{"id":88643,"date":"2022-04-15T22:43:43","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T02:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/?p=88643"},"modified":"2024-06-06T11:37:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T15:37:54","slug":"dramatic-irony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/2022\/04\/dramatic-irony\/","title":{"rendered":"Dramatic Irony"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n
\"Artist
Artist Residence Oxfordshire<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It continues to be surprising that some of the most eclectic and irreverent hotel designs can be found in small towns and villages all over England. <\/h4>\n

Compared to the hotels in countryside that surrounds it, London is a quirk desert. So are most major cities, for that matter, where hotels have too many rooms and perhaps too much on the line. For true idiosyncrasy, what you need is the homespun charm and centuries of grassroots hospitality tradition found at the old country house hotels and coaching inns of England. <\/p>\n

As evidenced by the hotel selection below, it’s in small towns and villages all over England where playfulness and eccentricity are allowed to shine. Individually conceived rooms, ironic decor, intensely personal flourishes \u2014 it’s risky, it’s dramatic, and it can all go horribly awry in the wrong hands. These hotels are not in the wrong hands.
\n <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Foresters Hall<\/a><\/h2>\n
Cowes, England<\/h5>\n

\"Foresters<\/a><\/p>\n

The Georgian townhouse that\u2019s now home to Foresters Hall has long been a fixture in Cowes \u2014 it\u2019s named for its original use as a meeting place for the Ancient Order of Foresters \u2014 but its most recent chapter began in 2022, when Sarah Curran and Peter Sussman, a couple of film-industry professionals, sought to parlay their years of experience as travelers into their first hospitality venture.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fcowes-hotels%2Fforesters-hall%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Collective at Woolsery<\/a><\/h2>\n
Bideford, England<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The Collective is no ordinary hotel, but something more like a southern Italian \u201calbergo diffuso\u201d in the North Devon village of Woolsery. It encompasses the Farmers Arms pub, the neighboring chip shop, the J. Andrew Shop & Post Office, the nearby Birch Farm, plus 7 overnight cottages, rooms, and suites divided amongst the property, each one with its own distinct personality.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fwoolsery-hotels%2Fthe-collective-at-woolsery%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Antonia\u2019s Pearls<\/a><\/h2>\n
Cornwall, England<\/h5>\n

\"Antonia\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

The seaside village of Charlestown is one of Cornwall\u2019s most picturesque destinations, and sees its fair share of tourism, especially in the summer months. One way to avoid any hint of a crowd is to duck into one of Antonia\u2019s Pearls, a collection of cottages, a cabin, a studio, and a Georgian townhouse restored by owners and operators Antonia and David in a style that\u2019s chic, unpretentious, and memorably eclectic.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fcharlestown-harbour-hotels%2Fantonias-pearls%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Hare and Hounds<\/a><\/h2>\n
Newbury, England<\/h5>\n

\"Hare<\/a><\/p>\n

England\u2019s old coaching inns are perfect material for regional boutique hotels, and the Hare and Hounds, in the Berkshire market town of Newbury, is a fine example. This 17th-century Georgian inn has historical character to spare, but it wears it lightly, updating the experience for well-traveled and sophisticated visitors. The 30 rooms are spread between the original coach house and a handful of outbuildings; all are charming and full of personality. <\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2FNewbury-hotels%2Fhare-and-hounds-newbury%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Titchwell Manor Hotel<\/a><\/h2>\n
Titchwell, England<\/h5>\n

\"Titchwell<\/a><\/p>\n

Not a country house hotel, but a country retreat; the former implies some aristocratic formality, while the latter, at least in the case of Titchwell Manor, simply means a luxurious yet unpretentious escape by the Norfolk coast, in a Victorian farmhouse and its renovated outbuildings, all updated in a playful and eclectic style, mixing period details with vintage and modern furniture.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Ftitchwell-hotels%2Ftitchwell-manor-hotel%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Swan Southwold<\/a><\/h2>\n
Southwold, England<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Among the chief attractions of the Suffolk seaside town of Southwold is the Adnams brewery and distillery, and the Swan is the Adnams extension into the world of hospitality. This is a very thorough renovation of a classic hotel, leaving its Georgian fa\u00e7ade in its original form and updating the interiors in a vibrant, playful style reminiscent of some of England\u2019s finer country-house hotels.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fsouthwold-hotels%2Fthe-swan-southwold%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Wheatsheaf Inn<\/a><\/h2>\n
Northleach, England<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

England\u2019s venerable coaching inns are the ancestors of today\u2019s pubs, and the Wheatsheaf Inn, in the Cotswolds town of Northleach, is as true as can be to the classic, slightly utopian ideal of a public house as a welcoming place for a drink, a delicious bite to eat, and an attractive, comfortable room for the night. And if that\u2019s a description the modern pub typically fails by some distance to live up to, well, so much the better for the Wheatsheaf.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fnorthleach-hotels%2Fthe-wheatsheaf%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Strattons Hotel<\/a><\/h2>\n
Swaffham, England<\/h5>\n

\"Strattons<\/a><\/p>\n

The Norfolk market town of Swaffham is home to Strattons Hotel, an unusual Palladian\/Victorian hybrid of a house that\u2019s been transformed into the region\u2019s only proper luxury boutique hotel. This means 14 unique rooms and suites, each one full of eclectic character as well as upscale comforts. Rooms in the old house are naturally more historical in style than the more contemporary outbuildings, but neither is objectively superior.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fswaffham-hotels%2Fstrattons-hotel%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Wild Thyme & Honey<\/a><\/h2>\n
Cirencester, England<\/h5>\n

\"Wild<\/a><\/p>\n

Just outside of Cirencester in the Gloucestershire countryside is Wild Thyme & Honey, a boutique country inn in a setting that\u2019s perfectly suited to its idyllic name. The village of Ampney Crucis is a charming one, and so is the inn itself, a 16th-century pub that\u2019s been updated with 24 stylish rooms, where old stone walls stand alongside sleek modern furniture. <\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fcirencester-hotels%2Fwild-thyme-honey%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Artist Residence Brighton<\/a><\/h2>\n
Brighton and Hove, England<\/h5>\n

\"Artist<\/a><\/p>\n

England\u2019s Artist Residence hotels present an alternative view of what a boutique hotel can be: unpretentious, fun, and not a bit more luxurious than they need to be. Artist Residence Brighton was the first, its rooms decorated by local artists in exchange for lodging, a scheme that lends them an individuality no designer could possibly have planned.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fbrighton-and-hove-hotels%2Fartist-residence-brighton%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Artist Residence Oxfordshire<\/a><\/h2>\n
Oxford, England<\/h5>\n

\"Artist<\/a><\/p>\n

Right between Oxford and the Cotswolds, in the village of South Leigh, stands a 16th-century farmhouse that\u2019s slowly evolved into a classic country pub. Under the Artist Residence banner, it\u2019s a one-of-a-kind boutique inn that combines high-end comforts and a visual style that incorporates antique architecture and objects and modern furniture and contemporary art.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Foxford-hotels%2Fartist-residence-oxfordshire%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Crown Amersham<\/a><\/h2>\n
Amersham, England<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Because you haven\u2019t always got time to nip off to the Lake District, or Scotland, or Spain, it\u2019s good to know you\u2019ve got options just outside the M25. The Crown, in Amersham, is probably best known for its cameo in Four Weddings and a Funeral, but a combination of convenience, fine hospitality and thoughtful cuisine has kept it relevant even as the early-period Hugh Grant films have become film history.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Famersham-hotels%2Fthe-crown-amersham%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Old Rectory<\/a><\/h2>\n
Hastings, England<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The seaside resort town of Hastings sees enough traffic to support some biggish hotels, but none are as stylish as the Old Rectory, an eight-room bed and breakfast owned by a fashion designer whose fine taste is evident in every detail. Thanks to its small size (and its 10-and-up policy) it\u2019s refreshingly quiet, and while every room is different they\u2019re connected by a unified aesthetic that combines period atmosphere and contemporary visual impact.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fhastings-hotels%2Fthe-old-rectory%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Gallivant<\/a><\/h2>\n
Camber, England<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

This former motel is now the Gallivant, a remarkably swanky, beachy-chic boutique hotel. And while it\u2019s inspired by an idealized vision of the Hamptons, its interpretation is a unique one, studiously avoiding transatlantic clich\u00e9s in favor of a look that\u2019s roughly equal parts casual surf shack and stylish country inn.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Frye-hotels%2Fthe-gallivant%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpage%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Ddramatic_irony”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″]\"mark\"