This month, Mike Fletcher stays in a former Cotswold coaching inn which took six years to convert into a luxury hotel. Was it worth the wait?
The Kings Head on Cirencester high street isn’t your typical coaching inn to luxury hotel transformation story. For one thing, when the project began in 2008, they probably didn’t expect that they would first have to embark on an impromptu archaeological dig.
Maybe the historical secrets of the Roman road that ran under this hotel should have been better anticipated, since Corinium Dobunnorum (Roman Cirencester) was the second largest town in Roman Britain. The site of one of the country’s largest amphitheatres, constructed in the early 2nd century AD is still a major tourist attraction for visitors to this picturesque Cotswold town.
Either way, the painstakingly slow conversion project has yielded some unique touches. A Roman mosaic lies where it was discovered, displayed under glass in the reception area, and many of the bedrooms feature stripped back brickwork, plus restored beams and ironwork from the original 17-century coaching inn.
The Kings Head opened towards the end of the last year but it’s only in the past few months that it has shown its true promise with the opening of a spa and roof-top garden terrace, ideal for drinks receptions.
Private dining is now available in five different spaces including a cellar with its own glass-walled wine display for up to 16 guests, a panelled room adjacent to the main restaurant for up to 24 guests or the library with its own turntable and extensive record collection for guest enjoyment.
The connected Assembly Room, which hosts antique and craft market traders during the week, doubles as the hotel’s largest function space and can seat up to 250 theatre-style or 200 for a reception. The Vaulted Cellar can also accommodate 200 and stages acoustic nights on a Friday to match its Jazz club underground vibe.
I’d been keen to stay at the Kings Head ever since I was given a show-round prior to its official opening but kept resisting in order to give both the staff and facilities time to bed in and iron out all those little details that good luxury hotels make look so easy. With the recent opening of the spa however, I could resist no longer.
The spa experience is idyllic and I loved our spacious, deluxe room with its exposed brickwork and open rain shower. Touches such as a room service menu, which is delivered in disposable paper bags with cardboard cutlery, is exactly the sort of innovation that new hotels should be pursuing in my view. It reminds guests that the huge focus on sustainability during the restoration project has been carried over into the operation of the hotel and perfectly compliments the luxurious yet relaxed feel throughout.
Article by
Mike Fletcher