Picturesque countryside hotel in Warwickshire cancels wedding bookings leaving distraught couples in limbo
A hotel near Warwick is cancelling its wedding bookings after it was bought to be part of a chain.
Josh Gethin, of Acocks Green in Birmingham, contacted our sister paper The Courier and Weekly News to tell us that in June last year he and his fiancé had booked the four-star Ardencote Manor hotel and spa to be their wedding venue in May 2026, but received a phone call last week to tell him that the hotel had been bought by the Barons Eden group and that, due to refurbishments, it was cancelling all wedding bookings for next year.
The couple will receive their deposit back but had booked all of the suppliers, spent ages designing, making and sending invites and even have relatives travelling from Australia to come to the event.
Josh said: “We now have less than a year to find a venue that's affordable and available which is very limited. They are going to refund our deposit and that's it.
"They have made no promises as to refunding us any fees suppliers will charge for changing venues and I have emailed regarding some form of compensation but I have had no reply yet and that wasn't mentioned on the phone.
"We are finding that due to the relatively short notice, a lot of venues want a 50 per cent deposit, with some venues charging double their fees.
"I know there are going to be a lot of people affected by this so I wanted to try and spread news about what the venue and its new owners have done to us.”
Other couples have been affected by cancellations.
One woman posted on the Warwickshire Weddings Facebook group appealing for help to find another venue and was, fortunately, able to find one.
She said: “I’ve just had a call from Ardencote cancelling my wedding for next year.
“Obviously all my suppliers are booked so I’m trying to keep my date to prevent loosing my suppliers.
She later added: “Thank you everyone we have managed to secure a new venue.
"I will leave this post up in case any other brides and grooms are struggling with locating a new venue.”
Barons Eden have been approached for comment.