My Hotel Bugbears - Towelling dressing gowns.
MY HOTEL BUGBEARS….
….Guests padding around the corridors in their toweling dressing gowns and awful toweling slippers en route to the spa. Worse still, staying in a hotel where EVERYONE wears toweling dressing gowns and awful toweling slippers all the time. That’s at places like Champneys and Grayshott where, though there are excellent facilities, a comprehensive range of treatments and programmes and healthy menus, the ambience reminds me of the private wing of a hospital, full of white-garbed patients waiting in a dazed state for the next procedure.
Some of these Health Spas are quite stylish in an anodyne way; others, frankly, have all the allure, hotel-wise, of one of the many upmarket old folks’ homes that I investigated for my mother, with dowdy, old-fashioned furnishings and a forlorn air. If I wanted a few days of healthy, reinvigorating pampering, I would so much rather choose a decent hotel in a lovely setting that had a good spa, a range of treatments and healthy food, rather than a dedicated health spa with lacklustre bedrooms attached.
I could quite happily live at the Herb House Spa at Lime Wood, and its Raw & Cured café is superb; other standout spas attached to alluring hotels are at Calcot Manor in the Cotswolds, Ockenden Manor in Sussex and The Scarlet in Cornwall, to name but three.
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Lime Wood Lyndhurst, Hampshire 33 rooms from CA$835
Exclusive offer - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast SPRING OFFERFoodies - A super chic restaurant, serving Anglo-Italian fare. A product of Lime Wood’s Luke Holder and high-profile chef Angela Hartnett.Families - Extra beds allowed in rooms, kids activities on site and baby sitting facilities makes this an obvious choice for parents.Country Escape - A beautifully renovated country house situated in the heart of one of the UKs finest National Parks.Cooking classes - The excellent Hartnett Holder & Co Backstage cookery school has a wide variety of hands on courses.
Recommended by - Mr & Mrs Smith, I Escape, Tablet, Good Hotel Guide, Kiwi Collection, Relais & Chateaux, SawdaysHotel WebsiteScintillating luxury hotel in a superbly redesigned Georgian house in the heart of the New Forest. Wonderfully comfortable beds in large rooms all with unique features including free standing baths, fireplaces or four posters. A sublime restaurant curated by a celebrity chef. Countryside perfection. See More
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Calcot & Spa Tetbury, The Cotswolds 35 rooms from CA$336
Child friendly - The hotel is set up for children and families, and is very busy in the school holidays.Spa breaksRestaurant - Choose between the Conservatory's fine dining or the more relaxed Gumstool Inn.Tennis - On-site tennis courts and rackets for use by the whole family.
Recommended by - Mr & Mrs Smith, Fodors, Frommers, Good Hotel Guide, Kiwi CollectionCheck AvailabilityA charming 14th century manor house in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Chic rooms feature bold wallpaper prints, soft tones, deep soaking tubs and trendy artworks. The beautifully landscaped gardens feature a range of family activities as well as a pool and spa. An elegant country retreat. See More
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Ockenden Manor Cuckfield, West Sussex 28 rooms from CA$413
Foodies - The creative cuisine of Head Chef Stephen Crane has earned them a Michelin-Star, check out the seven-course Tasting Menu.Country Escape - Submerge yourself in this country house hotel, with every whim and comfort taken care of there is no need to leave.Great walks - This area boasts plenty of picturesque walks, ask your hosts to point out a few choice trails to follow.Restaurant - Michelin starred cuisine
Check AvailabilityThis tranquil and historic manor house is just an hour from London, with lovely gardens, indoor and outdoor pools and a fine dining restaurant. Choose from traditional manor house rooms or elegant modern suites. Its top notch spa - and the Downs nearby - make for the perfect mini-break. See More
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The Scarlet, Cornwall Newquay 37 rooms from CA$329
Romantic Break - With a spoiling spa, luxurious rooms with sea views, and fine dining - this is the perfect setting for romanceSpa - An eco spa featuring a bromine-filtered indoor pool, outdoor natural reed pool, a wooden sauna, and pod treatment roomsRestaurant - Seasonal dishes are served in the restaurant alongside a good selection of winesSurfing - There are several surfing beaches nearby and plenty of surf schools tooRecommended by - Mr & Mrs Smith, Good Hotel Guide, SawdaysCheck AvailabilityRelaxing, purpose-designed eco-friendly hotel overlooking Mawgan Porth beach. Rooms are decorated with contemporary furniture & local art. Enjoy sea views from the cocktail lounge and the stylish hotel restaurant. Expect fantastic spa facilities for relaxation and great outdoor activities nearby. See More
Written by Fiona Duncan
