One of the most important aspects of an UK staycation is the selection of accommodation. What did I want from my weekend stay in the Cotswolds? 

Price, comfort and convenience with a larger focus than usual on comfort.

Saving on plane fares meant that you can splurge a bit more on a nicer place to stay, although prices in the UK countryside are generally reasonable in comparison to London’s ridiculousness. I still remembered the cheap “breakfast” offered by one hotel chain my friend used which consisted of biscuits and juice.  

I ended up choosing Sunny Nest B&B near Bourton on the Water, one of the Cotswold’s most popular villages, via booking.com. It was a handsome yellow Farmhouse located next to a country road and had plenty of car parking space for the capacity of the B&B.

We arrived in the dead of night around 10pm and were let into the building by the very friendly hostess; who despite the late hour was all smiles as she led us to our room.

Our Room

First impression? A very cosy farmhouse feel:

There were warm yellow walls, wooden flooring, lots of rugs, solid wood furniture and a LOT of storage. Everything was very clean, new and well kept aside from a single busted light.

I especially appreciated how warm the room was and I mean this literally: they did not skimp on the heating despite it being the dead of night. 

The mattress was a medium in terms of softness which wasn’t ideal for me as I prefer hard mattresses. But it was comfortable for what it was, didn’t sag and the remote location of the house meant that we always had a quiet night’s sleep.

There were very cute farm-themed touches throughout as part of the decor:

I appreciated the chocolate and coaster by the bed.

The usual UK embellishments were present i.e. kettle, tea, coffee, bottled water and tiny bottles of shower items.

The bathroom was compact, clean with a marble look and most importantly had fluffy towels and a strong hot shower.

A minor complaint I had was that the power sockets weren’t the most conveniently located and I had to shove the bedside cabinet, unplug an appliance and stretch a little to charge all my devices by the bed.

I even liked the chunky key-chain we were given with our room keys. This wasn’t something that’s easy to lose.

Breakfast

We had an early start so we were always the first in the dining/living room for breakfast during our stay. 

The decoration style was consistent throughout the house and the room was very spacious, warm and unpretentious.

The eating area was set up like a restaurant with several smaller tables for the guests.

We picked a table with a view of farmland and I imagined that during warmer seasons it would be nice to sit outside.

We were given a breakfast menu which was surprisingly comprehensive. Most bed and breakfast places I’d experienced only offered the English breakfast.

There was also plenty of juice, fruit, yoghurt, ham, cheese and other condiments on the side. 

As a huge fruit fan I took advantage of the fruit bowl both days of our stay.

The tea, coffee and toast arrived with cute ceramics and generous portions. I didn’t try the toast though not being a big sliced bread person.

For the first morning I ordered the scrambled egg and smoked salmon whilst my bf ordered a poached egg on toast with bacon.

The eggs were very well done, the scrambled egg had the perfect amount of salt and creaminess whilst the poached egg was nicely runny. The salty elements with the salmon and bacon complemented the eggs well.

On the second morning we went all out and had the full Cotswold breakfast with eggs, bacon mushrooms, tomato, sausage, baked beans, hash brown and black pudding.

The full spread was pretty impressive.

Unsurprisingly this was a bit too much and The Cotswold breakfast defeated me. I had to leave the baked beans and black pudding behind. To be fair I enjoyed everything else and these weren’t my favourite elements of a breakfast in the first place.

Summary

I had a wonderful time at Sunny Nest and highly recommend it for a Cotswold stay. It’s conveniently located for travelling around the north of the Cotswolds, the rooms are modern with a few cosy farm flourishes, it is very competitively priced and I felt like more than a faceless hotel guest during my stay. Most importantly the breakfasts are excellent and you will be spoilt for choice for English breakfast food.