Hotel Snapshot at The Painswick
Courtesy of The Painswick
The Painswick is a 17-room Grade II-listed (a British designation for buildings of special architectural or historic interest) Palladian stone mansion turned boutique hotel in the Cotswold village of the same name. It’s rated four stars and priced from £280 ($376) per night. Once the local vicarage, it now belongs to the Calcot Collection and sits on Kemps Lane, a narrow climb above the village center.
I arrive at The Painswick behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB11, a sentence I rarely get to say out loud. It's also a car not particularly suited to the blind bends and hedgerow-flanked lanes of the Cotswolds. By the time I nose it up Kemps Lane without incident, I’m ready for a cocktail, an open fire, and a decent dinner. The hotel delivers on all fronts. Painswick Rococo Garden and the market town of Stroud are both minutes away, but after a day spent white-knuckling a six-figure car around Gloucestershire, I decide they can wait until morning.
Design & Character at The Painswick
Courtesy of The Painswick
Built for a Cotswold cloth merchant in the late 18th century, the property was first known as Prospect House. It became the village vicarage in 1897, when the Rev. William Henry Seddon brought in architect Detmar Blow to add an extension. The library, chapel, and “scallop” preaching stone were reportedly financed by his wife, an heir to the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce fortune. That same chapel is now the hotel bar, and its stained glass is still intact.
The handsome honey-colored facade, mullioned windows, and archways are classic Cotswold features. Inside, pale walls, parquet floors, and patterned rugs keep things deliberately understated, letting the Palladian architecture do the talking. Fires are lit in the drawing rooms, logs stacked neatly beside them. A central staircase climbs from the flagstoned hall to the rotunda bar, where the curved window backlights the bottles. Playful touches include a fun-house mirror by the restrooms and brightly colored Bakelite telephones in the bedrooms.
The Rooms at The Painswick
Courtesy of The Painswick
The 17 rooms range from compact, cozy and snug doubles to the four-poster, Juliet-balconied George's Suite—where I stayed—plus a standalone three-bedroom cottage with its own kitchen, wood-burning stove, and courtyard. Book a Palladian Room for more space and a freestanding roll-top tub, or a Terrace Room for Slad Valley views. Nespresso machines, Roberts radios, homemade treats, and 100 Acres toiletries come standard throughout, along with a shelf of English classics, including books by Laurie Lee, who grew up in the valley outside your window.
The Food & Drink at The Painswick
Courtesy of The Painswick
The restaurant, Sauce, has two AA rosettes for culinary excellence, and its name nods to the house's Worcestershire sauce connection. Chef Kian Puerta-Terron, whose background includes Michelin-standard kitchens, leans into Gloucestershire produce with dishes like roast stone bass and blackened eggplant, a signature beef Wellington, and a honey and meadowsweet tart. The wine list includes a crisp 2022 English Bacchus, all citrus and elderflower, and a sparkling Woodchester Classic—both from nearby Woodchester Valley Vineyard. The old chapel bar shakes up a mean Painswick in Pink made from Woodchester rosé, grapefruit gin, and vermouth.
The Amenities at The Painswick
Courtesy of The Painswick
There's no spa on-site, but guests can book treatments at the spa at sister property Calcot Manor & Spa, just half an hour away. Closer to home, there are complimentary Wellington boots for afternoon strolls around the village (or the Cotswold Way for the more active), bikes to rent, a terrace to soak up the views, and a well-stocked games room.
For those arriving by train, the hotel's complimentary “From Platform to Painswick” transfer package from Stroud station makes for a stress-free arrival. Children are welcome, and babysitting is available. Dogs over a year old can stay in select rooms for a nightly fee of £20 (about $27), which includes a dog bed, treats, and bowls.
Location & Neighborhood Recs at The Painswick
Experimental Roma occupies a former bank on Via Ludovisi, just off the Fellini-famous Via Veneto. Interior designer Rodolphe Parente handled the reimagining, adding Italian marble, terrazzo, chrome, and a healthy amount of 1970s Italian design DNA. There are 82 rooms and suites, a rooftop with a suspended pool, and a restaurant, Ludovisi e Cadore, from chef Giovanni Passerini reworking Roman classics like the quinto quarto. It's the group's first foray into Rome after building out Paris, London, Ibiza, and Verbier.
Fast Facts
Location: Painswick, Gloucestershire
Address: The Painswick, Kemps Lane, Painswick, Gloucestershire GL6 6YB
Neighborhood: Painswick village, between Stroud and Cheltenham
Nearest Airport: Bristol Airport (BRS) is around an hour by car
Star Rating: Four stars (AA). Sauce has two AA rosettes.
Starting Rate: From £280 ($376) per night
Room Count: 17, plus a standalone cottage
Vibe: Cotswold coziness with historical roots
Best For: Couples, walkers, and weekend escapees from London
Amenities: Restaurant and bar, afternoon tea, games room, dog-friendly rooms, and spa access via sister property Calcot Manor
Nearby: Painswick Rococo Garden, St. Mary's churchyard, Cotswold Way, Painswick Beacon, and Calcot Manor & Spa
Our Favorite Thing: The hotel’s afternoon tea, which includes Scotch eggs, freshly baked scones, and a chilled glass of Woodchester Valley fizz.