Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

Cheltenham · Hotel shortlist

Hotels with a pool in the historic centre, Cheltenham

Camila Reyes

Camila Reyes The Adriatic and Greece

Updated 1 September 2026 · 19 Cheltenham hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Cheltenham, out of the 19 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.8 down to 4.3.

Swann House is the one I would book myself.

Swann House

Highest rated of the five

Swann House

★★★★★4.8 from 206 reviews

Swann House comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.8 from 206 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under historic centre and around $399 a night on the dates we checked.

19 hotels in Cheltenham qualified for this list and five made it. Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Swann House1

    Swann House

    ★★★★★4.8 from 206 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center2

    Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

    ★★★★★4.5 from 19,649 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  3. The Watergate Hotel3

    The Watergate Hotel

    ★★★★★4.3 from 3,198 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  4. The LINE DC4

    The LINE DC

    ★★★★★4.3 from 2,020 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  5. MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino5

    MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino

    ★★★★★4.4 from 39,117 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

19 Cheltenham hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Camila Reyes

Camila Reyes The Adriatic and Greece

Teaches during term and dives in the gaps. Cenotes in Mexico, flooded quarries in Wales, cold freshwater systems in Croatia. Travels with more equipment than clothing.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.