There’s no shortage of smart hotels in the Cotswolds, set on rambling country estates or in impressive manors. But taking over an Airbnb isn’t just often a more affordable option, it’s a brilliant way to see the honey-hued villages like a local. These are the best Airbnbs across the region, offering a glimpse of some of the prettiest Cotswolds villages. For more options in the UK, see our pick of the best Airbnbs in the UK.
Tried and tested Airbnbs
No.6, Oxfordshire
The interiors of this converted barn set on the edge of the Blenheim Palace Estate in Oxfordshire are a bohemian riot of colour and texture. Terracotta walls and bright bedspreads give the master bedroom a Moroccan feel, while another has floral curtains and a plush fabric headboard that wouldn’t look out of place in a smart country hotel. The open-plan ground floor runs the length of the building, flowing from the comfy sitting area centred around a wood burner to a huge farmhouse kitchen. Outside there’s a manicured lawn, a sun-trap patio and a petite, sunshine-yellow shepherd’s hut with room for a further two guests.
Sleeps: 10
Price: from £870 a night (minimum three nights)
Website: airbnb.co.uk
Village Barn, Bledington
This 300-year-old stone barn underwent a makeover in 2008. The owners initially intended just to host family, but now the space is available to take over as your own. The three bedrooms cosy down under heavy wooden ceiling beams, while downstairs is open-plan and brick-floored. Eclectic details include a Buddha-head statue, an embroidered Asian rug and a painting of a spaniel that’s just the right side of kitsch.
Sleeps: Six
Price: From £290 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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Thorpe Manor, Banbury
A Grade II-listed house that’s been given a thoroughly modern upcycle by owners Henry and Natasha Teare, Thorpe Manor has a classic exterior that disguises less-than-traditional Swedish hot tubs and fire-pit suppers. This is a huge party house: there are 14 bedrooms and the Teares can arrange for a butler to be on hand to cook up supper in the enormous kitchen. All while you spend the evening in the low-lit cinema room or wood-panelled drawing room, sipping cocktails from the velvet-upholstered bar.
Sleeps: 28
Price: From £16,700 for a three-night stay
Website: airbnb.com
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Abbie Melle
Cotswold Farm Hideaway, Gloucestershire
Modern and antique furniture sit side by side in this series of farmhouses near Tetbury. There are three cottage boltholes on site – the biggest, Whitehall, has an inglenook fireplace and a bread oven, ideal for lazy mornings spent tearing into a freshly baked loaf, while recently renovated Winterspring once belonged to an artist and has a large garden for sunny evenings. Bring the whole crew and take over the lot.
Sleeps: 12
Price: From £580 a night for all three cottages
Website: airbnb.com
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More Airbnbs we like the look of
While we have not stayed in every Airbnb featured, we have carefully selected these as recommendations based on their location, design, previous guest reviews and the fact that they have achieved Airbnb’s Superhost status at the time of our research. All listings on Condé Nast Traveller are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Jamie Ledwith
The Coach House, Burford
Deep walnut hardwood flooring is the canvas at this Burford coach house. The split-level studio style space is all creamy whites and soothing greys, with host Anna leaving sunshiny bunches of flowers on the dining table and fresh eggs from her chickens in the kitchen. A 15-minute walk brings you to the centre of Burford, where classically British pubs such as The Lamb Inn serve smart twists on traditional English plates, and The Burford Garden Company draws green-thumbs from all over the country.
Sleeps: two
Price: From £80 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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Stone-Built Home, Churchill
The stone barn structure of this Airbnb might date from the 1900s, but interiors have been smoothly renovated for a thoroughly up-to-the-minute aesthetic. Squishy leather sofas are scattered around the inglenook fireplace, while pendant lights hang from the restored beams in the kitchen. Three bedrooms include a twin room that’s perfect for kids.
Sleeps: six
Price: From £300 a night (three-night minimum)
Website: airbnb.com
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Temple Guiting Manor, Temple Guiting
There’s room for a total of 36 people across 15 unique bedrooms at this 15-acre estate, making it ideal for a multi-generational or mega group getaway. In the main Grade-I listed Temple Guiting Manor, as well as the five large and characterful bedrooms connected by secret staircases across the top floors like a sort of 15th-century indoor maze, you’ll find a church-like dining room/games room dominated by a huge banquet-style table (and a suit of armour which you must absolutely resist trying on) connected to a multi-level kitchen with wonderfully toasty heated floors. There are also not one but three cosy living and entertaining spaces, each decorated with the owner’s eclectic oil paintings and beautiful oversized art books.
Wander outside and you’ll find a tiny doorway to a secret cinema – complete with fridge filled with pots of gin-flavoured ice cream – installed in one of the building’s former dove coops, while a tasteful Swedish style hot tub can be found permanently bubbling in the other: ideal to dip into following a swim in the outdoor pool (available if not otherwise being used by tenants in the barn building) or match on the tennis courts. Come sunset on a warm day, however, it is nigh on impossible to drag yourself away from the dreamy manicured gardens and the infinity wall looking out into the Cotswold countryside, accompanied by the soothing sounds of just a trickling stream and the occasional bleating sheep – a soundtrack that has no doubt remained unchanged since the building was first crafted back in the 1400s. Becky Lucas
Sleeps: 36
Price: From about £160 per person per night (four-night minimum)
Website: airbnb.com. Also available via theluxurytravelbook.com
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Asphodel Cottage, Cirencester
Exposed beams, a creamy flagstone kitchen, bedrooms in the eaves of the thatched roof – this 17th-century house ticks every box on the country-cottage checklist. The stone steps leading to the bedrooms are original, so it’s worth taking care as you clamber up 400 years of history after a heady supper. A 10-minute drive away, pretty market town Cirencester – the biggest town in the Cotswolds – was one of the most important sites in Roman Britain. Pick up local supplies and take them back to the cottage’s garden for a picnic.
Sleeps: Two
Price: From £113 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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Old Bakehouse, Kingham
Glass doors lead from the flagstone-floored living room of this 350-year-old cottage to the patio, where you can sizzle up locally sourced produce on the barbecue. Inside, there’s a wood burner and an inviting claw-foot bathtub upstairs for chillier nights. Make sure to duck the original beams in the two bedrooms.
Sleeps: Four
Price: From £140 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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The Coach House, Bretforton
This makes up part of Bretforton Manor, a Grade II-listed Jacobean estate that’s a 10-minute drive from Chipping Campden in the picturesque north Cotswolds. It’s a cosy spot for two: whitewashed walls give the illusion of bags of space and big skylights flood the rooms with sunlight. The point to write home about here, though, is the manor’s grounds and communal areas, which guests staying in the coach house have access to: there’s an indoor pool, five acres of gardens, a lake, an orchard and a tennis court to explore.
Sleeps: Two
Price: From £100 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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17th-Century Cottage, Kingham
Quirky fabrics and pastel colours abound in this traditional Cotswolds cottage in the foodie village of Kingham. Two smart bedrooms overlook the cobbled streets below, and there’s a dinky patio for espresso outside on summer mornings. Walk to The Wild Rabbit, one of the best restaurants in the Cotswolds, for a supper of twice-baked cheese soufflé or braised lamb shoulder, or to The Kingham Plough for a hearty Sunday lunch.
Sleeps: Four
Price: From £129 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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Church Loft, Chipping Norton
An ultra-modern twist has been given to this loft in a Chipping Norton church. A muted colour palette throughout, a sleek kitchen and subway tiling in the bathroom give the apartment a Scandi-hotel feel, but the huge windows look out over quintessentially English countryside.
Sleeps: Two
Price: From £94 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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Former Chapel, Lower Westwood
Once the village church, now a quiet hideout to consider your own for a few nights, this Cotswolds Airbnb has a handful of lovely details leftover from its holier days – stained-glass windows downstairs, huge arched doors leading into the double-height living room – but has since undergone a cosy makeover. There is exposed, honey-hued stone in the farmhouse kitchen and a sunny mezzanine bedroom.
Sleeps: Four
Price: From £95 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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Garden Cottage, Chipping Norton
The private garden is the highlight here: high walls mean the outdoor seating area is largely protected from the ever-unpredictable British elements, there is a fire pit for late summer evenings and plenty of space for children to dash about. Shelving built right into the stone and an open spiral staircase add character downstairs, while the simple bedrooms are freshened up with quilted blankets and smart touches.
Sleeps: Four
Price: From £214 a night
Website: airbnb.com
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