![\"Ox](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/w_1024,h_683,c_scale\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651116714\/magazine\/Thyme-Ox-Barn_11279ba402\/Thyme-Ox-Barn_11279ba402.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFamily Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Along with her father Michael Bertioli, a physicist and engineer, Hibbert bought this 150-acre estate with a warren of agricultural outbuildings and 17th<\/sup>-century cottages at Southrop Manor in the picture-perfect Cotswolds countryside in 2002.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their vision of Thyme was for a cookery school with rooms and perhaps a pub attached. Two decades later, the family has transformed their manor into a supremely comfortable botanical-inspired hotel with 31 stylish bedrooms spread across the stone manor house and adjacent outbuildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Driven by a passion for the local land, food, and entertainment, Hibbert, along with her eldest son Charlie and daughter Camilla, continues to run Thyme on sustainable principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thyme’s on-site organic farm and kitchen gardens supply much of the food for the hotel’s spacious and modern Ox Barn restaurant. Inspired by the slow food movement, the restaurant showcases deliciously seasonal menus curated around the farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can explore vast stretches of nature here and enjoy activities such as cookery classes, floristry, painting and various public exhibitions. Additionally, you can visit the Swan, a proper country pub where Kate Moss is known to be a regular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The olive-green treatment rooms in the Meadow Spa overlooking the landscaped gardens are the perfect spot to experience rejuvenating probiotic facials and deep-tissue massages curated in collaboration with natural British probiotic skincare range Aurelia London. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before becoming a hotelier, Hibbert was an obstetrician and gynecologist at London\u2019s Royal Free Hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs an obstetrician, I noticed how powerful breathing techniques could be as part of the toolkit for managing the pain and stress of labour,\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur sense of smell is connected to our autonomic nervous system and is fundamental to well-being, but the past two years [with the pandemic] has challenged this.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n During this time, Hibbert created the recently opened Botanical Bothy, an extension of the spa and a space for stillness and ritual. The Botanical Bothy comprises a spacious hammam-style wet room with soft curves, ergonomic heated seating and massage benches, as well as two outdoor bathtubs and a private herb-infused garden with a fireplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hibbert\u2019s belief in the power of the breath drives this spa-within-a-spa, where a specific ritual incorporates guided diaphragmatic breathing, botanical poultices, and targeted pressure-point massage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen combined, breath, scent and nature can help harness our body\u2019s innate ability to heal itself, so we have used the scent of the meadows as the thread through the bothy journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thyme\u2019s organic and sustainable Bertioli homeware and fashion collection and a natural Water Meadow skincare collection featuring cleansing and nourishing body wash and lotion, cleansing shampoo and conditioning bars, bath salts and a potent breathing balm, designed to rub over the chest so the essential oils of wild water mint, thyme, rosemary and apple blossom (sourced along the estate\u2019s riverbanks) can infuse both mind and body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When used in the home you are immediately carried back to said river edge, a place where simply sitting and being is therapy in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur ethos is about connection to land, to nature and the seasons. At Thyme we are creating a story that will hopefully inspire people to slow down and nurture nature a little more,\u201d says Hibbert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have lived here at Thyme for 20 years, and until I slowed down myself, I had no idea what was going on in the meadows on my doorstep,\u201d she adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Vacayou [pronounced VACAY – YOU], we believe that travel has the power to change lives. The power to revive, rejuvenate and redirect your inner wellness warrior<\/strong>. And that\u2019s why we\u2019re here. Vacayou brings the world of wellness travel to you! Sitting in the summer water meadows at Thyme, you can hear the call of the reed warbler. You can easily miss these minute buff-colored birds unless you are looking for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":11270,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":"","loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":"","loftocean_post_format_audio":"","fallsky_single_post_hide_thumbnail":"","fallsky_single_post_template":"","fallsky_single_post_sidebar":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":1,"loftocean-view-count":5574,"loftocean_post_co_authors":"","loftocean_single_post_author_order":"","fallsky_page_header_layout":"","fallsky_hide_before_page_content_ad":"","fallsky_hide_after_page_content_ad":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11261","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured-trips"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/w_1946,h_1298,c_scale\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651116719\/magazine\/Thyme-The-Vegetable-Garden_1128173e80\/Thyme-The-Vegetable-Garden_1128173e80.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nShaped by Nature<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Meadow](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/w_1024,h_683,c_scale\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651116712\/magazine\/Thyme-Meadow-Spa_112782698c\/Thyme-Meadow-Spa_112782698c.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/w_1024,h_683,c_scale\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651116715\/magazine\/Thyme-The-pool-_112809294b\/Thyme-The-pool-_112809294b.jpg?_i=AA)
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBeauty From Within<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Thyme](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651114646\/magazine\/Thyme-Bedroom-Cedar\/Thyme-Bedroom-Cedar.jpg?_i=AA)
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Thyme](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651114701\/magazine\/Thyme-Bedroom-Nettle\/Thyme-Bedroom-Nettle.jpg?_i=AA)
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Thyme](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651116704\/magazine\/Thyme-Bedroom-English-Rose\/Thyme-Bedroom-English-Rose.jpg?_i=AA)
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Thyme](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vacayou\/images\/c_fill,g_auto,w_1258\/f_webp,q_auto\/v1651116709\/magazine\/Thyme-Bedroom-Comfrey_112770c9e9\/Thyme-Bedroom-Comfrey_112770c9e9.jpg?_i=AA)
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTake a Little Thyme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSnapshot Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Thyme, a botanical-inspired hotel in the Cotswolds, transforms a 150-acre estate into a sustainable wellness sanctuary. Founded by Caryn Hibbert, this 31-bedroom retreat features organic farm-to-table dining at Ox Barn restaurant, nature-connected activities and the innovative Botanical Bothy spa. The spa-within-a-spa combines guided breathing techniques, botanical treatments and meadow-scented rituals. Thyme’s philosophy centers on slowing down and connecting with nature through seasonal experiences, natural skincare collections and healing treatments that harness the body’s innate wellness capabilities.<\/summary>\n\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nAbout Vacayou<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
No matter how far or how adventurous, our team scours the globe to curate the best in wellness travel. However, the booking process can often be time-consuming and complicated. We\u2019ve simplified your search for wellness and active vacations<\/strong> with Vacayou’s Instant Book, so your dream wellness getaway is now just one click away<\/strong>.
Start the trip of your lifetime today with Vacayou<\/a>. We are here to help create a healthier global community through wellness and active travel.\u00a0
To keep up with the latest wellness trends and experiences, be sure to\u00a0subscribe to our newsletter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"