Artist Residence Oxfordshire

When you step into this olde-worlde, thatched Cotswold village farmhouse-turned-pub, prepare to do a double take when you see the offbeat interior. Yes, here are the expected flagstone floors, the beams, the blazing log fires, but here, too, over an inglenook, is a battered sign reading ‘Casino’, vintage photos of pugilists, the words ‘What did I do last night?’ spelt out in pink neon. Like all of Justin and Charlotte Salisbury’s Artist Residence properties (see index), this hotel with a downstairs pub, the Mason Arms, is infused with wit. Your rustic-chic bedroom might have bare floorboards, an upcycled tea crate for a bedside table, vintage armchairs, along with a roll-top bath and rainfall shower, espresso machine, minibar and organic toiletries. Two suites and one bedroom are in outbuildings with their own entrance. The best has a crazy statement four-poster, Beatles Sgt Pepper cushions, comfy seating by a log-burner, a private terrace. There is good pub grub in the bar, summer barbecues in the garden with an open marquee for alfresco dining. Lobster and margaritas in the sunshine; freshly squeezed OJ and eggs Benedict for breakfast.