Shunning the twinset and pearl entourage that you might expect a quintessentially English village like Painswick to attract, the stuffed magpies perched over the reception seemed to say it all. The Cotswolds88Hotel is a kitsch treasure trove of the gaudy, gold and glittery – with the eye-catching trinkets nestling in a remarkably gorgeous, and ever-so tasteful, Grade II listed mansion.

There is little to hint at the Alice in Wonderland-style interior when starring up at the honey-coloured 18th century former rectory from the outside – so with less than a foot inside the front door, the stark naked silver couture mannequin might come as a bit of a surprise to unsuspecting guests. When compared with the magnolia walls and ubiquitous Ikea prints of many a hotel entrance, she certainly caught our attention from the off.

Stuffed birds, zebra striped rugs, and snakeskin dining tables – all faux, of course – might not be to everyone’s taste, but flamboyant interior designer Marchella De Angelis’ decor oozes confidence, with each of the hotel’s 17 rooms benefiting from her unique touch. The most outlandish of the rooms comes bedecked in bold, and a bit scary, Leigh Bowery wallpaper and brazen lipstick prints, while another suite’s Palladian balcony – with views across the sheep scattered pastures of Painswick and beyond – offered aesthetics of a more natural design.

For us, staying in one of the ‘Palladian suites’, the décor meant monochrome wallpaper, pink and white stripes on the sofa and headboard, and a four-poster bed with feathery white linen overlooked by an oil painting of a slightly stern clergyman. The antique wardrobe and gold-framed cameos were in contrast to the plasma TV and ultra-modern bathroom complete with noisy but luxuriously decadent Jacuzzi and Molton Brown products, but worked beautifully together.

We were disappointed to read that guests were expected to ‘hire’ a DVD player, which although came complete with access to the DVD library, cost £15 a night. A fridge for keeping a tipple or two chilled would also have been nice, but proved even more of an excuse for us to sit at the white leather clad bar for an aperitif, before making our way to The88Room restaurant where the snakeskin made a reappearance, alongside a menu of contemporary European cuisine.

After a long night of undisturbed slumber under the watchful gaze of the stern clergyman, it may sound like a sycophantic fairytale but we really were awoken by the sound of birdsong outside – beating those automated wake-up calls, for a bright eyes and bushy-tailed full English breakfast with all the trimmings in the restaurant, that’s for sure.

While Cotswolds88Hotel might take a few things seriously – rigorous attention to detail and exceptional quality customer service as examples – one thing it doesn’t take too seriously is itself. With a risk of being all style and no substance, the self-asserted ‘lifestyle’ hotel manages to remain playful without skimping on the things that matter in a hotel – fluffy towels, smiley staff, and a bucket of ice when you need one, for example.

Nara, the delightfully friendly and ridiculously well-informed receptionist who gave us a tour of the hotel, described Cotswolds88 as ‘Marmite – you either love it or hate it’, and while we can certainly imagine some of the wallpaper and stuffed animals raising an eyebrow, expect the unexpected and we think the majority of open minded guests will rather enjoy the quirky touches of individuality missing from so many chain hotels.

A one-night stay for two at Cotswolds88Hotel in Painswick starts from £165, including breakfast.

Don’t miss SoGlos.com’s Cotswolds88Hotel photo gallery and, to find out more about the staying at Cotswolds88Hotel call (01452) 813688, email reservations@cotswolds88hotel.com or visit cotswolds88hotel.com.

Michelle Byrne
27 April 2009