Openings: Thyme
Thyme, a country retreat in the Cotswolds, has started taking individual room bookings for the first time. Previously only available for exclusive use, Thyme in Southrop on the Oxfordshire border offers eight luxury suites in Thyme House, as well as three cottage suites and two cottages.
Architect Robert Weighton was behind the renovation and restoration of the traditional Cotswold-stone buildings, while interior designer Roger Hall furnished each suite with a mix of English and French antique furniture.
Among the cottages is the Tallet, which offers four double rooms, an open-plan living area with fully equipped kitchen, bar, dining room and private courtyard; and Old Walls, which is located a couple of minutes' walk away from Thyme in the village and sleeps four adults and two children.
The large, open kitchen in Thyme House backs onto gardens designed by landscape architect Bunny Guinness, while breakfast is cooked in front of the guests by chefs and served in the Tithe Barn.
Opened September 2015
Owner Caryn Hibbert
Facilities The Baa (guest drawing room and bar); the Swan at Southrop (17th-century English village pub with restaurant); and a cookery school
Starting rate £260 a night
Websitewww.thyme.co.uk