Cheltenham Festival 2023

Cheltenham Festival ticket and hotel packages have made soaking in these four days of excitement and celebration as comfortable as it is effortless. Cheltenham hospitality famously brings you closer to the finer things in life – and with them, the chance to see the most talented British and Irish jockeys ready the strongest, fastest and most beautiful horses around for contests of speed, stamina and skill.

It’s impossible not to be inspired by such lavish surroundings, not least since the history of the Cheltenham Festival stretches back over 200 years. In those early days, there were fires and disruptions aplenty – perhaps a bit too much excitement compared to the more sophisticated Festival we all enjoy today!

Nowadays, the Cheltenham Festival is a must for animal lovers, sports enthusiasts and those who are fond of a (responsible!) flutter or two. Not only is each day and each contest a thrilling new spectacle, but you’ll find that Cheltenham Festival hotels are just as rich in luxuries and entertainment too.

Why Brits love the Cheltenham Festival

Horse racing is a sport that’s been part of British and Irish history for centuries. The Cheltenham Festival is part of what’s known as the National Hunt – but don’t worry, nobody will be pursuing any little furry friends these days.

Instead, the National Hunt is what enthusiasts call the overall UK and Ireland horse racing calendar. Each March, jockeys, animals, trainers and thousands of excited fans descend on the Cheltenham Festival for one of the biggest and most anticipated of all the National Hunt meets – meaning Cheltenham Festival accommodation is always best booked in advance for the most sumptuous suites.

Beating the crowd to your booking frees you up far more to enjoy the four days of racing – or to simply take in one or two if you’re pressed for time, although it’s always sad leaving such lovely Cheltenham Festival hospitality behind.

Is the Cheltenham Festival only for sports fans?

Not at all – Cheltenham Festival ticket and hotel packages are booked every year by all kinds of people, of all kinds of ages – and with all kinds of interests.

Naturally, the main spectacle is the many horse races that make up the Cheltenham Festival, but that’s far from the only major draw. You’ll find that just as many of those guests in Cheltenham Festival hotels are there to hunt down some celebrities for their autograph book, or to show off their latest fashion purchases – or just to soak in the perks that come with some indulgent Cheltenham Festival accommodation.

In other words, it’s a few grand days out, whatever the weather and however you feel about sports and betting on horses. Many visitors go the whole of their stay in Cheltenham hospitality without handing over a penny to a bookie – others make their fortunes or have a laugh watching it all go pear shaped with a few flutters across four days of bracing racing.

Just remember to place your bets responsibly – we’re all here to have fun, after all!

Is the Cheltenham Festival expensive?

With so much money changing hands and so many rich and famous attendees cheering on the races, are you worried that Cheltenham Festival hospitality is going to sink your savings into the red?

No need to worry. While it’s true that Cheltenham Festival hotels can certainly embrace those who like to spend extra on life’s luxuries, it’s just as welcoming to families or budget conscious visitors who want the chance to immerse themselves in the kind of sporting event that comes once a year.

Browsing our Cheltenham Festival ticket and hotel packages might just surprise you, in fact. However you choose to enjoy the main event, one thing is for certain – you might not be able to predict which horse will come in first, but enjoying some comfortable Cheltenham hospitality and a slap up meal after a long day in the sunshine is an absolute certainty.

What to expect from your first time at the Cheltenham Festival

Whether you’re local or heading to the races from far away, it stands to reason that finding the best Cheltenham Festival ticket and hotel packages is your first priority. Luckily, we make that part easy, with a wide range of Cheltenham Festival accommodation to suit all kinds of travellers – in all kinds of entourages, and for all kinds of budgets.

Once you’re settled in and enjoying the perks of that comfortable Cheltenham Festival hospitality, the real fun can begin. You’ll find that the Cheltenham Festival is spread over four days, but they don’t skimp on offering excitement. Each day is packed with events, so make sure you stay hydrated and arrive looking your best!

You’ll find that the Cheltenham Festival sets aside the afternoons for horse racing, which frees up your mornings to spend however you please. Some visitors like to head out early and mingle among the crowd – while others prefer a lie in and a slow, satisfying brunch at their Cheltenham Festival accommodation before they head out.

Whatever your style, the horse races for each of the four days of the Cheltenham Festival usually occur between 1PM and 5PM daily. As many as seven horse races take place in this timeframe, so don’t fret – nobody is going to be sitting idle for long, and the Cheltenham Festival has been going on for so long now that the experts know how to chop and change things between events with fantastic precision.

Watching them work is almost as much fun as the races themselves!

How the Cheltenham Festival themes its race days

Just in case all these horse races and the chance to rub shoulders with the rich and famous weren’t exciting enough – to say nothing of how plush Cheltenham Festival accommodation can be – you’ll find that each race day is themed.

The opening day of the Cheltenham Festival is Champion Day, and it gets things off to a cracking start. As the name suggests, things open with a bang as many of the most famous horses and their jockeys in all of horse racing pit themselves against seven races spread throughout the afternoon.

The most compelling of these is often the signature event, the Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy. Each of the races that make up Champion Day at the Cheltenham Festival usually feature hurdle races, and each race is tailored to give horses of different levels of experience, and of different ages, the chance to compete.

Day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the famous Ladies Day – where fashion often takes a turn for the extravagant, and where some of the world’s most famous high end designers have the chance to show their talents on attendees from all corners of the globe.

Don’t feel shy among all these fancy hats and bold colours, however. There’s always an extra layer of excitement ahead of Ladies Day in all kinds of Cheltenham hospitality venues, and with good reason.

That’s because Ladies Day mixes plenty of hurdle races with steeplechase events and a grand final flat race to round off the afternoon – which is often so intense that you’ll be glad to head back to your Cheltenham Festival hotels for a big dinner and a lie down!

On day three of the Cheltenham Festival, those of us having a cheeky flutter are hoping for some luck of the Irish – especially since it’s Saint Patrick’s Thursday. Races throughout today will feature a mix of novice races for horse and jockeys just now learning their craft – as well as handicap races and some good old fashioned steeplechase action.

There’s a special buzz in the air come day four of the Cheltenham Festival, and you’ll find that everything reaches something of a crescendo. Cheltenham Festival ticket and hotel packages often focus on day four as one of the most exciting in all the Cheltenham Festival calendar – and that’s really saying something.

The prestigious Gold Cup day is how the Cheltenham Festival wraps up its hours of horse racing entertainment in style. Here, handicap races and steeplechases are mixed with hurdle races in an exciting mix of sport, where you never know what to expect next.

Things wrap up before 6PM though, leaving you plenty of time for a cheeky tipple if you’re still in the celebratory mood – whether that’s at the festival site or back at your Cheltenham Festival accommodation.

Why where you stay for the Cheltenham Festival matters

The Cheltenham Festival is simply unlike any other event in the British or Irish horse racing calendars – if not the world. As one of the nation’s most prestigious and beloved sporting events, well over a quarter of a million people head to the Cheltenham Festival every springtime to take in the races, the fashion, the famous faces and the fun.

Yet all of this would be that much more difficult without decent Cheltenham Festival ticket and hotel packages – and those aren’t just a place for you to lay your head between the big days out, either. In fact, in some cases Cheltenham Festival hotels are so packed with entertainment and good food that some guests might want to stick around instead of heading to the horse races.

How you spend your time in your Cheltenham Festival hotels is up to you, of course, but make no mistake – Cheltenham hospitality is a fantastic mix of affordability and high quality service across the board.

Hotels in and around the Cheltenham Festival feature modern conveniences and cosy home touches, together with flourishes to recipes and family favourites that benefit from the celebrity chef attention that Cheltenham gets each year for its summer food festival.

Nobody’s going to bed hungry around here!

Tips for enjoying the Cheltenham Festival

With your Cheltenham Festival hospitality as good as sorted, what’s often wise is to take a few tips on board to make the most of this once a year event. The Cheltenham Festival is safe, secure and always exciting – but it’s best to be prepared!

Firstly, make sure you’re ready to face the sunshine if you’re outside all day long – it may only be March and the British springtime might well be unpredictable, but those rays can sneak up on you. Consider some sun screen and make sure you stay hydrated – it’ll help you stay level headed if you’re tempting yourself with a tipple or too as well.

Stay level headed while enjoying the fun, too. The Cheltenham Festival is where top horse racing talent comes to compete, and that can make it tempting to bet on what feels like a sure winner in the heat of the moment. Play responsibly, and you can’t go far wrong – remember, this is all in good fun!

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