Lifestyle & Fashion Writer, NationalWorld I was invited to stay at the hotel, which is in the heart of the quaint and picturesque medieval market town, earlier this summer - and, to use a word that Shakespeare himself would have approved of, I found it to be very majestic and beautiful. I stayed in the luxury four star boutique hotel for two nights with my mum, which seemed fitting as she was the one who had inspired my love for all things literature by reading to me from a young age. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to ManchesterWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
We noticed the first attractive feature for the hotel before we’d even stepped foot through the door - the location. It couldn’t be any more central - and therefore it couldn’t be any more perfect for enthusiastic sight-seers such as ourselves who were eager to soak up as much culture as possible from Shakespeare’s birthplace. On its website, The Arden Hotel describes its location as “unrivalled” - and it truly is.
We were able to park the car up on our arrival and not get back in it until we (sadly) came to leave as the historic town and all that is has to offer - from Shakespeare’s birthplace museum, to the local shops, to the River Avon - are all on the hotel’s doorstep and in very comfortable walking distance. It also happens to be directly opposite the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Theatre , where we spent a wonderful evening watching a production of “As You Like It” - but more on that later. Back to the hotel.
According to the personalised letter which was left in our room, The Arden Hotel, which is part of the Eden Hotel Collection , aims to provide a “peaceful, relaxing and memorable stay”, and it certainly achieved its goal. We were shown to our room, one of 45 rooms in this small but perfectly-formed hotel, by very helpful concierge staff. The room had everything you’d expect from a four star establishment; a wonderfully comfortable bed with soft cotton bedding, a dressing table and mirror, a wardrobe, a fridge, a safe, complimentary tea and coffee facilities, a TV, fluffy robes, complimentary toiletries, a walk-in shower and a bath.
Just what you need for a proper home-away-from-home. Advertisement Advertisement The room was also as you would expect it to be for a hotel in a historic area like Stratford-Upon-Avon; dark wood furnishings gave an old world feel that you would associate with Shakespearean times, but the large window and white bedding also ensured that the room was still light and airy and felt fresh and modern. There were also extra modern touches that definitely wouldn’t have been around in Shakespeare’s day but were very much appreciated, such as an air-conditioning unit and the DVD player - although some would say that a DVD player is a little retro now too.
There were also complimentary Temple Spa products in the bathroom which added to the sense of elegance and luxury. Being a journalist, I also really appreciated the copy of the local newspaper, the Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald, had been left in the room. Maybe I’m biased but I don’t think there’s any better way to get to know the current happenings in an area you’re in than to read a local paper, so it’s something I always do when I visit a new place.
Needless to say, I was pleasently surprised to find one had already been provided for me and enjoyed reading it as I relaxed on the bed. When it was time to leave the hotel to take in our local surroundings, the hotel kindly provided a handy - and very colourful - map to ensure we could find our way around. Along with the personalised letter which had been left in our room, and the welcoming staff, this made us feel as though there was genuine care for hotel guests.
The map did also prove to be very useful as we made sure we ticked off all the local tourist attractions. Advertisement Advertisement On our first evening, we had been invited by the Royal Shakespeare Company to watch a performance of “As You Like It”. The show was being performed in the theatre’s outdoor performance space, The Holloway Garden Theatre.
The venue first opened in the Swan Theatre Gardens during the pandemic as a way to allow live performance to continue under restrictions, but it proved to be so popular that it has been re-opened. I can see why it was so popular. I admit we were a little unsure about being outdoors for the entire one hour 20 minute performance as it started to rain a little as we settled in to our seats - which wasn’t entirely unsurprising given that it is summer in Britain - but, happily, the rain soon passed over and we began to appreciate the joy of taking in the drama at the same time as breathing in the fresh air.
I would recommend that everybody takes the risk with the British weather and books to see a play here at least once - but make sure you take a waterproof jacket with you, just in case. “As You Like It” isn’t a Shakespeare play I was particularly familar with, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did my mum. I’ll be honest and say that we couldn’t understand every word - although I’m sure most people wouldn’t be able to make sense of all of the old English phrasings now - but the actor’s exaggerated facial expressions, impressive vocal ranges and carefully planned moves, kept us precisely in the picture of what was going on if there were moments where we were unsure.
There’s also no mistaking Shakespeare’s icon quotes from this play: “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players”, “I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it” and “Love is merely a madness”, to name just three of my favourites. I must give each of the actors special credit for the patience and determination that they must have had to learn all of their lines. Anyone who has ever read any Shakespeare will know that the Bard’s language use is beautiful and unique, but complicated and complex.
It takes an extra special skill, I’m sure, to be able to memorise them and then deliver the lines with ease and confidence, so that they flow and appear natural. Each of the actors did this effortlessly, however, and so every one of them did an amazing job and deserves high praise. Advertisement Advertisement There’s also something so magical about outdoor, open air, theatre in that means performances have to be stripped back - but that is positive.
That’s because there isn’t the capabilities for lots of plug sockets, for example, to pull off elaborate light shows, or there’s nothing to hang a curtain from to hide the stage from the audience while there’s a big set change behind it - but that’s a good thing. That means that what you really, truly see is the raw talent of the actors because there’s nothing to aid them really, or distract attention. And all of the actors really were supremely talented.
They each gave impassioned performances and commanded the stage when they spoke, sang or played an instrument. It was an exceptional play. After the performance, we were invited to dine in the RSC Rooftop Restaurant.
As the name suggests, the restaurant is on the top floor of the building and overlooks the River Avon, which runs behind the theatre. Needless to say, as we settled in to our table, we were mesmerised by the exquisite views. There’s something very tranquil about being able to look out over the water, and we certainly felt very peaceful as we sat there.
It’s not just the location which is top tier with the restaurant. The food was also very enjoyable. I must commend the chef and the front of house staff, who made sure that all of our dietary requirements were adhered to - and with a smile.
The menu here is seasonal, so we were among the first to try the new summer menu. Advertisement Advertisement The smoked tofu and harissa spiced giant cous cous main course was the stand-out dish of the night for me. Served with toasted pine nuts, tender stem broccoli, tomato fondue, toasted sunflower seeds, it proved to be a taste sensation.
As a vegetarian, I find it’s rare that chefs will experiment with flavours for veggie dishes and I usually find that I’m having to eat meals based around classic plant and diary based combinations, such as cheese and tomato or tomato and basil, so I really appreciated that this was something entirely different - and therefore very exciting. It was just as good to eat as it sounds too; every single part of the dish had been perfectly executed. For dessert, we both opted for the caramel chocolate brownie ice-cream, which came served in a tuille basket.
Much like the main course, the presentation of the dish was also fabulous as well as the flavour. I’ve never had ice-cream served in a tuille basket before, but a bog-standard bowl will feel disappointing from now on. In fact, I think I enjoyed the tuille more than the actual ice cream.
It was wonderfully crisp and buttery and I savoured every mouthful. We discovered on the next afternoon, during the matinee performace of the “As You Like It”, that The Arden is so close to the theatre that you can actually hear the actors performing if you are enjoying a drink on the hotel terrace. This was just a lovely little reminder of the wonderful historic town we were in, which is linked to some of the greatest performances ever given and words ever spoken.
On our last afternoon in Stratford-Upon-Avon, we enjoyed Sunday lunch at The Arden’s restaurant, No 44 Brasserie. Again, this was another exceptionally good meal. The course I enjoyed the most was the spring vegetable risotto.
This is not something typically associated with a traditional Sunday lunch menu, but given the warm temperatures of the day I found it to be a very pleasing, light but filling option which was full of fresh flavours. The dark chocolate delice for dessert was also a delight, with a rich and intense taste - a dream for a chocoholics like myself and mum. Advertisement Advertisement The hotel also boasted other communal areas for guests to enjoy.
My favourite of these was The Swan Room, which is where a Shakespeare bust is kept. On the walls hang images of many famous actors who have appeared in The Bard’s plays over the years, many of whom have also stayed in the hotel, including Dame Judi Dench. It’s a lovely, cosy spot with sumptious chairs and a calming view of the terrace to sit and enjoy a glass of something nice, especially on a sunny evening.
The hotel is obviously very proud of the location in which it is set, and I think it’s wonderful that they want to add to guest’s cultural experiences and historical learnings as well as give them an extremely comfortable place to rest. When a hotel becomes an extension of the place it is in then it becomes truly special and a memorable part of your visit to a location, and that is what The Arden provides. My mum and I are already keen to return and re-live our idyllic weekend, and we’ve also recommended it as a perfect place to stay to our loved ones.
To quote The Bard one more time, this hotel is “such stuff as dreams are made of”. National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting.
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