The buzz of the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a wonderful feeling – and you won't get it from watching those gee gees from home. Come March 10-13, saddle up and take off for The Greenway Hotel and Spa in Cheltenham, a quintessentially English accommodation experience. This typically Cotswold 16th century Elizabethan manor house, with ivy clinging to its every honey-coloured brick, is a stunning sight to behold and the perfect place to get dressed up to the nines for Ladies' Day. And when you get back after a hefty day's gambling (and winning hopefully), there's cosy open fire and afternoon tea to welcome you, along with gorgeous Gloucestershire views and great service.
Now bear with me here, because I know this luxurious little gem of a hotel is not in Wembley and I am suggesting you stay here for the FA Cup Final on May 30 at Wembley Stadium. But COME ON, wouldn't you rather stay in a rinky-dinky salubrious little number like this than in a bog standard concrete monster in Wembley? Thought so. And The Chesterfield, with its gloriously OTT gilt and scarlet colour schemes, dining rooms that look like they hosted Jules Verne when in town and fab old school service, is bang on the Jubilee Line (at Green Park) that will take you directly to the footie faster than you can say I Like David Beckham's New Tattoo. Lovely.
It's eleven minutes by car from Bagshot to Royal Ascot (June 16-20) and likely as not you will spend each one of those minutes singing the praises of this lovely, 19th century manor house sitting within 123 acres of rolling Surrey countryside. Previous guests Cameron Diaz, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig all saw fit to stay here – not surprising when you see the excellent spa treatments (plus eight indoor and outdoor pools), fitness and training facilities (the England rugby union squad are regulars).
Just ten miles away from the Silverstone circuit, home to the 2015 British Formula One Grand Prix (July 3-5), Fawsley Hall was bought not long ago by classy operation Handpicked Hotels. The property is jaw-droppingly beautiful – a stately home in every sense, from wonderful family portraits starring down at you in the Great Hall to super-sexy four poster beds in the guest rooms – and you will seriously struggle to leave it behind when you head off to the circuit. Still, nice to know you can return after a day's cacophony of cars screeching around a track to the warm embrace of a five-star hotel and the glorious Cedar Restaurant. Reason indeed to shake up that jeroboam of champagne…
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