The Festival brings a sharp rise in demand for rooms. Start with the location and journey you can manage, then compare the booking terms as carefully as the nightly rate.
Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March 2027. The date searches below check in on Monday 15 March and check out on Saturday 20 March, so they cover all four days. Change the dates if your trip is shorter.
When to book, and what to expect
Festival accommodation is in unusually high demand. Cheltenham’s published guide already warns that rooms can be booked months, sometimes years, ahead. The local availability list shows why it pays to look early: some properties specify a minimum stay of up to three nights. That is a property rule, not a Festival-wide booking condition, so read the dates and minimum length on the actual listing.
Rates can be much higher than on an ordinary March week. We have not quoted hotel prices here because rates depend on the property, length of stay and what is still available. Compare the full stay total, not just the first night, and check the cancellation deadline, deposit and payment schedule before you commit.
Race tickets and accommodation are separate bookings unless you buy a package. A racing abandonment does not automatically cancel your room or refund the accommodation cost: the hotel or host’s terms still govern that reservation. The racecourse publishes a separate refund and abandonment policy for its tickets. Save both sets of terms and note who to contact if plans change.
Cheltenham town centre and Montpellier
The centre gives you the broadest choice of places to eat, pubs and shops, with the Brewery Quarter and Promenade as useful landmarks. Montpellier, just south-west of the centre, has Regency streets, gardens, independent restaurants and bars. Both areas work well if you want an evening out and would rather leave the car at your accommodation.
For the course, make your way to the Festival shuttle stop in the town centre (Clarence Street, Stop 8, outside WHSmith on the High Street), or take the shuttle from Cheltenham Spa station. The precise walk to the stop depends on your accommodation. If you choose to walk to the racecourse, check the official route and allow for the distance and event traffic.
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Prestbury and the racecourse side of town
Prestbury is on Cheltenham’s northern edge, beside the racecourse. A room in this area can put you closer to the entrance and reduce the need to cross town before racing. The racecourse’s own visitor information places the venue in Prestbury on the northern outskirts of the town.
Walking distance depends on the exact address, access route and Festival entrance in use. Check the map route from the accommodation to the gate, not only the straight-line distance. Some properties in the wider Prestbury area may still need a taxi or a lift, particularly at night or in poor weather.
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Towns within commuting distance
The racecourse’s Commutable Travel Areas page names the places below. It includes Cotswold towns and villages as well as larger cities. Use its route guidance alongside the actual accommodation address: a town being on the list does not mean every hotel has a direct train or a simple journey to the course.
For a rural village or a property outside the centre, a car or pre-booked taxi may be the practical option. Larger places such as Bristol, Birmingham, Bath, Cardiff, Worcester, Hereford, Oxford, Reading and London give you a bigger accommodation search, but plan the return journey as carefully as the trip in. For rail, look at the full journey to Cheltenham Spa and the shuttle connection to the course.
Each link below opens a Booking.com search for that town with the Festival dates already filled in.
- Hotels in Gloucester
- Hotels in Tewkesbury
- Hotels in Broadway
- Hotels in Evesham
- Hotels in Pershore
- Hotels in Cirencester
- Hotels in Bourton-on-the-Water
- Hotels in Stow-on-the-Wold
- Hotels in Burford
- Hotels in Witney
- Hotels in Bristol
- Hotels in Birmingham
- Hotels in Bath
- Hotels in Cardiff
- Hotels in Worcester
- Hotels in Hereford
- Hotels in Oxford
- Hotels in Reading
- Hotels in London
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Official accommodation options
Visit Cheltenham’s Festival hotel availability list brings together local properties advertising rooms for the meeting, with their own rates and stay requirements. Availability can change quickly, and a listing is not a guarantee that a room remains open when you book.
The racecourse promotes Room to Race with Venatour Racing, which can combine accommodation with tickets and transport or transfers. Compare the package inclusions, hotel location, transfer arrangements and cancellation terms with booking a room and ticket separately.
Cheltenham Racecourse: accommodation Room to Race with Venatour Racing
Getting from your accommodation to the course
Stagecoach runs continuous Festival shuttles between Cheltenham Spa railway station, the town centre and the racecourse. The racecourse’s published fares are £10 return or £6.50 single after racing (the single ticket is for PM use). Check the shuttle page for the stop and service details that apply to your day.
If you drive, every car needs a Festival parking pass bought in advance; the racecourse says passes are not sold on the day. Follow the event traffic signs and the directions for your booked car park. Minibuses and coaches need the appropriate coach pass.
National Express offers Festival coach services from more than 20 UK pick-up locations, with its Festival drop-off a couple of minutes from the gates. That can be useful if you are staying farther away or travelling without a car. Check the coach package’s return time and pickup point before you book a room around it.
If you are staying in Cheltenham, compare the walk to Clarence Street or Cheltenham Spa with a taxi after racing. The shuttle is convenient, but queues and event traffic can affect the last part of the journey. Leave enough time to reach your accommodation after the final race.
If you can’t find a room
Widen the search to the towns and cities on the racecourse’s commutable list rather than choosing a property solely because its listing says “near Cheltenham”. A day trip by train can work from some of the larger centres, provided the return timetable and the connection from Cheltenham Spa are suitable for the racing schedule. Check the full journey for your exact date.
Coach packages are another option: National Express serves more than 20 pick-up locations, and the racecourse partner offers hotel and transport packages. You may also find a room by changing the number of nights or travelling on fewer days, but check minimum stays and cancellation terms before paying.
Sources checked 8 October 2026
- Cheltenham Festival 2027 event schedule
- Cheltenham Festival accommodation and Room to Race
- Commutable Travel Areas: destinations and journey information
- Cheltenham Festival travel, parking and shuttle services
- Stagecoach Festival shuttle fares
- Stagecoach West: Cheltenham Festival shuttle (Clarence Street, Stop 8)
- National Express Festival coach travel
- Visit Cheltenham: Festival hotel availability
- Room to Race with Venatour Racing
- Cheltenham Racecourse refund and abandonment policy