With staycations being the *other* buzz word of the year, now is the perfect time to get out and explore parts of the country that you have not been to before.
Stratford Upon Avon is one of those such places for me and the lovely new Hotel Indigo on the town’s picturesque Market Street is the ideal place to stay.
Shakespeare enthusiasts only need to cross the front door of Hotel Indigo Stratford -Upon-Avon to find themselves immersed in the writer’s history as directly across the street from the property sits New Place, a house owned and lived in by William Shakespeare himself.
The original Tudor building that forms the bulk of the hotel has been brought up to date with a very sympathetic restoration project that has retained and enhanced many of the original features. Towards the rear of the property, there’s a more modern extension which makes for some lovely bright and airy glass walkway and public spaces. I thought that the mix of old and new was done very well.
The bedrooms are split across 3 sections of the hotel, with each themed around William Shakespeare. I stayed in one of the Tudor rooms which are located in the oldest part of the hotel. These rooms come with original features as well as all of the mod cons that you would expect from a Hotel Indigo. They may be a tad on the small side but the character of the wooden beams and artwork more than made up for that.
Often hotel dining can be a tad generic but that is certainly not the case here. The in-house restaurant, The Woodsman serves up a tasty selection of seasonal classics from a theatre-style kitchen at the centre of the space itself. Much of the ingredients on offer are sourced from the hotel’s own country estate, so you can be assured of fresh, tasty, British meat and produce.
If you’re planning on doing the Shakespeare Trial, this is the perfect chance to explore many of his former haunts without the usual mob of tourists. Of course, the current situation does mean that it’s impossible to take in a production of one of his classics but there is plenty of other sites to take in instead,
Hotel Indigo has, in fact, come up with some great suggestions via their Clues To The Neighbourhood project whereby they have partnered with lots of local businesses and organisations to suggest some great things to see and do. It’s worth asking at check-in for some more information as they’ll be delighted to help.
Like everywhere, the hotel has taken lots of extra steps to keep their guests safe at this time. Their already rigorous cleaning processes have been enhanced, contact has been reduced and social distancing measures are in place.
Hotel Indigo, 4 Chapel Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6HA, England.
