The Curious Group of Hotels is an English company that owns three hotels around Europe, Cowley Manor near Cheltenham, Canal House in Amsterdam and L’Hotel in Paris. Each has its own character and seeks to set itself apart from both the others in the group and other hotels at large.
The Curious Group of Hotels is one of a growing number of companies who are leaving behind the beige hotel room template and are going in a different direction. There is an increasing appetite for higher quality, distinctive hotels and these three fit the bill perfectly.
The standards within the Group are high. While the bedrooms may not offer traditional luxury, they are all well-equipped, relaxing and are value for money. The beds are comfortable, the bathrooms exceptionally clean and everything about the rooms is good.
The concentration on making guests feel welcome and of offering a high standard of service seems also key to how the Group operates. Each of these hotels offers superior service from staff who seem genuinely happy in their work. That’s something many other hotel chains could learn from.
The room naming convention in Curious Group is interesting, but simple. Each is called Good, Better, Great, Exceptional or Best, depending on their size and relative luxury. L’Hotel has typically French versions, Mignon, Bijoux, Grand and Chic.
This convention is a bit of a relief from the bewildering array of sometimes pretentious room names favoured by other chains and lets you know exactly what you’re getting before you even arrive.
As well as three hotels, The Curious Group makes its own products. Green & Spring products are made in Britain from UK-sourced ingredients and offered for sale in their own right as well as being provided in the hotels
Here is a little more about each hotel in the chain.
Cowley Manor
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Cowley Manor near Cheltenham in the Cotswolds is a lovely country house hotel set inside acres of green and pleasant land. The Georgian pile is all about tradition from the outside, but as soon as you set in, all that changes.
The décor is largely modern, with contemporary furniture, rich fabrics and bold colours. Many traditional features have been maintained, making a great combination of the new and old. It’s a meeting of the ages that works, creating a comfortable and relaxed environment.
Canal House
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Canal House in Amsterdam is located in the Keizersgracht cultural district and fits the area perfectly. Comprised of three 17th century houses, the hotel is another mix of the old and new, this time with a real Dutch flair.
Like Cowley, the original features of the old building have been retained and melded with modern touches such as LED lighting, modern furniture, rich wall colours and bold soft furnishings. For example, in the bar, you have black walls, black furniture and modern seating alongside chandeliers, baroque-style mirrors and a period ceiling.
L’Hotel Paris
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L’Hotel Paris is in the perfect location if you like city life. Like the other two hotels in the chain, L’Hotel effortlessly combines the old and new to create something lovely. The old building, with its plaster decorated ceilings, rich architraves and fitted wooden panels hosts modern furniture, rich wall coverings, modern tableware and soft furnishings.
The meeting of the modern and traditional isn’t as distinct here as it is in the other hotels, but is no worse for it. In fact, it works perfectly in the Parisian setting.
The Curious Group of Hotels is an up and coming brand that bears watching. If their first three hotels are anything to go by, the world will be their oyster.
