New look for Cheltenham hotel after £1.4 million renovation

The Greenway Hotel and Spa in Shurdington near Cheltenham has enjoyed a series of awards and accolades of late, including being named by The Times as one of the best places to stay in the UK, scooping Hotel of the Year 2023 at the Gloucestershire Lifestyle Awards and launching a sell-out series of exclusive restaurant takeovers under the direction of head chef Abhijit Dasalkar.

This month, the popular wedding and spa break venue, which is owned by the Eden Hotel Collection, has revealed the latest renovations in its extensive £1.4 million refurbishments.

The hotel now has a new bar, The Orchard Brasserie, serving everything from chilled glasses of Champagne to barista coffees, and is handily located next to the luxurious Elan Spa — the spa also has a prestigious five bubble rating from the Good Spa Guide, the spa equivalent of the Michelin guide. 

Over in the 16th-century manor house, the main reception areas have been transformed, with original Elizabethan period details sympathetically restored to enhance their historic elegance. 

The limestone Tudor fireplace in the main reception is one such original feature, alongside the sumptuous oak wall panelling. Both have been expertly restored and now feature a soothing mid-tone blue backdrop which, combined with a bespoke lighting control, creates a warm and inviting ambience.

Another of the hotel’s oldest features, the 16th-century stairwell, has also been revitalised with elegant Liberty London wallpaper featuring accents of gold, grey and teal encapsulating the main colour scheme of the corridor area.

One of the venue's most popular wedding and events spaces, the Austen Room, is now equipped with a James Bond-esque motorised wall-mounted ArtTV frame, which can alternate between artwork and a television — in addition to receiving a complete makeover with elegant decor in soft China blue tones

The Austen Room caters for up to 12 people for meetings, private dining and other special occasions such as intimate weddings.

The eight-week refurbishment also sees an extended food menu, now offering hot breakfast and evening meals to complement its existing lunch and afternoon tea service, with an extension to the kitchen's opening hours, serving food from 8am to 7pm daily.

Hotel guests and diners can tuck into new fusion dishes such as mini fattoush salad, tempura vegetables and tentsuyu; char siu pork bao bun with pickled vegetables; Asian slaw with pickled cucumber and flaked miso-glazed salmon; glazed asparagus with poached egg and chorizo jam; and stout braised barbeque short rib with mash potato, toasted yeast and charred corn.

The Greenway's extensive renovation project has been led by director of the Eden Hotel Collection, Marian Cartter, who heads up the group’s design team, along with the expert eye of company interior designer, Lucy Yarwood.

Lucy said: 'The Greenway Hotel and Spa is a fabulous building steeped in history, and this recent refurbishment aimed to bring the reception up to the standard of the bedroom refurbishment and create a welcome to our guests that sets the scene and expectations of the rest of the property.

'In the Austen Room we applied a moulding detail to the walls painted in various tones of China blue, and this is accompanied by soft geometric-patterned curtains in blue and white, silver sculpture chandelier and wall lights, and sustainably produced patina denim carpet.

'In reception we have added two new bespoke wing chairs in Osborne & Little and Warwick fabrics, new roman blinds with brush fringe trimmings in chocolates, reds and rich blue tones; all alongside reusing existing light fittings, sofas and side tables with the addition of vibrant red side tables either side of the fireplace.

'This latest refurbishment has not only injected a new lease of life into some of the communal areas such as the main reception and the stairwell, but functional adaptions to the likes of the Austen Room and the Orchard Brasserie means the hotel now has spaces that can flex to modern day needs.'

Last year saw the first phase of the hotel's transformation completed, with each of its 21 bedrooms and en suite bathrooms beautifully revamped and, in some cases, reconfigured.

As well as the award-winning Elan Spa, the Greenway also boasts the 3 AA Rosette Garden Room restaurant, which offers fine dining under the expert direction of celebrated Gloucestershire head chef, Abhijit. 

The hotel is inviting visitors into its eight acres of Shurdington countryside to explore the 400-year-old manor house and its new look at an open day on Monday 6 May 2024. The hotel staff have a day of entertainment and activities planned — to find out more, call (01242) 862352 or visit thegreenwayhotelandspa.com.