Following the stresses of January exams and various essay deadlines a little rest and relaxation was very much in order. With this in mind my boyfriend and I hopped into the car and down the motorway to stay the night at Hotel du Vin in Cheltenham for some serious pampering. Having visited the Hotel du Vin in Edinburgh for my sisters graduation I was eagerly awaiting our trip, aware of their high standards and relaxing atmosphere and my expectations were certainly met!
Situated on the Parabola Road, the hotel is within walking distance of the town centre and the famous Montpellier district, with shopping and boutiques galore! The hotel itself is a large white columned building at which we two arrived, a little flustered from the drive down from Nottingham. We were greeted very warmly by the hotel staff who put us immediately at ease and escorted up to our bedroom and what a bedroom it was!
It is quite tricky to take a photograph of the room that fully shows you its intricate layout but I've done my best above...
As you enter there are two large free standing baths enclosed by two wooden dividers, each containing a television which rotates so that you can view the screen from the bed, the baths AND the sofa area. Clever, hey?
The attention to detail throughout the room was truly exquisite and the novelty of having the bath tubs within the main bulk of the bedroom never quite wore off..!
The bathroom itself was spacious with a large and powerful shower (a must!) and the obligatory free toiletries were a lovely custom scent created for the Hotel du Vin chain by Miller Harris.
After we had settled in to the bedroom we ventured downstairs where the hotel manager kindly gave us a tour of the restaurant, bar and various function rooms available. The most striking of which is the 'Sinner's Enclosure' (a pun of the Winner's Enclosure of the local, and very popular, Cheltenham Races.) which features a large mural depicting the afore mentioned 'sinners'!
He was quick to mention however that there is a curtain with which the mural can be covered if it isn't to the customers taste..!
Something which I was really impressed and intrigued by was the wine tasting room beside the bistro, a real treat for wine lovers and a lovely intimate setting.
After our mini tour we were taken to our table for dinner, thoroughly hungry by this point and excited by what was to come.
The bistro is ambient and comfortable with well spaced tables and a friendly atmosphere. The highlight of the room being the STUNNING chandelier made entirely of wine glasses (above!) Our waiter was particularly helpful and offered us the service of the sommelier who brought us wine, by the glass, suitable for each course of our meal. The wine was top notch, as you'd except from a hotel so focussed around the stuff, and truly enhanced each mouthful of our delicious meal.
To begin, having over indulged a little on the basket of warm fresh bread, I opted for the goats cheese filo pastry on a raw beetroot salad whilst my boyfriend went for the crayfish and crab tian. As you can see, the presentation was beautiful. Blissfully light, the crab and crayfish combination conjured the image of a day at the seaside with one mouthful. The goats pastry on the other hand, was very much a guilty winter-warmer, with the raw (unusual) beetroot providing a suitably earthy accompaniment. The main courses delivered just as much in terms of taste. My mackerel fillet with mussels a la marinier was cooked to perfection, with the flesh of the fish flaking apart with the lightest of touches of the fork. The boosey marinier sauce balanced appropriately the strength of the oily mackerel. My boyfriend chose the rich devilled calves liver with parsnip purée. The dish was simple but effective, tainted only by the sheer quantity of the portion.
Despite being completely and utterly stuffed from our two generous courses we, of course, had desert... rude not to! My blood orange pannacotta was beautifully light and creamy with a bitter kick from fresh blood orange cleverly hidden within the bulk of the pudding. The blueberry cheesecake was equally delicious with a buttery biscuit base (oh masterchef...) and thoroughly enjoyed!
Following our feast we (literally) struggled up the stairs back to our room for a well deserved rest. The next morning over a generous portion of scrambled eggs and salmon for me and eggs benedict (highly praised) we reminiscent about our brief but fantastic stay and were honestly quite reluctant to leave.
The hotel exudes class and luxury whilst retaining a friendly warm atmosphere. The staff go above and beyond to provide efficient service without going over board or being too in your face as so often occurs.
The bistro is truly delicious, highlighting and using local British produce to the highest standard and our meal was alarmingly close to perfect (even for my picky foodie boyfriend!)
Double/Twin rooms start at £120 and can be booked here
More from me soon...
**This is a sponsored post: but opinions are all my own!
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