Tried & Tested

Hotel check: Greenwoods Hotel Spa and Retreat

31 Mar 2009 by Sara Turner

WHAT’S IT LIKE? Greenwoods’ original 17th-century Grade II Listed manor house used to be a mission but has since been renovated and an extension added to it in 2004. At the front of the property is a pond with a fountain and a crunchy gravel drive with a parking bay for 100 cars. Walking around the back will bring you to a terrace with tables, chairs and sun loungers, a sunken garden and neat lawns that stretch into fields beyond.

Inside, the small, airy reception marks the divide between the new wing on the right with 16 bedrooms and the spa and pool in the basement, and the old wing on the left, with the Rosewood restaurant, the high-ceilinged lounge with wooden floors and comfy armchairs, and 23 bedrooms upstairs.

The four-star hotel aims to create an old fashioned, homely feel with rich furnishings, heavy, tasselled curtains and dark wood fittings, while combining modern elements such as the spa, and neutral décor in the corridors which sport contemporary figurative paintings on the walls.

WHERE IS IT? In the peaceful village of Stock in Essex, about a ten-minute taxi ride from Billericay station (roughly £9), which is 40 minutes from London Liverpool Street station. While trains run frequently, travelling by car means you avoid engineering work that can disrupt Sunday services. Stock is 64km from central London and 60km from Stansted airport.

ROOM FACILITIES The Premier rooms in the main building are decorated in rich yellow, gold and black and have views of the fields outside. They also come with spa baths (although they are quite small and narrow) and antique double beds. The only drawback to these rooms is that they are above the lounge and function spaces so can suffer from disturbance from parties going on in the evening.

The 16 rooms in the new wing are quieter and are decorated in the same kind of ornate, Regency-period style. Internet access through the television is available in all the rooms for £4.95 per connection. My Classic room on the first floor at the far end of the new wing, had broad lilac and blue striped wallpaper, thick velvet curtains, a cream and blue checked carpet, and dark wood furniture including a small glass-topped workdesk and a wardrobe in the entrance area.

As this room is on the corner of the building, it had a little balcony you could step out onto, and a circular porthole window which swung open (be careful to leave the safety chain on otherwise it will bash you on the head from above when you push it open). There was a modest-sized flatscreen TV (although the picture was a bit fuzzy when I turned it on) on the desk facing the bed, which offered pay-per-view programming, plus a phone, a hairdryer in the desk drawer and an armchair. While there were tea and coffee-making facilities in the wardrobe, there weren’t any plug sockets to hand, so I had to unplug the TV to power the kettle or charge my phone/laptop.

The room felt quite compact but was cosy and comfortable. The bathroom, which was a little cramped, had a combined bath/shower (be careful to draw the curtain across properly otherwise there will be a flood) white tiling, a blue-topped sink and Gilchrest and Soames shampoo/body wash dispensers and a couple of bars of soap. Robes are provided but need to be collected from the spa and returned there at the end of your stay. While there is no minibar in the room, the hotel does offer a room service menu (the same as that in the spa and lounge) which is available from 7am to 10pm. Dishes include assorted sandwiches for £5, fresh salmon, vegetable and olive oil spaghetti for £9.50 and samosas with vanilla and chilli dip for £4.50. (There is a 15 per cent service charge.)

RESTAURANTS AND BARS Daytime bar snacks and light meals are served in the wood-panelled lounge on the ground floor, which is illuminated by light streaming through the small, square panes of glass in the original windows. A grand piano sits in one corner, and a log fire (albeit fake) flickers welcomingly, with plenty of armchairs, sofas and low tables to relax at. Next door, is the 68-seat Rosewood restaurant, decorated lavishly in frothy creams, golds and eggshell blues, with stuccoed ceilings and gilt-framed mirrors. Open for breakfast (buffet and à la carte costing £18.50) from 7am to 9.30am Monday to Saturday, and 8am to 10am on Sunday, the eatery also serves lunch 12-2/2.30pm, and dinner from 7-9.30/10pm. A blackboard on one wall highlights daily specials and there is a decent selection of international dishes on the regular menu. I tried the tasty Brie bruschetta with red onion compote (£5) followed by Provençale tartlet on a bed of salad (a special for £13), and baked New York cheesecake with mixed berry coulis (£5.50).

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES There are three function rooms including two adjoining spaces at the back of the lounge – the Library with its original fireplace and the Boardroom with access to the terrace – and the Millennium Suite with two breakout areas and a capacity of up to 120 people for a reception.

LEISURE FACILITIES There gym, open from 7am-10pm, is on the first floor and has cardiovascular free weights and a Power Plate machine. The spa is located in the basement level of the new extension and provides guests and visitors with male and female changing rooms, robes and slippers, a shop with a range of products form the likes of Décleor and Elemis, manicure and pedicure stations, ten treatment rooms, solarium, a relaxation room (although this was a little dim and there was no where to eat or drink if you ordered something from the kitchen), a steam rooms and saunas, a monsoon shower and a 20-metre indoor pool. While there are plenty of loungers around the poolside it can get quite busy at the weekend so it is best to swim in the morning when it is quieter. Greenwoods offers more than 50 treatments including the 50-minute Deep Tissue Massage for £61 and Executive Foot Care For Men (20 minutes) for £30. Crondon Park golf club is nearby and arrangements can be made if you fancy a round of golf.

VERDICT With the opportunity to enjoy a country walk or massage at the on-site spa, this is a charming rural retreat just outside London, perfect for putting daily stresses to one side.

Fact file

HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 39 rooms in three categories – Classic, Manor (either twin or double), and Premier (six in total).

ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The sound of the dawn chorus and the crowing of a cockerel from a nearby farm in the morning, really makes you aware of being in the countryside. The balcony in my room was also a plus point as the French doors could be opened to let in air if the rooms started to feel too stuffy and the views from the rooms at the back are beautiful.

PRICE Internet rates for a Saturday-night stay in May start from £213 per room and include dinner and breakfast. Check the website for more offers and packages.

CONTACT Greenwoods Hotel Spa and Retreat; Stock Road, Stock, Essex; tel +44 (0)1277 829 990; greenwoodshotel.com

Jenny Southan

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