Oxfordshire: Inside new hotel and private members club Estelle Manor

The former Eynsham Hall Hotel near Witney was bought in 2018 by Sharan Pasricha, 43, founder of Ennismore, a global hospitality developer.

It is the country outpost of Mayfair private members’ club Maison Estelle which he founded in 2021 and is a favourite of celebrities including Angelina Jolie.

Those lucky few who have been inside Estelle Manor without paying the £3,600 a year membership fees say the transformation is "staggering".

Here are our exclusive pictures of what it looks like inside.

The Manor House

On arrival at the estate, the Manor House emerges through an oak tree-lined driveway, passing acres of pastures. The grand, original family home hosts the reception hall, where members and guests can enjoy tea, or something stronger, by a roaring log fire. 

The Brasserie

The Brasserie is an all-day dining space within the house along with a traditional Chinese restaurant. There is also a billiards room and a private dining room is available.

There are several areas to relax, such as the Living Room and the Library, as well as bedrooms. 

In the manor house's original basement is the cave cellar curated by Master Sommelier Matteo Montone, with over 5,000 bottles from 1939 through to the present. 

 The South Terrace

Stepping outside through the Living Room’s bay windows, you arrive at the South Terrace which has a Riviera-inspired outdoor pool, comfy sunbeds with hand-crafted umbrellas and a bar.

The Brasserie

The Brasserie includes an orangery and a terrace area. Hand-painted motifs are scattered across the walls and the original wood panelling has been bleached to create a fresh feel. An all-day menu is served, from Oxford cheddar soufflé and Alaskan king crab, to roasted heirloom cauliflower and beef Wellington.

The Billiards Room

To the left of the reception hall, this traditional Chinese restaurant has serpent-shaped velvet banquettes in green lit by Murano glass chandeliers. It offers dim sum, roast whole duck, chilli lobster and char siu pork belly bao. Dim sum brunch is served at the weekends.

The Clubhouse 

To the east of the estate sits The Clubhouse, which was originally a racquets court and gymnasium. It is now the members hub with a huge workspace and a kids’ club including play equipment as well as quiet areas.

The gym has state-of-the-art cardio, strength and training equipment alongside a class studio for 37 classes a week, including yoga, HIIT and Pilates. It is lit through skylights and sculptures break up the space. 

Downstairs is The Muse, an onsite retail store with a carefully curated selection of items updated by season and includes homeware, clothing, footwear, accessories and fine jewellery.

In the coming months The Clubhouse will also gain a hair salon by the celebrity stylist George Northwood. Responsible for the much-mimicked  ‘undone’ styles of Alexa Chung, he also did Meghan Markle's wedding day hair.

Two padel courts are on the west side of the estate. 

The Glasshouse 

The lush restaurant is surrounded by a walled garden full of heritage fruit and veg. It is filled with flowers and fabric lanterns hanging overhead, with an open fire and an oversized, reclaimed-marble island. The menu is wood-fired dishes such as roast suckling pig, whole turbot and coal roasted sweet potato with herb butter.

Bedrooms

Members and hotel guests can choose from 108 bedrooms across the estate. Each has vintage furnishings mixed with 20th century pieces.

Bathrooms have 2-plus people showers and a mini bar containing well-being products, from custom-colour silk eye masks to post-consumer-plastic hair combs. 

The suites in the Manor House are opulent and classic while the woodland cottages dotted around the grounds are more bohemian in style.

The Walled Garden bedrooms have a 'country elegance' while Stable bedrooms are comfortable retreats. 

There are three larger private properties, The Farriers, Hollyhock and Bluebell House, for families or groups of friends. Each house has multiple bedrooms alongside a wood-burning fireplace, spacious kitchen and freestanding baths. 

Eynsham Baths – under construction

To the west side of the property, deep in the woodland, a Roman-inspired 3,000 sq m spa is under construction.

It has classical architecture, with sculpted columns and carved marble details, around a vast tepidarium bathing hall, five pools, a lounge and 10 treatment rooms, including couples’ suites and thermal cabins.

There will be a quiet spot with an open-air bar near the spa for late-night partying with a hidden pool and cascading waterfall surrounded by wildflowers and woodland ferns.