Staying at the Quaint, Quirky, Puzzling Edward Hotel in Gloucester, England

I had visited the town of Cheltenham a few times as a keen football fan, I ended up at Whaddon Road, the home of Cheltenham Town FC. However, if you know your English geography you will know that the town often goes hand in hand with nearby Gloucester City. Cheltenham and Gloucester are right beside each other, they once shared a Building Society name, they are only 8 miles apart and have a rivalry. One is a fully fledged Cathedral City (Gloucester), the other is a spa town with a famous racecourse (Cheltenham). Having spent a night in the Forest of Dean lodges near the Wales border, I was now going to be touring and staying in Gloucester and I stayed in the Edward Hotel. It was an easy choice to decide to stay here, this hotel stands out amongst the rest.

The Edward Hotel is the only independent run hotel in Gloucester and without a doubt, for any traveller to Gloucester, please stay here. Trust me – this is a quaint, quirky and charming hotel with character to it and a puzzle to solve.

It is family run and the owner StJohn has added a few modern twists to his quirky and unusual hotel. I haven’t stayed in many places like this – not only that but Gloucester as a city is well worth a look. I got caught in between a forest tour and a trip to Jersey and had a bit of work to do, so I didn’t see as much of the city as I had hoped, but I loved the Edward Hotel and here are five quirky things about it.

1.The Puzzler
I sat down for breakfast in the Edward Hotel and was presented with some puzzles. The first one encouraged me to guess what the link was between every picture on the wall in the dining area.

As I munched on my breakfast, I was stumped! Then another puzzle on the placemat was trying to figure out the link between the names on the mat. I was stumped on both occasions. Owner StJohn sets this as a challenge. This is the first time I have seen anything like this on my travels. It kind of makes me want to go back and solve the puzzle!

2.The Historic Walls
On the way to your bedroom in the Edward Hotel, I’ll be surprised if you don’t stop at least a few times to read the information on the walls.

You won’t need to visit a museum or a website to get the lowdown on some Gloucester history. Just check out the information in the frames on the wall, with stories intertwined with photos all along the walls.

3.The Maze
Walking to my room also felt like a maze. I was in Room 28, but it seemed I should walk up the stairs, then down the stairs, then along a corridor, then back on myself, then up the stairs again. It felt confusing, yet from the outside, the Edward Hotel looks like a hotel housed in a row of terraced houses. It’s a confusing enigma, but an enjoyable one!

There are plates on the walls to point the way, just to make sure you don’t actually get lost!

4.The Wisdom Within
If you get chatting to owner StJohn, you will get some wisdom for sure. This is a man that knows the local area extremely well, it has been his idea to put all the information up around the hotel.

Also in the reception, lots of information and wisdom to be had, tourist leaflets and a piano.

5.The Relaxing Charm
I’m warming to English B and Bs and Guesthouses like this one much more than hostels these days. It could be my age – I no longer want to be shoved in a 12 bed dorm with backpackers talking sex, drug and rock’n’roll.

Once I closed the door on my room (Room 28) I relaxed. I had a desk and WiFi to get my work done. I had a nice view of the street, London Road. I had a clean bathroom with soap, shampoo and hot water. I had tea and coffee. It was perfect!

This was a wonderful stay here in the Edward Hotel, and Gloucester is a gem of a city. It will be worth another trip for me at some point, and at least I know where to stay now. Don’t miss the Edward Hotel – you will love it!

Here are the details for booking the Edward Hotel in Gloucester:

Here are my videos from my time in the Edward Hotel and Gloucester: