Top England's winter getaways
Dormy House
Cotswolds doesn’t need an introduction, but once you have decided on the escape to this part of the UK, how to choose a hotel? There are plenty on offer and one is better than another. I’ve spend a weekend in the beautiful Dormy House and happy to share the experience.
Dormy house is very easy to access from Moreton-in-Marsh station and the hotel’s reception will be happy to book you a taxi waiting for you upon arrival to the station. Hotel might look tiny from the outside but has 38 boutique rooms and award-winning spa. It is recommended to book your treatments in advance (I really recommend full body massage, so relaxing!), however don’t worry if you haven’t, there is a lovely open air heated jacuzzi as well as inside pool and two saunas available for all guests 8am to 8pm.
The most exciting part: the hotel has three (!) on-site restaurants. We booked a dinner in MO. The restaurant has opened a few month ago and is a chef’s table, only 12 seats, all centred around Head Chef Sam Bowser. It was more of an experience rather than dinner. Intimate, immersive and fun it was an entertaining evening with plenty of creative cooking and food theatre thrown in. We were joined by Culinary Director Martin Burge who created the menu concept together with Sam Bowser. They wanted a restaurant experience that reflected the ethos of the hotel; relaxed, informal whilst focussing on their shared passion for raw ingredients. Served in the form of a 7-course tasting menu and having a price tag of £100 per person, MO was a great choice that showcased good, honest food at its absolute prime.
Next morning we had a leisurely breakfast in another hotel’s restaurant - the Back Garden. The Back Garden is Dormy House’s second new restaurant for 2019. Here the menu showcases the best of the Cotswolds with slow foods, high-welfare rare-breed meats and responsibly cultivated grains and vegetables. Sunday was much sunnier and we took advantage of many hiking routes for the rest of the day before heading home.
Chewton Glen
Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa
If you are looking for a beautiful seaside escape that is hidden in the woods, look no further - weekend in the New Forest’s Chewton Glen Treehouse is absolutely everything that you can dream of. It is called five-star experience for a reason. Once a family house Chewton Glen was rebuilt into a hotel about a century ago and the treehouses are the latest addition to this beautiful property. Each house has one to two bedrooms, two specious bathrooms, terrace with a private hot tub and a cosy living room with real fire. The grounds have a golf course, two restaurants, SPA and a cookery school. The seaside with the incredible views of Isle of Wight is just 10 minutes walk and a breakfast of fresh local produce is delivered straight to your door every morning.
Do not miss on the opportunity to have one of the best SPA treatments you can possible find - OSKIA facial. I felt alive again in just over an hour and would go back here just for that. After the SPA we had a relaxed dinner in the luxurious Dining Room and lunch in The Kitchen Restaurant the following day. Both delicious and seasonal.
Widbrook Grange
Widbrook Grange is an 18th century 19 bedroom Georgian country house hotel near Bath in pretty Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. I visited this farmhouse retreat twice, once in winter (above) and once in summer (below). Each of 19 boutique bedrooms has a touch of country chic, finished in restful palettes, influenced by the Cotswolds’ countryside. Both times I stayed in my favourite ‘Music room’ that features bicycle in the bathroom (can’t be more instagrammable, right?) and music instrument elements in the decor. In the summertime you can enjoy many beautiful walks in the fields or a horse ride in the nearby riding school.
In the winter the main feature is the property’s own Gin bar. Cosy up in a tiny room and try gins from all over the world. In the evening hotel offers a seasonal dinner set menu with quite an extensive wine list. Using only the finest, freshest local ingredients, sourced from local independent suppliers, The Kitchen makes traditional farmhouse cuisine with a gastro twist. The menu has been created by World Champion Chef, Sandor Szucs, making use of the hotel's freshly planted herb garden.
While in the area do not miss to have an afternoon tea in the famous 15th century Tea Rooms in Bradford-on-Avon (15 min walk).
