2 Best Hotels in Woodstock and Blenheim Palace, The Thames Valley

This property in the heart of town underwent a top-to-bottom 2024 renovation and refurbishment that transformed five, cobbled-together, 17th-century houses into a destination boutique hotel. The elegant glass courtyard terrace is favored for drinks or afternoon tea in summer; log fires make the public rooms cozy. The restaurant serves refined, classic dishes.

Tudoresque wood paneling, beamed ceilings, wattle-and-daub walls, and blazing fireplaces help define this as an archetypal English coaching inn. The guest rooms, overlooking either a quiet courtyard or the town square, have plenty of carved oak; some have four-poster or canopied beds. Legend has it that the Bear is where Richard Burton finally popped the question to Elizabeth Taylor. A spookier legend holds it to be one of the most haunted hotels in the United Kingdom. One story concerns the ghost of a little boy, who allegedly loves to play hide-and-seek with guests.