Just 90 minutes outside London, Estelle Manor is a majestic English country retreat that seems right out of Downton Abbey. But make no mistake: far from being stuck in its Grade-II listed past, it is a joyfully contemporary celebration of the best of British design. While the public's fascination with this rare country house hotel might have been buoyed by Hollywood-induced interest in English manor estates – think Saltburn, Bridgerton and even The Gilded Age… – Estelle Manor's success rests on something more enduring: The promise of a bucolic escape that truly lets you switch off and smell the roses.
The long, tree-lined driveway towards the country house hotel Estelle Manor's main honey-toned Cotswold stone building – surrounded by over 3,000 acres of parkland – is perhaps the closest one would get to a Downton Abbey-style existence but once inside, any resemblance to that or any other fictional TV series disappears. While respectful of the building’s neo-Jacobean bones, this chic manor hotel and private member’s club clearly sets out to redefine the British country house with the introduction of intriguing pairings, rich textiles, contemporary art and sculptures – and not a single stag head in sight.
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The sumptuous private members club and hotel, just 90 minutes from London, opened to much fanfare this summer and the expectations were high for one key reason – hotelier and entrepreneur Sharan Pasricha. The founder and co-CEO of Ennismore, the lifestyle hospitality company, Pasricha is the person behind the Hoxton hotel group – growing it from a single east London address to several located in Europe and America – and the successful reimagining of Gleneagles in Scotland. In 2021, Pasricha opened the impossibly chic and discreet Mayfair members’ club Maison Estelle – known to attract royalty and Hollywood A-list – and then acquired what was then known as Eynsham Hall with the vision of turning it into Maison Estelle’s country outpost.
Estelle Manor has 108 rooms and suites which are located within the main house and the newer Stables and Walled Garden buildings. The design vision was led by Pasricha alongside his in-house team, and New York design powerhouse Roman and Williams took charge of delivering the concept, while Olivia Weström weaved her magic on The Clubhouse, with its workspace and gym. AIME Studios is currently working on three upcoming private houses.
The cavernous front hall, where the reception is discreetly located at the end, beautifully sets the tone for what to expect. Here, period oak panelling – stripped back and sensitively bleached to give a lighter feel – grand stone fireplaces and ornate ceilings mix with jewelled-tone textiles and modern art – selected by artistic director Eiesha Bharti, Pasricha’s wife, and curator Sigrid Kirk. Artists featured include painters Billy Childish and Erin Lawlor, and Paris-based Eric Baudart. “We don’t have obvious big names at the estate, on the contrary, we avoid that,” says Pasricha. “The artists we have chosen are extremely talented and their works are for the discerning eye – we don’t collect for the sake of collecting.
“We wanted the manor to be unexpected in lots of ways. The design vision was an eclectic but very comfortable space. We like to keep things interesting. The art and our retail store are good examples of that and my wife, Eiesha, is my secret weapon here.”
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Meanwhile, custom chandeliers, created by family-owned Wilkinson, were intentionally designed to create a soft, mellow light and vintage rugs are in abundance. “We’ve really honoured the original architecture and features – from the Living Room’s plasterwork ceilings to the Jacobean revival reception hall with original oak panelling,” says Pasricha. “I wanted the design to feel very eclectic and layered, almost like a well-traveled family friend’s home, comfortable but filled with curiosities and trinkets.”
Within the ground floor is a library but in the expected, unexpected style of Estelle Manor, there is a DJ in place there on the weekends. There is also a private club space with a sitting area, bar and lounge which is accessible to members only and where mobile phones are not allowed.
“Each space feels different – for example, the library has 1930’s inspired furnishings and antique lighting, whilst the Living Room feels more modern with Italian damask fabric over cerused oak panelling and a collection of golden mohair velvet seating created for us,” says Pasricha.
Bedrooms feature velvet club chairs, vibrant upholstery, antiques scoured from around the globe and a bespoke armoire which doubles up as a stylish minibar offering not just drinks but thoughtful extras like silk eye masks and collagen masks. “Our rooms all feel very different – in the Manor House bedrooms are rather opulent and grand, but the Woodland Cottages will feel quite bohemian,” he adds. Bathrooms are resplendent with marble, roll-top baths and super-chic Commune products.
There are four beautiful restaurants within this country house hotel, including the Billiards Room, the deliciously extravagant Chinese dining space with gold-mirrored walls, emerald-green carpet and malachite-topped tables. It may all sound fun but the food is taken seriously: five top chefs have been brought in from Hong Kong to prepare everything from authentic dim sum to wok-fried dover sole. “There’s no shortage of excellent gastro pubs serving good food in the Cotswolds, so I wanted to go exotic with the cuisine and differentiate it from anything else in the area,” says Pasricha.
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The impeccably designed and lively brasserie serves an all-day menu of seasonal dishes and has an orangery, an ideal spot for breakfast and lunch. The Estelle steak tartare, with confit yolk, pickled mustard and melba toast, is of particular note and mains include an Oxford cheddar souffle and a beef wellington served with whipped potatoes.
Original outbuildings have been transformed into The Clubhouse, which includes a 250 sq meter state-of-the-art gym with cardio, strength and training equipment, and offers 36 fitness classes a week from HIIT to pilates. Parents can leave their children in the kids’ club, which provides two hours of free childcare for three to eight-year-olds, while they work out or head to the spacious working space, and there is a salon by celebrity hairstylist George Northwood in the offing.
Outside the walls of this chic country house hotel, guests can get around with chauffeur-driven golf carts and for the under 10s, mini Land Rovers. There are a number of traditional exploits – from axe-throwing to air rifle shooting – to take part in or visitors and members can relax in the south terrace’s Riviera-inspired 25-meter swimming pool.
After five years in the works, it is little surprise Pasricha is pleased with the unveiling. “There is nothing like seeing it all come together,” he says. “It’s truly a labour of love. It’s been amazing to get feedback from members and guests saying that they’ve felt truly looked after and hosted. I wanted them to leave their rural escape having enjoyed our thoughtful and beautiful design, wonderful service and some incredible food.”
Estelle Manor’s much-loved spa, a Roman-inspired marble-clad bath house, is just as impressive: It feature five pools, ten treatment rooms, a lounge and a bar. Proof if any more is needed that Estelle Manor is no classic English country getaway, and all the more extraordinary for that.
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