Great way to banish the winter blues

January can sometimes seem so gloomy, and you just want to hibernate until the lighter days arrive. But our weekend was brightened by a visit to the Cotswolds – the Old Stocks Inn.

The Old Stocks Inn was transformed from a traditional 17th Century coaching inn to a chic boutique hotel towards the end of last year at a cost of more than £2 million.

It also has a dinky coffee shop next door, which we were told serves fantastic hot chocolates, although we didn't get chance to try one.

The Old Stocks Inn is in a pretty market square in Stow-on-the-Wold. It overlooks the old stocks on the green and is the brainchild of Jim Cockell, who hails from the Wolverhampton area and is based in Tettenhall. And the links to the Black Country don't stop there, with the newly refurbished hotel and restaurant managed by Charlotte and Richard Knowles. They used to run The Crown at Wergs, Wolverhampton, and Richard again hails from the Tettenhall area and was a former Wolverhampton Grammar School pupil.

Looking at before and after photographs, the Old Stocks Inn has been transformed. Gone is the dour decor with dark wood, and in its place is a contemporary setting with all the mod cons, including NetFlix and Xbox 360 for the youngsters (or the adults!).

At the entrance to the bar is a flyer for cocktail master classes at the Old Stocks, which adds a modern twist to your traditional hotel.

Pete, behind the bar, later got our nine-year-old son helping him shake the cocktails (an alcohol-free one) to perfection – eat your heart out Tom Cruise.

The restaurant seemed to be the focal part of the inn, with its exquisite decor – wooden and geometric tiled floors, long wooden tables and teal upholstery. It was a wonderful mix of old and new. This led off to the bar and a library with games and a few books if you wanted a quieter area. Out the back was a conservatory and then patio area with huge pizza oven (ideal for summer evenings but not in the middle of january).

Food at the Old Stocks was delicious. We tucked into the most wonderful chorizo burger – Todenham Farm chorizo with crumbled blue cheese, harissa mayo, Little Gem lettuce and fries; the Old Stocks burger with chilli jam and Dijon mayo; and sea bass served with kale, Parmesan and saffron.

It would have been rude not to try one of the after-dinner cocktails. I went for Chocolate Martini (Smirnoff, Baileys, creme de cacao and cream) – not once, but twice. My husband sampled several beers from the Warwickshire-based Purity Brewery.

Breakfast was a feast with plenty of choice, including a traditional Cotswolds breakfast, sausage/bacon baps, and salmon and scrambled egg. On the buffet there was plenty of fresh fruit, fruit compote, yoghurt – the list goes on.

Whether it's a romantic retreat you are looking for or a family break, the Old Stocks Inn is both quirky and quaint. There are 13 rooms inside the main house and three dog-friendly rooms outside. The owner has tried to work with the characteristics of each room to ensure it is contemporary and a little different.

With plenty of nooks and crannies, we made our way to Room 2 – a bunker room with a luxurious double bed and three bunk beds. Our son was in his element with an Xbox 360 within arm's reach.

The main room and bunk beds were divided by a curtain partition, which was a fabulous idea. It meant that our son could sleep or play happily on the XBox while we watched the television in our room. This is a complaint you hear so often hear from parents, that they have had to sit in darkness to let their little ones get off to sleep.

Another flash of inspiration was the in-room pack. Inside were instructions for the coffee machine, radio, smart TV and radio, along with frequently asked questions and information about the hotel. The pack also included a map of favourite places in the area and you were welcome to take the map out with you. Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town, and there is also so much to do with Bourton on the Water also on your doorstep.

Bottles of water, lemonade and cola were a nice little touch in the room fridge. They were included in the price. Staff at Old Stocks Inn couldn't do enough to help and were happy to give you advice about the surrounding area and other restaurants.

Just an hour and half's drive from the Black Country, it is an ideal weekend retreat and certainly vanquished the January blues. Perhaps a nice summer break or cocktail master class next time.

Travel facts

Rooms are priced from £139-£249 per night.

The Old Stocks has a winter warmer offer available until March 6 and includes accommodation in a House Room, a three-course à la carte dinner in the restaurant and breakfast.

Offer prices start from £180 per night – the longer you stay, the better value your getaway will be!

You can book online at www.oldstocksinn.com/