Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel, has won Bronze in the Large Hotel of the Year category in this year’s Cotswolds Tourism Awards.   In announcing the award, the organisers particularly highlighted the four star hotel’s excellent value for money.

Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel opened in 2007 and is a contemporary property set in a stunning position on the edge of ‘Lake 6’ in the Cotswold Water Park, offering the perfect base from which to explore this picturesque area and its local attractions.  Owned by independent, hotel group, Four Pillars Hotels, the hotel features 318 luxury rooms and stylish self-catering apartments, a range of indoor and al fresco dining options – including The Brasserie and Old Boathouse pub – and the luxurious Spa 6.  The 55-acre conservation parkland area and neighbouring lakes offer great fishing and provide a huge range of outdoor pursuits for all the family to enjoy.

Judging was based on visits, secret shopper reports and the views of a various experts and tourism enthusiasts.  The Awards are organised by Cotswolds Tourism – a partnership of tourism businesses and destinations – and cover a broad span of categories reflecting the fantastic range of tourism experiences and services in the local area from accommodation and attractions to information providers and pubs.

Charles Holmes, CEO of Four Pillars Hotels comments: “We are delighted with this award and thrilled to be recognised as one of the leaders in the highly competitive Large Hotel of the Year category.  This recognition is testament to the team at the hotel and their dedication to delivering an exceptional guest experience alongside great value and the friendly, personal service for which Four Pillars Hotels is renowned.”

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Are you anticipating the Christmas blues when January kicks in? Not sure what to do with your time now that Christmas is over? Then why not take some time out to visit the Cotswolds this January – what could be more inviting than our beautiful scenery and great food, alongside excellent attractions to visit? Here a just a few attractions that you could visit during your stay!

Sudeley Castle

The historic Sudeley Castle is right at the heart of the Cotswold Hills near Winchecombe in Gloucestershire. Its award-winning gardens spans over a thousand years and contains many varied tales of royal associations, wars and periods of neglect and subsequent restoration which makes it the perfect place to visit during your stay.

Tewksbury Abbey

For those looking to take in a bit of local culture you could pay a visit to Tewksbury Abbey. Despite the fact that the Abbey was founded in 1087, the construction of the modern Abbey didn’t actually begin until 1102. The Abbey was originally constructed solely for the purpose of housing Benedictine monks; however the Norman Abbey was near completion when it was consecrated in 1121. Furthermore, the Abbey is the currently largest surviving Norman tower in the country.

Westonbirt Arboretum

If you are looking for an outdoor adventure, then why not visit the historic, early Victorian picturesque landscape and internationally important tree and shrub collection.  The vast collection of 16,000 trees (2,500 different species) come from a number of world countries such as China, North America, Japan, Chile and other tropical climes. The collection was started back in the 1850’s by Robert Holford who owned the property at the time.

Gloucester Cathedral

Another fantastic attraction is Gloucester Cathedral which is still used every day for worshipping and has a fantastic musical tradition. It was built over 1300 years ago and has undergone a number of architectural adjustments over the years. It plays host to some incredible medieval glass along with its own exhibition, superb cloisters and the crypt. Better still it was setting for some of the scenes from the Harry Potter films which were filmed in the stunning cloisters.

Roman Baths

For those interested in Roman history, why not make your way over to the Roman Baths attraction situated in the original Roman town of Bath. Take a stroll round, Britain’s only hot spring, the Romans constructed a fantastic temple and bathing complex which still flows with natural hot water. See the water’s source and make your way around the Baths, where Romans once walked on the ancient stone pavements which surround the steaming pool. Furthermore, the extensive ruins and treasures from the Spring are well maintained and demonstrated in the most prestigious way using the best in modern interpretation.

Whether you are looking for a traditional New Year break, a weekend break to get over your January blues, or just a peaceful time to relax and unwind, you are bound to find what you want this New Year in one of our Four Pillars Hotels. Locations include Oxford, The Cotswolds and Bristol.

http://www.four-pillars.co.uk/

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Starting off at the historic market town of Witney, for whom the Prime Minister David Cameron is the Member of Parliament, visitors should head off via Brize Norton to the village of Bampton which doubles up as Downton, the village featured in Downton Abbey.It is frequently used in the hugely successful ITV series for filming outdoor scenes, most notably St. Mary’s Church and the library, which serves as the entrance to the cottage hospital.

A few miles on from Bampton is the chocolate box town of Lechlade on Thames which is the highest point on the river for navigable vessels. This is a wonderful spot to just wander around and take in the ambience perhaps with a refreshing drink at the famous Trout Inn. Just 4 miles away is the small village of Fairford whose delights fail to be eclipsed by the nearby air base which holds the World’s largest military airshow, the Royal International Air Tattoo.

From Fairford, it is only a few miles to Cirencester, the historic town that dates back to Roman times. You are now officially in the Cotswolds and Cirencester, renowned for its Royal Agricultural College, the largest in the World, is regarded as the capital of the district. After exploring its bustling streets and imposing church, head back towards base via the quintessential Cotswold village of Bibury, described by William Morris in Victorian times as the most beautiful village in the whole of England. In fact, Fox News insists it is one of the most picturesque in the World. One terrace of former weaver’s cottages called Arlington Row is regarded as such a treasure that it is now owned by the National Trust. 

After a brief sojourn to Bibury, take the road back to the A40 at Burford, another famous medieval town on the edge of the Cotswolds and recently voted by Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten best places to live in Europe. The gently sloping main street is a cornucopia of fascinating shops and has some wonderful little alleys in between the centuries old buildings. The Church of St. John the Baptist is rated one of the finest in the country and was the scene of a cruel subjugation of rebellious Levellers by Oliver Cromwell and his cavalry at the end of the English Civil War.

From Burford, return to Witney for a hearty dinner at your hotel. Explore the surrounding areas when staying at hotels near Oxford

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