Hotel Indigo Stratford-upon-Avon
This hotel in a black-and-white timber-frame building in the center of town has a great location opposite Shakespeare’s New Place and a gorgeous, stripped-back feel that works well within the confines of a historic building. Originally called the Falcon, it nods to this past in the wood-paneled tearoom, where it is said wood from Shakespeare's New Place was repurposed when the house was torn down. Far from a museum, though, this well-thought-out hotel has different areas to suit moods and tastes, from a cozy bar to a lovely courtyard garden to a light-filled lobby. Each room comes with a Hypnos bed dressed in Egyptian cotton, beautiful tiled bathroom, and charming splashes of color. Opt for one of the rooms in the 16th-century part of the building for more Tudor character (contemporary rooms are also lovely, and larger), and make sure you dine in the handsome Woodsman pub downstairs at least one night, where local deer, wild boar, and lamb are cooked in front of diners on a wood-fired oven and charcoal grill.
