Business Traveller escapes the city to try out four English country house hotels
COWORTH PARK
The Dorchester Collection opened this 70-room hotel and spa in September 2010. Set in 97 hectares of Berkshire parkland, the Coworth Park estate dates back to 1776 and was owned by the Earl of Derby in the 19th century. It’s near Ascot, close to the M25 and M3, and is a 20-minute drive from Heathrow and 45 minutes from central London.
That this is a top-end choice for a break is evident from the moment you make your way up the driveway and spot the guests’ cars – very pricey Porsches and Lamborghinis were parked up at the entrance when I arrived. (There is also a helipad.) Finding a spot for my humble Astra, I made my way into the Georgian main building and received a warm welcome.
Rooms and suites are split across the Mansion House, which features classy, understated décor, and the Stables, which has a village feel and its own red phone box. The design aims to “bring the outside in”, and so there is lots of daylight, a natural, earthy colour scheme, and tongue-in-cheek horsey artworks.
The rooms start from 30 sqm and come with Bang and Olufsen TVs and Nespresso machines; my Executive suite also had a luxuriously furnished living room, a four-poster bed and a free-standing copper bath. It was a pleasure to spend time in.
Restaurant Coworth Park serves excellent fine-dining cuisine in an elegant setting, while the Barn offers tasty comfort food and had a lively, warm atmosphere when I dined. Afternoon tea is served in the Drawing Room. The well-groomed grounds include a rose garden, a lake and a meadow that blooms with wild flowers in summer. It’s a lovely place for a walk.
The attractive 1,300 sqm spa has an 18-metre pool with music piped through underwater speakers, and loungers for spending an easy afternoon. It also has an outdoor sun terrace, a steam room, eight treatment rooms, a gym and a café.
Coworth Park has its own equestrian centre, showjumping course, dressage arena and teaching paddock. There are also two polo fields, a polo academy, a croquet lawn and tennis court, and guests can play the three 18-hole golf courses at nearby Wentworth. The estate borders Windsor Great Park and Virginia Water.
There are four meeting spaces, the largest for 100 delegates theatre-style. A marquee can be set up for 300 guests. Activities such as duck herding, archery and laser clay shooting can be staged in the grounds.
- TESTED BY Michelle Harbi
- VERDICT A tranquil setting, elegant design and great dining and spa offerings make Coworth Park perfect for a refined break. Its meeting facilities and proximity to Heathrow also mean it’s good for corporate gatherings.
- PRICE Internet rates for a weekend stay in May started from £355 for a Stable Superior room.
- CONTACT Coworth Park, Blacknest Road, Ascot, Berkshire; tel +44(0) 1344 876 600; coworthpark.com
LAURA ASHLEY THE MANOR
The homeware retailer entered the hotel scene last July when it relaunched the Edgwarebury in Elstree, Hertfordshire, under the Laura Ashley brand following a six-month refurbishment. It’s situated close to the M1 and M25, about 20km north-west of central London and 29km from Heathrow airport.
You may hear Laura Ashley and think chintz, but this is a stylish, modern property with a well-heeled, homely feel. Housed in a Victorian mock Tudor building set in four hectares of gardens, accessed via a winding driveway, it features plenty of period details – the front door was originally part of the dungeons in Lewes Castle.
Virtually the whole property has been decked out in the brand’s recent ranges – think subtle prints, plush fabrics, lots of mirrors and good-quality wooden furniture. Framed vintage shots here and there hark back to the collections of yesteryear.
The property’s 49 rooms are located in the main house and a newer adjoining block. They range in size from about 20 sqm to the 200 sqm Mayfair Bridal suite (pictured above), and each has been individually designed. They are well equipped and have free wifi, but no air conditioning.
The attractive Cavendish restaurant serves English and Malaysian cuisine – I had an enjoyable dinner. A light menu is served in the Terrace bar, or in good weather you can sit out on the terrace – I had afternoon tea here on a glorious day, looking down on to the grounds and, far beyond, the London skyline.
There are several meeting and function rooms, and three spaces can be combined to host 150 for a reception. The grounds can be used for teambuilding activities. There is no gym or spa, though Aldenham Country Park is close by for lakeside walks and nature trails.
- TESTED BY Michelle Harbi
- VERDICT Laura Ashley the Manor is more than just a showcase for the company's furnishings and homeware — it's a welcoming, elegant place for a relaxing break. The lack of leisure facilities is a downside, but the rooms are comfortable, the restaurant is impressive and afternoon tea on the terrace is a delight.
- PRICE Internet rates for a weekend stay in May started from £139 for a Standard Double room.
- CONTACT Laura Ashley the Manor, Barnet Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire; tel +44(0) 208 953 8227; lauraashleyhotels.com/themanorelstree
LUCKNAM PARK
Deceptive in appearance, the approach to the 18th-century Palladian mansion along a tree-lined driveway gives the impression that Lucknam Park is going to be very grand. But, in fact, it feels more like a large country manor than a hotel.
Reception is in the front room of the main house, which, apart from a desk, doesn’t look too different from a family home. We visited in winter, and there were Wellington boots by an open fire with a pile of wood ready for burning, along with comfy armchairs and a selection of newspapers should you wish to settle in for the afternoon.
The staff contributed to the relaxing atmosphere, being friendly and informal without being over-familiar – larger hotels would kill for this sort of service. It’s an international team, too, which gives the place an air of being more than just a small, bucolic retreat. That said, this is the sort of property where a discreet note mentions that smart dress is required while dining, and helicopters can be accommodated.
A Relais and Châteaux member, Lucknam Park is set in 202 hectares of grounds located 9km from Bath, 90 minutes from Heathrow and two hours from London. There are 42 rooms across the main house and courtyard, and all differ in the views they offer and in size and shape (from 14 sqm to 58 sqm). They come with DVD players, iPod docks and free wifi. The top Grand Master suites are in the bays at the front of the main house and look on to the park. They feature large lounges, stately four-poster beds, writing desks, dining tables and open fires.
Michelin-starred restaurant the Park is led by executive chef Hywel Jones. It is open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner and for Sunday lunch. We enjoyed the contemporary cuisine and modern setting of the Brasserie in the spa’s walled garden. There are four meeting rooms, the largest for 40 delegates, and the whole house can be hired on an exclusive-use basis.
It is the spa that provides Lucknam’s real claim to fame. You could relax for the whole day here, making use of the 20-metre pool, thermal cabins with Japanese salt, amethyst room, aromatic steam room, well-being house – offering yoga and pilates classes, Haslauer Reflective Sunlight and dry floatation therapies – hydrotherapy pools, saltwater plunge pool and gym.
There is also an equestrian centre with 35 horses and a cross-country course for all levels of rider. The cookery school offers 24 daily courses and can accommodate 12 participants. The hotel grounds offer plenty of opportunity for walking, jogging and cycling (mountain bikes are available). There is also a tennis court, five-a-side football pitch, and facilities for croquet, archery, clay-pigeon shooting and hot-air ballooning. Golf and fishing can be arranged nearby.
- TESTED BY Tom Otley
- VERDICT Outstanding. The grounds, beds, spa and restaurants are excellent, but it’s the service and ambience of Lucknam Park that raises it above the competition.
- PRICE Internet rates for a weekend stay in May started from £360 for a Standard Double room.
- CONTACT Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa, Bath, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire; tel +44(0) 1225 742 777; lucknampark.co.uk
LE MANOIR AUX QUAT’SAISONS
Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel is 30 years old this year. Part of Belmond – formerly Orient-Express Hotels – it is a Relais and Châteaux member. It’s set in an 11-hectare estate in Great Milton, 16km from Oxford. It has a helipad, and Heathrow is 62km away.
Staying at Le Manoir is a pure pleasure. The property manages to be both highly luxurious and very homely; the service simultaneously friendly and incredibly professional. Every step of your visit is tended to carefully. Walking towards the beautiful 15th-century manor house, we were met by a welcoming member of staff who took our bags and rang ahead to advise of our arrival, so that by the time we reached reception the staff member was able to greet us by name and tell us whether our room was ready.
We were then brought to our suite and invited to come back to the lounge half an hour prior to our dinner sitting to enjoy a drink. There, a sofa had been reserved and we perused the menu over intricate amuse-bouches – another employee talking us through the options, having been made aware of our dietary requirements – before being led through for our meal.
Led by executive head chef Gary Jones since 1999, the restaurant is one of only a few in the world to have held two Michelin stars for 29 consecutive years. Menus are seasonal with dishes fine-tuned depending on the produce to hand – 90 types of vegetables and more than 70 varieties of herbs are grown in the kitchen garden. Guests can choose from an à la carte menu or opt for a five- or seven-course lunch or dinner (from £79 to £154). Wine pairings are from £89 for traditional or £199 for prestige (the wine list has about 1,000 labels).
Each stage of our seven-course dinner was splendid, with highlights including a wonderfully fresh and flavoursome terrine of beetroot – beautifully presented and balanced by horseradish sorbet; pumpkin ravioli served in an amaretto-flavoured broth with deliciously potent nuggets of Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese; and decadent “millionaire shortbread” with soft toffee, bitter chocolate and salted butter ice cream.
The 32 rooms and suites are split across the main house and the courtyard buildings, and all are individually styled and sized (22 sqm to 70 sqm). My Arabesque suite had a huge, gorgeous bathroom, a spacious living area and free wifi.
A private dining room for 50 opens on to a garden, with a conservatory to be added this month. The Raymond Blanc Cookery School runs a wide range of courses for up to ten delegates. Tours of the gardens – which include a meadow, croquet lawn and Japanese tea garden – can be arranged, as can off-site golf, horse riding and hot air ballooning, and in-room spa treatments. Exclusive use of the property is possible.
- TESTED BY Michelle Harbi
- VERDICT Legendary dining, top-class service and luxurious surrounds make Le Manoir an exquisite, indulgent treat.
- PRICE Internet rates for a weekend stay with dinner for two in May started from £970 for a Superior room.
- CONTACT Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford; tel +44(0) 1844 278 881; manoir.com
