The secret to happiness: Luxury Warwickshire hotel reveals its unique tradition of letter sharing

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A luxury hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon is sharing its guests’ secrets to happiness – lifting the lid on its 20-year tradition of collecting anonymous letters of love, advice, and anecdotes.

Billesley Manor Hotel and Spa has been encouraging guests to leave heart-warming letters of their memories at the hotel for future visitors to read, with the tradition seeing hundreds of anonymous notes helping to spread happiness from guest-to-guest.

Those staying in the Shakespeare Suite at the grade ll listed venue have had the opportunity to leave a record of their experiences in a secret cupboard, and to mark twenty years since starting the tradition, the hotel has decided to go public with the letters to spread some happiness and help those who took part to relive their cherished memories.

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One letter, which shared the experiences of a couple who celebrated their wedding day at the hotel, said: “It was the most amazing day of our lives behind the birth of our children. Both emotional and tiring, but worth every second of stress.” Another letter said: “I proposed in this room to my beautiful fiancée. I hope you have great memories here too!”

Shaespeare Suite at Billesley Manor where guests leave lettersShaespeare Suite at Billesley Manor where guests leave letters
Shaespeare Suite at Billesley Manor where guests leave letters

Whilst another simply shared some wisdom, noting: “Wealth is not measured in worldly goods, only in how much love you have. Today we were number one on the world's rich list.”

Laura Cherrington, Sales and Marketing Director at Billesley Manor, said: “The anonymous letter sharing tradition has spanned two decades, offering a chance to encapsulate the feelings of guests’ stays with us, and to spread some happiness to future visitors. It’s been really heart-warming to go through them all and discover the memories they wished to share, from anecdotes of wedding days to general advice on finding happiness.”

She continued: “Billesley Manor is committed to creating memorable experiences and helping guests celebrate life's milestones, so it’s wonderful to see this quirky tradition grow into something really special. The hotel team have enjoyed going through some of the letters, often filled with touching, inspiring, and sometimes amusing memories. And who knows, maybe one of the original letter writers will come across this and relive the happy memories they decided to share – that’s what the tradition is all about.”

For more information on Billesley Manor, please visit https://www.billesleymanor.com/.

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