Wild Thyme & Honey Hotel

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Wild Thyme & Honey Hotel
Reviewer: Ella Loyd

After visiting the Cotswolds last year (without the dog), my husband and I decided that it would make the perfect location to take Gus, our Japanese Spitz, on his first holiday of 2022. When I came across Wild Thyme & Honey hotel, I couldn’t quite believe that somewhere this nice would be dog friendly, and with the boutique hotel only having opened in the last year, I took a bit of a gamble in booking as there weren’t many reviews to browse.

The hotel is located just outside of Cirencester, nestled between several large fields and some residential buildings; the area is the perfect balance of quiet countryside without being too far from attractions, restaurants, garden centres and other shops.

Upon arrival we were shown to our ground floor room, complete with en-suite bathroom, a beautifully made queens size bed, a much smaller bed and blanket for Gus, and -the best part for me- a bottle of complimentary sloe gin on the desk! The room also had under floor heating which could be controlled using a digital panel on the wall, and a radio and television for entertainment. The hotel has an ‘honesty pantry’, where guests can help themselves to extra tea, Nespresso pods, fresh milk, toilet roll and other essentials should they need it. Plus, some of the rooms have interconnecting doors, so would be perfect for groups or families.

One we’d been introduced to our room and toilet, it was time to work out where Gus’s toilet would be! Luckily the room was situated very close to an exit leading out to a small wooden bridge that connected the hotel to an open field, which, including the footpaths to the side, were enough for a decent length dog walk with some beautiful views.

The part that I was most impressed with about the hotel was that every part of it is dog friendly, including the communal areas and restaurant! The hotel has a few indoor and outdoor places that can be enjoyed by guests and their dogs such as outdoor ‘pods’, a cosy lounge and bar, and a courtyard complete with a fireplace in the middle. Although we didn’t eat dinner at Wild Thyme & Honey, we did have the pleasure of enjoying a cooked breakfast before check out, which was included in the cost of our stay, as well as continental additions and juices from the ‘chef’s table.’ We found the food to be high quality and delicious – we almost regretted not having dinner here the night before!

For muddy walks in the local area, the hotel also stocks a range of sizes of wellies by the front door for guests to use, plus the room includes a handy storage unit by the front door for any other muddy walking gear.

We paid £150 for one night’s stay, Sunday to bank holiday Monday, including a £30 charge for the dog. This charge is per pet, per night. For the two of us, this worked out at £75 per person before the dog fee, which for us is more than we would usually spend per night on a hotel room, however, I felt that the price was definitely justified for the hotel’s facilities and for how clean and modern the rooms were. Prices for Wild Thyme & Honey depend on the room selected as they also offer suites with freestanding baths as well as an accessible ground floor room with a lower bed and accessible bathroom, all also with dog friendly options.

For a local day out from Wild Thyme & Honey, Cotswold Country Park and Beach is less than a 15-minute drive away, dog friendly and a great day out for the whole family with offers of activities such as: boat hire, stand up paddle boarding and more! The area is also filled with public footpaths and their website offers a selection of suggested circular walks including maps and wildlife to keep an eye out for. The park does ask that dogs do not enter the water, and the beach is off-limits to dogs, so bear this in mind when planning your visit.

In addition to this, the Cotswold Wildlife park is nearby and is actually dog friendly provided that they are kept on a lead and under control at all times. A fantastic day out whilst giving your dog the experience of seeing a variety of animals from giraffes to penguins!

As we are currently trying to improve Gus’s street walking, we took full advantage of the Cotswold’s beautiful villages to explore. My favourites were Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold; I loved the stone architecture, and Stow-on-the-Wold even had a dog friendly café that provided a water bowl outside: Coach House Coffee. After picking up some lunch, we headed up to Dover’s Hill nearby to let Gus stretch his legs a bit more and enjoy the view from the top.

The Cotswolds has an abundance of dog friendly restaurants, however, myself being vegan, finding somewhere both dog and vegan friendly was a bit of a challenge! We booked a table at the Greyhound in Siddington, a village just outside of Cirencester, rather last minute as it was close to our hotel and fit our requirements; we found the staff to be incredibly attentive and friendly. Although their website states that dogs are only allowed in designated areas, upon arrival we were told that the whole pub is dog friendly; this was a relief as we were concerned that they wouldn’t have seen our note about bringing Gus with us on our booking in time. Gus can be nervous around people he doesn’t know, but the staff made sure to make a fuss of him and offer him treats!

Overall, we found the Cotswold’s to be an excellent holiday for both us and the dog, and I can’t recommend it enough for someone looking to get away with their furry friend! Wild Thyme & Honey is definitely the perfect hotel for anyone seeking a luxurious stay in the countryside.

Wild Thyme & Honey Hotel, review by  Ella Loyd.     For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit  https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine