Restoring Hyll Hotel
This meticulously restored, centuries-old countryside getaway harmonises historic charm with serene, contemporary design.
Nestled in the Cotswolds, the Grade II-listed estate – once home to a knight and later frequented by poet T. S. Eliot – has evolved into a thoughtfully reimagined guest sanctuary.
Co-owner Sarah Ramsbottom and interior designer Oliver Collinge of Manchester-based interior design firm Youth Studio have transformed the spaces, crafting rooms that invite a deep connection with the surrounding landscape.
‘The building itself dates back to the 17th-century, and it’s slowly but surely been extended. Its incarnation into a hotel is pretty recent – in the last 40 or 50 years,’ Sarah explains.
‘From our point of view, it wasn’t about taking the history of the hotel and giving nods to it. That felt like an obvious approach,’ emphasises Oliver. ‘Our inspiration was taken from the calmness of the external landscape.’
Natural materials and a carefully curated palette form the essence of the design, with our bronze details elegantly echoing the earthy tones and complementing the wall finishes.
‘The beauty of Corston is that is has the right palette and the right texture,’ says Sarah, ‘but also, it’s important that when guests touch door handles or switches it all feels of a certain quality.
‘Touchpoints give a sense of what the hotel’s about.’
‘We’ve chosen Corston for this project because it has that heritage feel to it, but also, it’s quite contemporary,’ Oliver adds.
And while the aesthetics of the architectural details are important to the duo, longevity is crucial too, as Sarah explains: ‘In a hospitality environment, they’ve got to be really hardwearing. They get a lot of use – much more than they would in a domestic setting.
‘And you don’t want to be replacing them, because it’s not just the cost, it’s the time and the disturbance to the guests.
‘When we put switches and sockets and light fittings in, they’ve got to be able to stand the test of time – both aesthetically and practically.’
Published on 26th November 2025
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