Cowley Manor Experimental

The place

A seventeenth-century Italianate mansion on 55 acres of parkland near Cheltenham, in the Cotswolds. The sandstone facade keeps its composure; inside, classic design loosens into something quirkier, brighter.

The 31 rooms and suites follow suit. Dorothée Meilichzon designed each with a nod to Alice in Wonderland — rumored to have been written in Cowley, drawn from these very grounds — setting design-forward furniture and distinct objects against splashes of color.

Two pools anchor the days: 15 metres outdoors, 17 metres of slate indoors. A gym, steam room, and sauna sit alongside. In the kitchen, chef Jackson Boxer cooks a refined British menu with a quiet French accent, and the cocktail bar keeps a curated list.