too, while a country path leads down from the back of the grounds, along the side of the fields and past Studley Parish Church.
Beekeepers even make their own honey on the grounds, which can be bought in the gift shop, while in the warmer months guests can even book beekeeping sessions.
Dinner was in the Market Kitchen, which featured a super selection of curries, with a roast of the day available too.
This was followed by many delicious dessert options, including chocolate fondue, chocolate rum and raisin cake, mango and coconut mousse and sticky toffee pudding. There was also a cheese board.
Breakfast is served here as well, with a buffet of cooked food, cereals, pastries, yogurts and smoothies. A chef is on hand to make crepes and omelettes in front of you just as you like them, while you can pick how your bacon is done too.
The entertainment at the hotel
Warner Hotels offers a broad range of acts and musicians to entertain you at night, and our stay was no different, with the standout performance coming from the fantastic tribute band Thank Abba For The Music.
Silent discos are held in the same venue, while the neighbouring Evesham bar offers late-night music and comfortable seating, along with quizzes throughout the day.
Along with the entertainment and scenic views, there’s lots available at Studley to keep you active, including cycling, croquet, table tennis and rifle shooting.
We enjoyed an archery class, held at the side of the castle, where our instructor put us through our paces with shooting challenges.
There was no better way to follow this than with an afternoon tea in the grandiose Oak Room, where we worked our way through a selection of sandwiches and fruit scones, topped with Cornish clotted cream and Tiptree jam.
This was all washed down with plenty of tea as we drank in the views of the countryside out of the window.
Before our time was up, we made full use of the spa complex,with a dreamy back massage and relaxing dip in the pool.
One of the best things about Studley Castle is the way you can design your stay exactly as you want.
Whether you’d like a taste of adventure and activity, or a more restful and relaxing break, is entirely of your choosing – or, as we enjoyed, a mixture of both.
So your trip to this wonderful castle in Shakespeare Country can be exactly As You Like It.
Book the stay
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Warner Hotels offers breaks from £229pp for three or four nights in 2024-25. Studley Castle, Warwickshire, breaks start from £399pp in 2024 and £339pp in 2025. warnerleisurehotels.co.uk
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More info at warwickshire.gov.uk