• Flight Club social darts: £14pp for 90 minutes in semi-private oches with fairground decor, or the Weekend Brunch Social at £35pp - bottomless pizza, a bottle of Prosecco each, and 1 hour of darts. Books for groups up to 35.
• Eat Sleep Axe: Axe throwing for up to 20 people, 60-90 minutes. Surprisingly addictive and an excellent equaliser - nobody in your group has done this before.
• Escape Rooms Cheltenham: A 60-minute escape room challenge, max 6 per room. Best as a sub-group activity for the competitive ones while the rest do cocktails nearby.
• Woodchester Valley Vineyard: Wine tasting in the South Cotswolds, 1.5-3 hours, pre-booking essential. A gorgeous afternoon activity before heading into town for dinner.
• Dunkertons Organic Cider: Cheltenham's own cider house - perfect for the craft beer and cider fans in the group. Tours and tastings require pre-booking.

For more ways to fill your itinerary, check our Cheltenham hen party inspiration page or build your schedule with the itinerary builder.

The Dress Code Trap

The Alchemist in the Brewery Quarter serves theatrical molecular cocktails - fog bubbles, colour-changing potions, the works. Their bottomless brunch runs at £35 for a dish plus 3 cocktails, or £45 for fully bottomless 90-minute cocktails, and they host quarterly drag brunches. It looks tailor-made for a hen do.

Here's the catch: they officially ban all hen and stag do paraphernalia. No sashes, no L-plates, no matching costumes, no balloons, no table decorations. Your group will be turned away at the door.

Watch out for: If you want The Alchemist, brief everyone beforehand. Coordinated outfits in a colour theme are fine - "hen party" fancy dress is not. Your matching sashes are adorable. The Alchemist disagrees. Consider Mr Cambray's Curiosity on Cambray Place as a more relaxed cocktail alternative if the sashes are staying on.

2026 Dates to Avoid (and When to Grab a Bargain)

Cheltenham isn't just a spa town - it's a festival town with five major events in 2026 that cause accommodation blackouts and price surges. Out-of-town organisers get caught by this constantly.

During Gold Cup week, security deposits can double from £250 to £500, minimum stays increase, and several properties switch to 100% non-refundable terms regardless of how far in advance you cancel. If your group fancies a day at the races as part of the hen weekend, book the accommodation a full year ahead - no exaggeration.

Best for bargain hunting: Late January, mid-February, late September, and early November are reliably quiet in Cheltenham. You'll get better availability, lower deposits, and more flexible cancellation terms - which matters when you're coordinating 16 diaries. Lock your dates early using our planning checklist.

How to Book a Cheltenham Hen House Without Getting Burned

Whether you're organising a hen party or helping the best man with a stag party, these booking rules apply to any large group celebration - but hen groups tend to face more scrutiny from hosts, so the stakes are higher. A stag do booking in the same area faces identical risks.

1. Never book through standard Airbnb for groups of 8+. Airbnb instituted a permanent global ban on all parties in 2022. Gatherings exceeding the property's maximum occupancy are explicitly prohibited. One neighbour complaint can trigger zero-notice cancellation, account suspension, and total loss of funds. This is not a grey area.

1. Look for "hen party friendly" in writing. Properties like Brookside Manor are explicitly marketed for hen groups through specialist agencies. That label means the owner has contractually agreed to host your celebration - not just reluctantly tolerated it.

1. Interrogate the deposit. Some Cheltenham properties demand £1,000 refundable damage deposits. Ask: is it a card pre-authorisation or a cash transfer? What's the refund timeline? What counts as "damage" versus normal wear?

1. Check the payment schedule. The healthiest structure is 33% deposit at booking, balance due 3 months before arrival. Walk away from anything demanding 100% upfront more than 6 months out.

1. Confirm parking capacity in writing. For groups arriving in multiple cars, ask the host directly how many vehicles the property accommodates and whether the address falls within Zone 15 permit parking.

The simplest way to sidestep all of this? Browse our Cheltenham hen party houses where every listing is vetted for group-friendliness. Or if the town-centre vibe is calling, explore our city break houses for properties built around walkable nightlife.

You've done the hard bit - now grab our hen party ideas for final inspiration and go enjoy it.