Nowhere better than an English manor house for a pre-prandial potter, and the two acres at the House on the Hill don’t disappoint. A sprawling, woody expanse of green gives you lawns for croquet, a walled garden, mature shrubs and a pond for picnics.
After a day yomping the hills or admiring the Benedictine charms of Tewkesbury Abbey, soak your aching limbs in the six-seat hot tub and stare at the stars that spatter the dark skies above the rolling Malverns.
Living spaces at the The Hall on the Hilll are grand… Lord-and-Lady grand. This is the land of sash windows, burning logs in inglenook fireplaces, Queen Anne chairs and chandeliers dripping with crystals. It’s a grown-up place to get family, hens and dogs together and celebrate in a respectful, grade II-listed way.
This is a manor house packed with period charm, but there’s tech spread around the place that was sadly unavailable to the House of Hanover and its subjects. You’ve got Sky wifi on tap, plus 65” smart TV on which to nuzzle up to Netflix around the busts and beams of the elegant sitting room.
There’s a Blu-Ray player with DVDs to dive into. Pour yourself a Prosecco and make a night of it. Or find the full bookcase and escape to turn a page or two in a quiet corner. Party or be apart in these grand and gorgeous spaces, and celebrate big occasions in the hotel where the guests are hand-picked by you.
Twenty-six guests? No problem. Cook on the Aga and induction hob, then get everyone around the chunky dining table beneath the dripping chandelier in the elegant dining room replete with wood panelling, bookshelves and busts. Or eat outside under the blue skies or glittering stars with wine from the Three Choirs Vineyard.
Prefer not to cook at all? Have a word with us about our chefs and let the heat from the Aga lull you into a snooze as the pros go about their business. They’ll even load up the dishwasher when they’re done. Book them for a one-off celebration or fully catered break. It’s your call.
Eating out? The ancient Lower Lode Inn offers carveries, buffets and river views. There’s another side order of rolling river at The Yew Tree Inn on the west bank of the Severn. Or grab a seat on the terrace that hangs over the river at The Boathouse while you enjoy Peroni-battered haddock and chips or California reaper burger.
There’s steak-and-ale pie or crispy fried jackfruit on offer at the Nottingham Arms. For Indian, try Panache, or order Asian and British dishes from Dalchini. Or head for Zitto e Mangia for the best of pizza and pasta. Make it a great night in with takeaways from Crystal Rivers, the Great Wall and Lotus.
Sleep like a leaden log from the forests that coat the Malvern hills. Inch open your sash and let the rural air knock you out in seconds. Then rise to breakfast on organic bacon and eggs from the Aga eaten out on the terrace. Pick from eight bedrooms sleeping 30, packed with party-perfect zip & link beds or single.
Bedroom one sleeps 6 with a configuration of king or singles and bedroom two sleeps four in singles, both rooms come with private bathrooms. The remaining bedrooms share three bathrooms. Bedroom three sleeps three and can be made as a king and single or three singles.
Bedroom four sleeps four and again offers the choice of two kings, four singles, or one king and two singles. Bedroom five offers two singles. These two bedrooms have a connecting door and access to bedroom five is gained via bedroom four.
Bedroom six sleeps six more guests in three kings or six singles, or any preferred combination. Bedroom seven offers three singles. Last but not least is bedroom eight on the ground floor, sleeping two in a super king.
