Discovering Hotel Indigo Stratford-Upon-Avon And The Clues To The Neighbourhood

Hotel Indigo has 115 properties in total, with many more in the works! Bath, Cyprus and Verona will all be opening up very soon and by 2023 there will be 200 in total, making it the largest boutique hotel brand in the world. Yet they want it to feel very neighbourhoodey (is that a word? If not, it should be!). They aim to tell stories to their guests through ‘clues’ to the neighbourhood. These clues tell stories about the town and by telling stories, each place comes alive. Of course we all know what Stratford-upon-Avon is famous for Shakespeare. But when you dive deeper into the town there is a lot more on offer!

 

Of course there are still elements of the Bard incorporated into the hotel, he is part of the story of the town after all and people want the history and the theatrics. They want the story. Shakespeare got married in the church right outside the front door, the school that he attended is next door to that. His house across the road. This hotel is built on top of the former stables where Shakespeare’s horses would have been stabled. The tea room is panelled with wood saved from his home directly across the road from where the hotel now stands. The hotel aims to inject Shakespeare’s presence without making it all about him. Dotted around the hotel are quirky little touches like little Shakespeare lego’s which incorporate him into the hotel in a fun and playful way.

 

But alongside these subtle offerings to Shakespeare, Hotel Indigo have curated 20 different experiences and clues to the neighbourhood by partnering with local businesses to help you dive deeper into the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon. From a butterfly farm to a bike maker to a gin distillery, there are enough experiences to last you an entire week if you so wished!

 

Laura Mvula who wrote music for the Royal Shakespeare Company introduced us to the Clues To The Neighbourhood by sharing her own memories of her time living in the town whilst writing the score for Antony and Cleopatra and giving us some personal ‘clues’ to Stratford. The town is known for the amount of swans along the riverbanks and she recalled her morning runs along the river paths with all these beautiful white birds so her first clue was a beautiful white swan feather. Another of her favourite ‘clues’ is a black swan, which is in reference to The Dirty Duck pub that used to be called the Black Swan and was where all the cast members, after their rehearsals, would go for a drink to unwind after a long day in the theatre.

 

For my experiences of the town, I enjoyed a fabulous afternoon tea in a 40’s inspired tea rooms, The Four Teas. I highly recommend you pop in here for a cream tea, trust me, you won’t regret it! Then I attended an incredible perfume making workshop using only 16th century scents with the fantastic local artisan Rebecca Tracey. It was fascinating to discover the world of scents using these traditional oils and make my own perfume which I’ve been wearing every day since. If this wasn’t enough, I got to tuck into a lavish lunch in the ‘feasting room’ at The Woodsman Restaurant, which has been voted the best new restaurant in the UK by the Good Food Guide 2020. And let me tell you, it was superb!! Venison Wellington, Venison lollipops, incredible Scotch eggs, baked celeriac in a salted crust, slow roast Venison shoulder (lots of game on this menu!), a mouthwatering tart tatin with apples that came from just down the road. I would eat here again in a heartbeat.

 

I have to say, I am loving this new concept of discovery!