Estelle Manor opened in 2023 and is a new, luxury hotel and country club in Oxfordshire. We have now stayed there three times since then, so I consider myself a bit of an expert.
Estelle Manor is a 90-minute drive from Heathrow. Both trips, we flew on the one non-stop flight they have from Raleigh to London, arriving at 6:30am. It took 1.5 seconds to breeze through customs and our bags were already waiting when we arrived at baggage claim. We hopped in our rental car, taking a few minutes to adjust again to the wrong side of the car and wrong side of the road, and we were on property by 9:30am!
When we entered the private gates of Estelle Manor, I became Mary Lennox, living out my childhood fantasy from “The Secret Garden.” The manor house is grand—with high walled gardens, and bikes to explore the property. There are 108 hotel rooms, four restaurants, a workspace, a gym and an extraordinary 3000 sq meters Roman-inspired bath house and spa that opened three months ago.
Design legends Roman and Williams somehow managed to make the spaces feel Old World, yet contemporary, and taking in every single mind blowing detail became one of our favorite part of the experience. The vision is that of owner Sharan Pasricha, the founder of Ennismore (Hoxton hotels and others) with artistic direction of Sharan’s wife, investor Eiesha Bharti Pasricha. I seriously bow down. What they have created is astounding.
Throw open the doors, kind sir, your footman will escort you to your room. This is Estelle Manor, and it’s my next Stylish Stay.
What I Loved: The attention to detail at every turn was unsurpassed. From the design to the bar to the food to the rooms to the gardens—you would be hard pressed to find a flaw. We specifically wanted to return to visit the Eynsham Baths, the Roman-inspired spa. It’s worth every penny! Bath access is not included in your spa treatment, which was my only gripe. *I wasn’t allowed to take photos, but you can check it out here. The Warrior Massage with Manos, which I have had twice, was quite possibly the best massage I’ve had anywhere. And that’s saying something. We also LOVE the breakfast, and we usually have a package where that is included every morning.
Something to Know: We had a little snafu at check-in in that our amenities that were supposed to included didn’t show up. So on our third trip we didn’t get our room upgrade or our early check-in, which was brutal coming off an overnight flight with zero sleep. Since we first visited Estelle Manor, they have changed the day pass at the spa, which is a bummer. You used to be able to purchase a pass and then go and come as you please. Now, you purchase a 180 minute Thermal Journey at a set time for 155 GBP, which is not included when you book another treatment. Note: It is complimentary for club members, which is a wonderful perk! The Eynsham Baths are not open to the public. Only club members, their guests and hotel guests.
Suite Dreams: We loved our rooms every time! I love the Walled Garden Cottage near The Glass House. It has a large separate sitting area, which was perfect for my husband, who always wakes at the crack of dawn. It also had the most incredible amenities, such as a curling iron, that I tried to buy once we got back to the states, and they don’t ship outside the UK (boo hoo!). My hair stylist uses this similar one, though and it’s on my Christmas list! When you opened up the mini bar, it was anything but mini. It was so thoughtfully stashed with eye masks and craft cocktail mix and so many fun things—no detail was overlooked! I also loved the Commune products in the bathroom—which I gave as client gifts last year! I was told that staying inside the house is “magical,” so we plan to give that a try next time. I’ll report back on whether or not the noise is an issue (the have had DJs in the past, so I’m not sure how or if they can control the noise).
Stylish Sips: We often joke that it’s hard to mess up a Negroni, but it takes a very good bartender to make it something special. The cocktails were so good, that we called over the Drinks Specialist (that’s what they prefer to be called) to talk about their secret sauce. Don’t miss dinner in the Glass House! We’ve eaten there twice and it’s been so incredible both times Note: The Glass House is only open Friday-Monday for dinner (Which is why we couldn’t go on this last trip).
Cool Factor: A self-proclaimed “new school club with old school values,” they have succeeded in their mission to feel unstuffy. A membership gets you access to the members only areas, events, supper clubs and workshops, The Clubhouse workspace, 20% off a stay. If I lived in London, this would be a no brainer!
Hero Shot: From the end of the pool looking back at the house. Spectacular!
The sitting area in our room had warm and cozy vibes when we made a fire one night and watched the rest of the Beckham documentary.
