In one of my previous blog posts I declared that 2020 was the year of the staycation, but little did I know then - that staycations were set to continue well into 2021! I am very keen to jet off to some far flung destinations and now that we are into 2022 that is starting to look like a real possibility! In the meantime, I will be posting about a few short stays that we enjoyed last year at some of the finest luxury hotels that England and Ireland have to offer.
For my last birthday we booked into Coworth Park in Ascot. One of nine luxury hotels that make up the Dorchester Collection, this beautiful country house had been on my list for some time - in large part due to its excellent equestrian facilities. I wanted to discover a new hotel and enjoy some horse riding on my birthday, so Coworth Park was the obvious choice!
Built in 1776, the beautiful Georgian-style building is set amid 240 acres of scenic parkland. It is the only hotel in the UK to have its own polo fields where guests can practice or learn to play the sport of kings. With 30 stables and a selection of well trained schoolmaster horses and ponies, Coworth Park truly is an equestrian's dream holiday location - there is even the option to bring your own horse along for the stay. In addition to polo, you can also book a lesson with the experienced instructors to improve your dressage or jumping skills, or take it easy with a leisurely hack around the estate. In addition to the equestrian facilities there is an award-winning spa and tranquil indoor swimming pool where you can soothe any aching muscles from all that time spent in the saddle. I was very excited to experience it all!
The service at Coworth Park was exceptional from start to finish. The husband had noted, when making the booking, that I would be celebrating my birthday and I was delighted when we were informed of an upgrade to a Mansion House Deluxe Room. Located on the top floor, the beautiful Georgian shuttered windows offered amazing views out towards the polo fields. As you probably know by now, one of my favourite hotel room features is a freestanding tub - Coworth Park did not disappoint in this department as the majority of rooms feature impressive freestanding copper roll-top bathtubs. A bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a birthday card were lovely touches from the Coworth Park team to kick off celebrations!
As my birthday fell early in the week, we were unfortunately not able to experience the Michelin starred Restaurant Coworth Park, which is only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. We dined instead at The Barn for my birthday lunch and enjoyed a very romantic dinner in the Drawing Room restaurant where we had a fantastic view of the spectacular sunset from our table on the terrace. Service in both restaurants was excellent but I must say that The Barn had the edge and this was due, in large part, to the very attentive and charismatic restaurant manager, Gaetan. Upon learning it was my birthday he delivered two glasses of champagne to our table as we were seated and a delicious mini chocolate birthday cake complete with candle arrived for dessert!
We were blessed with sunny summer weather for our stay and I was blown away by the beauty of the Coworth Park grounds. I was aware of the wildflower meadow, which features heavily on the website and social media accounts (though worth noting that it doesn't bloom until late July/early August!), but they could definitely be capitalising on some other areas of the estate that are equally stunning. The lake in particular, which is a very short walk from the Manor House, is just beautiful - a literal swan lake, it is home to many ducks and the hotel's resident swans. Of course the best way to explore the grounds is on horseback! I had opted for a one hour hack around the estate - our route took us by the polo fields and following a few gallops around the all-weather canter track we stopped by the lake to take in the scenery.
I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful birthday - from the delicious breakfast in bed, to the exhilarating ride around the estate, and ending with an evening spent lazing by the pool at the tranquil spa following a relaxing facial and massage. As we reluctantly checked out on our final day, we were treated to a wonderful surprise - we were informed that Coworth Park was hosting a polo match and we were welcome to attend before departing. Having never attended a polo match before, this was an offer I was absolutely not going to refuse! So we spent the final few hours of our stay sitting in the sun and taking in an action packed game of polo. It's such an exciting and impressive sport to watch and I imagine it must be thrilling to play. On my next visit I will definitely be replacing my hack with one of the polo experiences offered by Coworth Park through Guards Polo Academy.
I can't recommend Coworth Park highly enough - in fact, we were so impressed that we have booked into another hotel from the Dorchester Collection for this years birthday - Le Meurice in Paris. Stay tuned for my review this summer!
I wasn't fibbing about those sunsets, here's a shot that the hubby captured of the spectacular colours over Coworth Park estate ...
No comments
Post a Comment