A COTSWOLDS hotel will increase its capacity for group bookings.

The Old Stocks Inn, in Stow-in-the-Wold, has unveiled plans to open the Old Stocks Bolt Hole in the town in February, in a bid to ‘shake up’ the traditional holiday letting industry in the area and increase its capacity to cater for families and group bookings.

Jim Cockell, owner of the Old Stocks Inn, said: “We’re hugely excited about our move into the cottage break market.

“It’s an area of the tourism industry very much in need of a breath of fresh air and we’re confident that by combining luxury cottage accommodation with the Old Stocks approach to hospitality, we can create an offering that really stands out from the crowd.

“Equally, the Bolt Hole will allow us to better cater for the families who have grown with us and who love to stay at the Old Stocks Inn but perhaps need more space, or hen parties and wedding groups, for example, who want their own place to relax together.

Reopened in 2015 after a major refurbishment project, the Old Stocks Inn is a 17th century coaching inn.