Foxhill Manor - Reinventing the British Getaway
Client Profile
In the rolling Worcestershire countryside sits Foxhill Manor, a handsome Arts & Crafts building that has just rewritten the script for British hospitality. Its claim to fame? Becoming the UK’s first luxury all-inclusive hotel. Priced from £920 a night, the “Full Fox” package sweeps away the nickel-and-diming many guests associate with travel. Instead, every detail (meals, drinks, spa, e-bikes, even chauffeur transfers) is bundled into one seamless stay. But what makes this experiment so compelling is not just the inclusivity; it’s how Foxhill Manor has quietly tapped into shifting cultural expectations of what “luxury” should mean in 2025.
The decision to remove the usual trappings of a hotel—check-in desks, uniforms, even set dining times—feels almost radical in a country steeped in traditional hospitality. And yet, it speaks directly to what Pine and Gilmore (1999) described as the Experience Economy: travellers are no longer buying rooms, they’re buying stories and feelings. Foxhill’s relaxed, “make yourself at home” philosophy is a textbook example of co-creation of value (Vargo & Lusch, 2004), where the guest isn’t just served, but participates in shaping their own stay. Fancy breakfast in bed at noon? Dinner by the fire instead of the dining room? The answer is always yes.
This flexibility is more than a novelty; it’s grounded in behavioural science. Research into self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) shows that autonomy—having genuine choice—drives satisfaction and loyalty. At Foxhill, giving guests permission to eat anywhere, anytime, is not just service theatre; it’s psychological design. Personalisation, as Li (2020) argues, is the new gold standard in luxury hospitality, and Foxhill has built it into the DNA of its brand.
Market Insights
Market dynamics suggest Foxhill Manor has chosen the right moment to pioneer an all-inclusive luxury model in the UK. The global luxury travel market is forecast to grow from USD 1.2 trillion in 2021 to nearly USD 2.7 trillion by 2030 (Allied Market Research, 2022), and despite economic headwinds, UK inbound and domestic luxury spending has risen, with visitors now spending more per trip than before the pandemic (VisitBritain, 2023). Affluent travellers are also showing a clear preference for stress-free, “everything included” stays, with 61% of high-spenders favouring all-inclusive packages to avoid hidden costs (Amex, 2023). While this concept has thrived in destinations like the Caribbean, it remains largely untapped in Britain, giving Foxhill a valuable first-mover advantage. With global giants such as Marriott and Hyatt now expanding into luxury all-inclusive resorts, Foxhill’s positioning appears less like a gamble and more like a savvy response to where the market is heading.
Equally important is the growing appetite for personalisation, wellness, and meaning in travel. Deloitte (2021) has identified “hyper-personalisation” as the defining force in hospitality over the next decade, and Foxhill’s “eat anywhere, anytime” approach is a direct expression of this. Research from Accenture (2022) shows that 91% of consumers are more likely to return to brands offering tailored experiences, and Foxhill’s informal, guest-led atmosphere is well aligned with this demand. At the same time, guests are travelling less often but choosing higher-value, indulgent stays when they do (PwC, 2023), with UK staycation spending surpassing pre-COVID levels at £25.9 billion (VisitEngland, 2023). Add to this the booming wellness travel sector, projected to double to USD 1.3 trillion by 2027 (Global Wellness Institute, 2023), and Foxhill’s combination of countryside retreat, spa access, outdoor activity, and intimate informality fits neatly into multiple converging trends. In a market still dominated by traditional models such as Claridge’s, Gleneagles, or Soho Farmhouse, Foxhill Manor’s decision to break from formality and introduce all-inclusive luxury could mark the beginning of a new chapter for British hospitality.
Financial Appeal
Then there’s the financial psychology. In an era of rising travel costs and post-pandemic fatigue, an all-inclusive stay functions as a risk-reduction mechanism (Mitchell & Greatorex, 1993). Guests know the bill won’t spiral with every cocktail or taxi, which lowers anxiety and increases willingness to spend at the top end. This certainty of cost is particularly attractive to high-net-worth travellers who, paradoxically, dislike feeling nickel-and-dimed. Add to this the broader context identified by Sigala (2020)—that post-COVID travellers seek simplicity and seamlessness—and the appeal is clear.
What Foxhill Manor is doing also ties into a bigger hospitality shift: the move from transactional to transformative service experiences. As Binkhorst and Den Dekker (2009) note, the new frontier of hospitality is not about material indulgence, but about creating meaning, connection, and wellbeing. Foxhill’s rejection of stiff formality in favour of intimacy and informality feels like a harbinger of this shift. It’s not “luxury as intimidation”; it’s “luxury as liberation.” This is a softer, more human-centred brand of opulence that resonates with modern sensibilities.
Strategically, Foxhill Manor also benefits from first-mover advantage (Barney, 1991). Being the first to bring an all-inclusive model into the luxury UK space gives it a defensible niche. Competitors may eventually copy the idea, but Foxhill will be remembered as the pioneer—the one that made it fashionable. That cachet, if nurtured, becomes a form of cultural capital in itself.
Of course, the model isn’t without risk. All-inclusive operations require razor-sharp cost control, and the very informality that delights some could frustrate others expecting old-school polish. But early reviews suggest the gamble is paying off. Guests talk less about the price tag and more about the feeling of being truly looked after, without friction or fuss. And that is precisely where theory meets practice: Foxhill Manor has created a space where value is measured not by the thread count of the sheets, but by the story guests tell when they leave.
In sum, Foxhill Manor is not simply a quirky experiment; it’s a case study in how academic theory on experience, autonomy, risk reduction, and transformative hospitality can be brought to life in bricks, mortar, and butler-free service. If luxury once meant starched collars and velvet ropes, Foxhill is showing that the future may look more like a friend’s manor house—albeit one where everything you could want is already included in the price.
