Thirty Two
Cheltenham, UK
A design-perfect B&B that's a showroom in its own right: very upmarket but wonderfully friendly
This is boutique at its very, very best: just 4 rooms; ultra
stylish decor and warm, welcoming owners. Set in a gorgeous square
of identical Regency townhouses, Thirty Two lies in one of
Cheltenham's ritziest areas. Within walking distance of
Montpellier's fab shops and restaurants, within throwing distance
of a pretty garden square. And as soon as you trot up the
snow-white front steps, you know you've arrived somewhere
special.
Owners Jonathan and Jonathan are interiors experts - this B&B
venture was set up on a whim. But it's not like any B&B we've
come across before. There's an interiors shop on the ground floor,
selling many of the furnishings you'll drool over upstairs. There's
an immaculate guest lounge where everything is precisely,
symmetrically laid out in twos: Chinese urns, glass lamps, perspex
tables, button-back leather chairs... it's a Noah's Ark of design.
Scented candles waft throughout and the bedrooms are
exquisite: Cole & Son wallpaper, antique furniture, goose-down
duvets. We're always wary of the word 'luxurious' but it applies
here in spades.
Reviewed by Liz Simpson
Last updated
22 January 2010
Highs
- Great location, in a beautiful Regency square, close to lovely boutique shops
- Charming owners who are chatty or discreet; they are very sensitive to whichever you'd prefer
- The interiors shop on the ground floor for those 'I wish my house looked like this' moments...
- Excellent breakfast: you can even specify where you'd like the eggs on your plate!
- All the small things: Penhaligon's toiletries, an honesty bar, piles of glossy coffee-table books, CD and DVD library
Lows
- It's so calm and ordered that you might feel self-conscious if you were the only guests
- Breakfast is served on a communal table - it might not be to everyone's taste but we enjoyed this and continental breakfasts can be served in-room if you prefer
- There's no restaurant, but there are several within walking distance
- It's expensive - but so worth the treat!
