The Fuzzy Duck In Armscote Review

Reviewed by Deborah Lowndes

We were asked to participate in a review at The Fuzzy Duck in Armscote. They supplied us with at bed, breakfast and an evening meal for two adults. This boutique Inn is a fabulous hidden gem nestled which is within the Northern Cotswold countryside. The hotel is both child and dog friendly.

The owners of this beautiful exquisite quaint village Inn are a brother, sister partnership.  (editor’s note – their website says ‘Establishing an exquisite pub with rooms was the vibrant vision of Tania Slater, Baylis & Harding’s Creative Director, who wanted to create a place that encapsulates all the values of the brand – delivering quality, keeping promises and celebrating indulgence.’) Their company ethos ‘affordable luxury’ is evident whichever way you turn whilst at The Fuzzy Duck.

Upon arrival we entered their the boutique hotel which has lots to offer. There is a Michelin star restaurant. A cosy bar with a wide selection or drinks. All of which are reasonably priced. There is also a good choice of gins, wines, cocktails and many more. The hotel has a car park for off street parking. The car park is equipped with free of charge electric charging points. There are lovely gardens to enjoy in the sunshine.

The reception area had a range of Baylis and Harding products on sale. All were reasonably priced.

The ladies toilets were nice and clean. They had an immense range of hand wash to choose from. Simply spoilt for choice fifteen to choose from in total!! Obviously all made by Baylis and Harding. The men’s toilets also had complimentary hand wash but a smaller range to choose from.

The hotel offer dog blankets for those wet dogs to fry follow walks. Wellies are also available.

The Fuzzy Duck offers a very warm friendly welcome. There are four rooms at the Inn so you need to be quick to book to land one of these beautiful rooms for an evening etc. Each one is individually named after a different duck species which can all be found on the village pound. What a wonderful touch from the owner!

My husband and I stayed in the Buff Orpington Room. This room was equipped with a high quality super king sized bed. It was extremely spacious and luxurious, complete with high quality bedding and pillows to ensure a great nights sleep. The room decor was neutral colours and there is a range of lighting which enhanced the room and maximised upon relaxation. The en-suite bathroom was an absolutely dream and immediately screams out luxury and pampering. It has a beautiful Lefroy free standing roll top bath with mirror above to enhance the space. I was so excited and could not wait the fill the bath with the readily available Baylis and Harding products. Whilst I was unpacking I filled the with luxury bubbles and took a complementary magazine (which was in the room) and dived straight in to relax. There is a lovely towel rail in the bathroom to keep your towels toasty. Two lovely white towelling bathrobes were also supplied. The finishing touches were lovely. This room also has a loft bed for the adventurous kids. However, it was a steep ladder climb to get up there. The room had a window looking out on the village the great thing about the windows was the lovely shutters. The room also had under floor heating. The room also has a kettle with complimentary tea, water (sparkling and still) and a nespresso machine with a choice of coffee capsules. To keep the milk fresh reception filled a flask for you There was also a hairdryer in the room too.

My sister and her husband also stayed in the next room, the Mandarin. This room was equally as luxurious. This room had a spacious shower cubicle. Again with, heated towel rails and under floor heating. Beautifully decorated and a lovely room for relaxing.

Both rooms were lovely, welcoming and relaxing. I should also mention that both rooms had large TV the rooms and definitely comfortable. We all slept very well. Also, in the rooms was a information book about the hotel which included details of the area, local walks and much more!

We had the pleasure for eating in the hotels restaurant. The service, the food, the menu choice and the atmosphere was outstanding. I have attached the January menu. There was a wide selection of starters, mains and desserts. We all tried different food. None of us could fault the good in anyway. The attack was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth. Likewise so did the blade of beef. My husband and brother in law both started with the onion and cider soup and they were both impressed. Our desserts did not disappointed they were delightful. The food was beyond tasty, presented well and thoroughly enjoyable. I just wished we lived closer so we could be regularly visitors, I tried a couple of cocktails with my meal, they did not disappoint, they were Devine!! The restaurant provides open plan seating with a central fire as a focal point. The seating and tables were solid wood, nice the sturdy and comfortable too. The restaurant offers a pleasant relaxing atmosphere.

On the morning of our departure we went for breakfast in the restaurant area. We were quickly seated. Continental breakfast and juices were available from a central point by staff service. The restaurant staff took your order for English breakfasts and there was a choice of scrambled poached or fried eggs. Breakfast was freshly prepared upon ordering and brought to the table. Tea and coffee were freshly prepared and brought to the table. Staff regularly asked if you want more tea and coffee. They offer flat whites, expressing and lattes plus a choice of teas.

This hotel is a dream and spending time here was a pleasure and relaxing. All staff were very friendly. helpful, pleasant and accommodating. The hotel team could not do effort to ensure they made you stay pleasant. I cannot recommend this hotel enough, it is amazing.

Rating: Five stars – amazing !!!

For more information or to book please visit https://fuzzyduckarmscote.com/