Located just a five-minute walk away from the main grounds, Warwick Castle’s new medieval-themed hotel offers visitors a chance to continue the magic of a day out in its comfortable family rooms.
We arrived at the Warwick Castle Hotel, a new Medieval-themed hotel on a warm August afternoon. My husband and two sons aged six and three drove down from South-West London which took around two hours with a stop along the way.
The hotel has a free car park right outside which meant we could unload our luggage and pushchair quickly and easily. In keeping with the setting, it’s built with a Medieval-inspired wooden-façade that immediately makes you feel like you’ve stepped back to a time where knights ruled over their kingdoms.
Once we stepped through the hotel’s main entrance, the magic really came to life and the fun began. In the centre of the foyer there’s a rearing animatronic horse and knight and talking portraits of historic characters adorning the walls. This, unsurprisingly, was met with a lot of interest and excitement – not just from the kids but adults too. While we were a little too late in arriving to experience firsthand, we were told that guests were also greeted by real-life knights earlier in the evening. (It’s worth asking what time that’s happening when you book so you can time it with your arrival).
After a very smooth check-in, we headed to our room on the first floor. The boys had wooden bunk beds complete with knight-inspired bedding, and we had a very comfortable double with matching armour-printed sheets and cushions. There was a rail in between both areas that I assume is designed to have a rail on eventually (although it wasn’t intact when we visited). This could create a nice separation at bedtime between children and parents and also help the kids feel a little cosier. The bunk bed also had a small pull-out bed underneath so it could easily sleep three small children. The room came with the usual amenities such as tea, coffee and biscuits, a hairdryer, and a large TV.
While the kids were thrilled with their bunk beds, as a parent I was also very pleased with how comfortable and premium the room felt. The bathroom was beautifully fitted out with a power shower and bath, and gorgeous shower products from SOAK. Generous white towels and soft linen on the beds gave me that hotel luxury I crave when staying away which is sometimes lacking in family hotels. That was not the case here thankfully, and it felt like the parents’ needs had been thought about just as much as the kids.
Warwick Castle Hotel's evening entertainment
The hotel's evening entertainment features knights’ school, princess games, a knighting ceremony, battle, and bedtime story. There are provided for guests near the glamping site and restaurant which is a short walk away. It’s worth bearing this in mind when you plan your arrival time so you can make the most of the shows before or after dinner.
The restaurant, which is designed to look like a medieval banquet hall, served a buffet-style carvery with extra options such as chips and chicken nuggets for the kids if they wanted. This was priced on a set menu basis with a dessert included and a buffet salad starter. For a family of four, including a couple of glasses of wine, this came to nearly £100 which seemed quite expensive for the no-frills set-up. However, we really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. After dinner we walked around the glamping site and down to the lake – this was one of my favourite parts of the evening as it was a beautiful summer’s evening and the atmosphere around the camp site was lovely. There are also a couple of outside bars and stalls in this area too.
We then retired to our room where we enjoyed one of the best sleeps I’ve had in ages. I was a little worried that the hotel might be noisy as we were so close to the reception, but we slept undisturbed until the next morning. Breakfast is included in the price of the room and includes the standard options of cereals, toast and hot options such as eggs, bacon, sausages etc served buffet style.
After a hearty breakfast, we were then ready for a full day in Warwick castle. While we got to enjoy a jousting show, Zog performance, the UK’s largest birds of prey display, and an archery lesson we would have liked two full days to enjoy everything Warwick Castle has to offer and another night in the hotel.
The Warwick Castle Hotel really goes above and beyond what it needs to and added so much magic to our weekend away. We’ll be returning again as soon as we can. Prices start from £179 a night for a family of four, including breakfast and parking.
Cat Hufton is a freelance lifestyle journalist based in London. She has two sons aged five and two and during this time has tested hundreds of products designed to make parents' lives easier. She has also written about parenting in a number of national publications covering topics such as overcoming postnatal anxiety, intrusive thoughts, pregnancy during the pandemic, and the childcare crisis. She also writes a regular newsletter called The Freelance Parent which is designed to offer support to parents that work for themselves.