My wife and I recently stayed here as part of an English holiday. Lords of the Manor is a very English experience and is blessed with a wonderful location in the bucolic countryside. The rooms are contemporary while retaining their period charms. The service was generally good and the food was consistent throughout our four day stay. The Slaughters are very central to a number of great attractions, including Daylesford Farm, Blenheim Palace, Oxford and the Cotswolds. If you don't want to dine at the restaraunt every night, do some research on local alternatives. We discovered suprisingly good options in Bourton-on-the-Water and nearby Stow-on-the-Wold. The Moreton-in-Marsh markets were a significant let down, as they were dominated by the purveyors of cheap trinkets rather than fine produce.

My husband and I took advantage of a travelzoo deal which worked out well. For £199 a night we got B&B and a 3 course meal. They upgraded us on arrival which was a bonus.

The Manor House
The house is lovely, set in lovely grounds that are good for walks. It’s very tastefully decorated, entrance hall, reception, bar area and a few lounges to relax in. There were real fires, board games and books in most rooms. It could have done with some background music, to take away the stuffiness/rigidity, especially in the dining room. The hotel is in a great location to see the rest of the Cotswolds or to simply put your feet up and relax.

The Room
The room was spacious, large comfortable bed, TV and good bathroom with shower and bath. Toiletries were up market. They also provided free still and sparkling water as well as 2 Belvoir Elderflower presses each day. The downside is there were no tea and coffee making facilities. They did provide a turn down service at night, without request.

The Breakfast
The buffet was a little disappointing. They provided fruit juice, homemade yogurt (first morning this was so runny it was like milk, second day it was ok), cereal, nuts and basic fruit, it just seemed very limited compared to other hotels we’ve stayed at. You were also able to order from a menu choosing from a cooked breakfast to porridge, scrambled egg on toast etc. They brought toast and tea/coffee to your table. The food was of a very good standard and I couldn’t fault it.

Evening meal
We had an evening meal of 3 courses, which turned out to be 6 courses when you included the aperitif, pre starter and pre dessert! It is a Michelin restaurant and certainly lived up to this standard – the food was tasty, innovative and faultlessly executed. Both nights we came away very full, they didn’t skimp on portions – or maybe it was just the 6 courses and amazing bread rolls they offered! The dining area would have benefited from some background music, maybe some classical, to give it more ambience.

Afternoon Tea
We had this one afternoon, following a walk to Lower Slaughter. It was quite nice, not the best we’ve had. It was an interesting take on afternoon tea, with some miniature ice cream cornets & sweets thrown in. There wasn’t much of it, but it certainly filled the gap. I suppose I would prefer to go with the more traditional afternoon tea.

The service
Everybody was very helpful, friendly and attentive.

We stayed two nights and eat at the Michelin starred restaurant on our 2nd night. The hotel was beautiful and the staff great. It must be situated in one of the prettiest places on the planet, straight out of a Tolkien book (didn't see any Hobbits though). The hotel definitely gets 5 stars but the restaurant obviously had staffing problems that night. We had to wait for 40 mins in the bar before being shown to the table and then another long time before the food arrived. There wasn't much of an apology. However the food was very good when it finally arrived. Will definitely be returning.

We drove into the Cotswolds countryside, and were once again captivated by the rolling hills and peacefulness of the area. We came into Upper Slaughter from the south, but for the most picturesque approach, I would definitely recommend coming in via Lower Slaughter, which is beautiful, and then continuing on to Upper Slaughter - it will really get you in the mood to appreciate the area!

Reaching the hotel, we parked on the gravel drive right outside the front door, and were checked in a whisked to our room in a very friendly and efficient manner, and were really made to feel as though we were guests, rather than just another person staying at the hotel. The car park is at the rear of the hotel, and we were offered the choice of having one of the staff move the car, or we could do it ourselves; I elected to do it myself, which allowed me to walk through the rear gardens of the hotel, which despite it being December, were still very pretty.

The "standard" rooms were very well appointed, plenty of room, and with real character - none of your standard fittings as in some of the bigger chains, but everything was very individual, which we really appreciate. There is no tea/coffee maker in the room, but this can be delivered to your room at no charge on request, so that's no problem.

We had a package which included a bottle of local English wine in the room (Three Choirs, very palatable!), and when we asked for an ice-bucket, it was delivered in about five minutes - excellent service!

The hotel has several quiet areas where you can relax, from simple sitting rooms to a beautiful lounge area overlooking the front lawn, and a wide selection of snacks and drinks available.

Dinner that evening was very nice indeed; an excellent selection from the menu, with an extensive wine list. One thing that does annoy me just a little is the inclusion on the set price menus of dishes with supplements - I'd much rather have a selection of things as per the actual menu price rather than items with extra cost - but this is very commonplace these days...
All the food was very good indeed, and the waiters and waitresses were perfect - very attentive when needed, fading into the background when not needed.

Breakfast was also excellent - a wide selection, and all very good quality.

The hotel was very busy, as there were conferences taking place, but you never felt crowded or rushed; there was plenty of room for everyone, and the staff were very attentive and always treated you like an individual; highly refreshing.

As per the description, this hotel is one for those who like to relax...and it was a very relaxing stay; we will be back.