Cheltenham at a glance
Lauded as the ‘cultural capital’ of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham is a town that boasts many unique and intriguing features, an exciting social scene and plenty of excellent places to eat and drink. With a diverse and vibrant town centre, set against stunning natural scenery, Cheltenham is a place that offers something for everyone—from relaxing strolls in a national park, to fine dining at a world famous racetrack.
Cheltenham has many industrial strengths, including food processing, aerospace, electronics and tourism businesses. Vertex Data Science, GE-Aviation, Chelsea Building Society and Endsleigh Insurance all operating bases there, meaning the town has a strong business scene and receives many visitors on that strength alone.
Whatever your reasons for visiting Cheltenham, you are sure to find it a picturesque and fascinating town that offers a gateway to some of the UK’s most stunning natural landscapes.
Serviced apartments in Cheltenham
Cheltenham is a popular area for both tourists and business visitors, and so offers a huge range of accommodation. Though the major hotels will fill up during the Cheltenham festival, most visitors will find there are plenty of alternatives—with serviced apartments often being the superior means of enjoying one’s stay.
The Squa.re offer a range of such properties, each being specifically chosen for its tasteful decor, convenience of location and range of amenities. Choosing a serviced apartments means you have the freedom to come and go as you please and take care of your own dining arrangements—to that end, all of our properties come with full kitchen facilities. Our staff can even offer advice on the best places to stay and what the town has to offer in terms of attractions.
Culture & shopping in Cheltenham
Cheltenham has a diverse range of things to see and do, with plenty of bars and restaurants. There are also some beautiful outdoor spaces without having to venture far from the centre: Pittville Park includes playgrounds, a boating lake & an aviary, whilst Montpellier Gardens has tennis courts, a cafe and a playground, home to bandstand concerts in summer.
The Wilson is an art gallery and museum with fine and modern art collections and as well as hosting temporary exhibitions throughout the year, which is consistently one of the town’s most renowned cultural attractions. For history enthusiasts, Sudely Castle is a 15th-century stately home with formal gardens, flamboyant peacocks and art by Turner and Rubens.
Of course there is also the famous Cheltenham racecourse, which hosts equestrian events throughout the year as well as the annual Cheltenham festival.
There are also numerous options for shopping in Cheltenham: the Regent Arcade is a popular area with several dozen high-street, independent and specialist retailers in a modern indoor shopping mall. There’s also Gallagher shopping - a retail park outside of the city centre with several large superstores including a DFS and Sainsburys.
Getting around in Cheltenham
Cheltenham is a place made to be explored on foot, with stunning architecture and charming streets, however, those wishing to access the more remote areas, such as the Cotswolds will need to rely on the town’s superb public transport system. The local bus service operates routes covering the town centre, Cheltenham Spa and the racecourse. There are also services towards Worcester and Royal Leamington Spa, as well as to stops in the rural areas. The town operates a PlusBus scheme, which allows travellers to make savings if making multiple journeys over several days.
The main railway station offers services to Gloucester, Bristol and Birmingham, which in turn offer connecting services to the rest of the UK. The town also features numerous taxi and private hire firms, which can often be the best way of reaching the more remote areas of the Cotswolds.
