Cool Place of the Day: The George Townhouse, Cotswolds

Every day, a new place to discover or explore from coolplaces.co.uk

Located bang in the middle of the small north Cotswolds market town of Shipston-on-Stour, The George Townhouse is a historic eighteenth-century coaching inn that has been the heartbeat of the town for years.

The good news is that it was given a major makeover at the beginning of this year, and has reopened as a medium-sized boutique hotel, fitted out afresh for the 21st century. They have done a great job, updating it with flair and style while preserving the historic nature of the building, and it's once again as comfy a place to stay as you could wish for, its rooms all furnished with king-size beds and high-quality mattresses, cool, stylish bathrooms with rainfall showers and Temple Spa toiletries, flatscreen TVs and Nespresso machines.

There are only 15 rooms in all, ranging from smallish Classic rooms to Deluxe rooms, which have a roll-top bath and a separate shower room, and a suite at the top of the building, which has the lot. The really nice thing about the George, though, is that it's also a venue for food and drink in the town, with non-residents popping in for breakfast, lunch and dinner to enjoy locally sourced food or a pint or two. The atmosphere is good, and the welcome always warm, and there's a pride and enthusiasm for the town and its area that shines through in the service and surroundings.

Cool Places is a website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)