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Country house hotels (54 posts found)

Luxury country house hotels reviewed on travel reviews website ALadyofLeisure.com by travel journalist Sarah Bridge

Birthday treats in five star luxury at Bovey Castle hotel in Dartmoor, south Devon

by Sarah Bridge
added November 2, 2022

Planning a significant birthday is always a scary prospect, but a weekend at the five star luxury hotel Bovey Castle in the heart of Dartmoor, meant that I was assured of a stay fit for the occasion. A birthday weekend at Bovey Castle hotel ...

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A relaxing Cotswolds break at Burleigh Court Stroud

by Sarah Bridge
added March 15, 2022

Staying in a small, boutique hotel rather than one with dozens of rooms turns a hotel into more of a home-from-home experience and so it turned out with my stay at Burleigh Court hotel in Stroud, in the western end of the Cotswolds area of outstandin...

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A luxury spa hotel in Staffordshire: Hoar Cross Hall hotel review

by Sarah Bridge
added October 4, 2021

Before I visited Hoar Cross Hall hotel in Staffordshire I was fond of declaring that there are hotels with spas and there are hotels which are spas, but after my stay at Hoar Cross Hall hotel I might have to add a third option. A stay at Hoar Cr...

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9 great hotels with Michelin star restaurants

by Sarah Bridge
added August 24, 2021

Staying in a luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant turns a great trip into a truly memorable one. While most four and five star hotels will have their own fine-dining restaurants, many of them highly-rated by the AA, Sawdays, Tripadvisor and t...

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A birthday lunch for a Bridge (me) at the Pig at Bridge Place, Kent

by Sarah Bridge
added November 19, 2020

You never forget your first Pig, as the old saying doesn't go, and with such fond memories of my stay at The Pig near Bath (check out my review 'The Pig near Bath - A heavenly, foodie, country retreat') I was very excited to discover on a recent trip...

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Lainston House hotel Winchester: a delightful autumn stay

by Sarah Bridge
added November 17, 2020

Lainston House hotel is the perfect place to stay if you're visiting Winchester, but it would be easy to just stay put and make the most of everything the hotel has to offer. Not only are there luxury bedrooms in which to relax, there's also a coo...

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A historic hotel stay at the National Trust Middlethorpe Hall York

by Sarah Bridge
added August 29, 2020

It is impossible to walk around the grounds at Middlethorpe Hall and not take dozens of photos. While the front of the hotel is on a quiet country lane just next to York racecourse, the rear of the hotel looks out over a beautiful lawn containing a s...

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Luxury after lockdown: a Covid-secure stay at Fawsley Hall hotel Northants

by Sarah Bridge
added August 11, 2020

After months of lockdown my first hotel was, reassuringly, at Hand Picked Hotel's flagship hotel Fawsley Hall hotel and spa in Northamptonshire near Daventry. This grand country house hotel and spa - we're talking at least 600 years old here - has wi...

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A luxurious foodie stay at Gravetye Manor, a West Sussex gem

by Sarah Bridge
added June 27, 2020

When I first arrived at Gravetye Manor, the Michelin-starred country house hotel with award-winning gardens, I soon decided that this was one of the best hotels in West Sussex and when I was fortunate to revisit recently, there was nothing to make me...

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West Sussex luxury hotel and spa at South Lodge hotel, Horsham

by Sarah Bridge
added February 28, 2020

South Lodge hotel and spa in West Sussex near Horsham is a great destination hotel. With a huge, modern spa, two restaurants, a bar, acres of lush grounds to explore, a terrace for cocktails or afternoon tea, vast luxury bedrooms and even its own win...

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New Hall hotel and spa in Birmingham – luxury rooms and a moat

by Sarah Bridge
added February 12, 2020

There are probably many historic hotels with a spa and swimming pool but I don't think many of them can say they have their own moat, which makes New Hall hotel and spa in Sutton Coldfield, just a few miles from the centre of Birmingham, a rare hotel...

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Luxury in the Cotswolds at The Lygon Arms Broadway

by Sarah Bridge
added November 21, 2019

If you're looking for luxury hotels in the Cotswolds The Lygon Arms Broadway will be high on your wish-list. This historic hotel has been a main fixture in the beautiful Cotswolds village of Broadway since its days as a coaching inn back in the 17t...

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A relaxing stay at Stapleford Park hotel and spa in Leicestershire

by Sarah Bridge
added November 3, 2019

Stapleford Park hotel in central England was a real treat; a combination of traditional stately home and modern spa, with all the trimmings of a luxury hotel: staff happy to drive you to the spa at the other end of the hotel grounds in little buggies...

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The best luxury hotels for Christmas 2019 – my epic festive round-up

by Sarah Bridge
added September 5, 2019

Luxury country house hotels get booked up early for Christmas and with good reason: luxury hotels could be made for Christmas. Think of the best luxury country house hotels for Christmas and instantly you can picture the festive scene: comfy sofas, ...

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Trying out Park House hotel’s new Germaine de Capuccini spa treatments

by Sarah Bridge
added July 9, 2019

Fans of Germaine de Capuccini who are wondering where to get Germaine de Capuccini spa treatments in the UK, will be delighted to hear that award-winning hotel Park House hotel and spa in West Sussex offers the skin care specialist products. ...

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My stay at Cliveden House hotel (favourite of poets, players and princesses)

by Sarah Bridge
added June 29, 2019

Throughout my own stay at Cliveden House hotel, there was one question which I found almost impossible to answer. Would Cliveden still be as fabulous if it wasn't, well, Cliveden? Cliveden house history The thing about Cliveden, which i...

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Bond, Bridget and me: my stay at Stoke Park hotel Buckinghamshire

by Sarah Bridge
added June 21, 2019

A stay at Stoke Park hotel and country club comes with high expectations. It's where James Bond played golf with Goldfinger, where Bridget Jones spent the night with Daniel Cleaver and where Teri Hatcher and Pierce Brosnan (as James Bond) danced the ...

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Drama and country house charm during a stay at Kilworth House hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added June 19, 2019

You don't often hear the cast of a West End musical warming up when going for a walk in the grounds of a country house, but that's what you're likely to get during a stay at Kilworth House hotel. The unique outdoor theatre in the grounds of Ki...

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Relaxing in the slow lane at Brandshatch Place hotel and spa

by Sarah Bridge
added March 13, 2019

It shares its name with a famous motor racing circuit but guests at the Brandshatch Place hotel and spa will enjoy a relaxing stay away from the fast lane. As befits a hotel named after a racing circuit, guests to the Brandshatch Place hotel a...

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A charming luxury stay in Brockencote Hall hotel Worcestershire

by Sarah Bridge
added February 27, 2019

Brockencote Hall, set in 70 acres of lush green Worcestershire countryside, turned out to be an almost perfect stay, with the comforts and treats of a luxury country house hotel, from immaculate rooms, impeccable service and great food. Brocke...

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A relaxing luxury stay at Mallory Court hotel Warwickshire

by Sarah Bridge
added February 27, 2019

It isn't often I embrace a hotel gym so wholeheartedly but there was something about the spa at Mallory Court hotel in Warwickshire which made it irresistible. The spa at at Mallory Court hotel As we'd just come from enjoying a great stay with ...

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Milsoms Kesgrave Hall hotel Suffolk: a friendly, lively, fun, quirky hotel stay

by Sarah Bridge
added February 8, 2019

There was far more to Milsoms Kesgrave Hall than I’d expected. Having just come from its sister hotel, Talbooth House, a luxurious, refined, relaxed country house with outdoor pool and 12 beautifully designed rooms, I wasn’t sure whether the 23-room ...

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Talbooth House: a memorable stay at a lovely Essex country house hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added February 8, 2019

The key to a memorable hotel stay is a great welcome and such was my arrival at the excellent Talbooth House and spa on the Essex/Suffolk border was that within ten minutes I felt utterly at home. Arriving at Talbooth House and spa The sign...

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A festive round-up of the best luxury country house hotels for Christmas 2018

by Sarah Bridge
added November 13, 2018

Luxury hotels could be made for Christmas. Think of the best luxury country house hotels for Christmas and instantly you can picture the festive scene: comfy sofas, roaring fires, beautiful decorations and acres of grounds for the Boxing Day walk (o...

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Rowhill Grange hotel and spa: a relaxing stay in the Kent countryside

by Sarah Bridge
added May 21, 2018

It goes without saying that anyone doing battle with the traffic on either the M25, A2 or A20 routes is probably in need of some serious relaxation, but they might be surprised to learn that there is an oasis of calm just moments away in the form of ...

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Make yourself at home at the grand but friendly Lewtrenchard Manor, Devon

by Sarah Bridge
added March 4, 2018

Lewtrenchard Manor is one of those classic country house hotels which actually feels like someone's home rather than a hotel: a rather grand home, admittedly, but one where you instantly feel as if you don't need to lock your bedroom door and where y...

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Burley Manor hotel New Forest: relaxing country charm

by Sarah Bridge
added February 12, 2018

The first time I visited Burley Manor Hotel in the New Forest I had absolutely no expectations - not because I thought it was going to be terrible, but because it had never even crossed my radar before. It turned out there was a reason for this: whil...

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Bovey Castle hotel Devon: a friendly, historic, luxury Dartmoor stay

by Sarah Bridge
added February 9, 2018

If a hotel is called a castle, then you want it to look seriously impressive, and Bovey Castle hotel Devon did not disappoint. Once we'd handed the car to the friendly and efficient team of valets who welcomed us on arrival, we walked through the hot...

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The Pig near Bath: a heavenly, foodie, country retreat

by Sarah Bridge
added January 29, 2018

My arrival at The Pig near Bath was one of the most welcoming I've had in any hotel. The moment I arrived I was greeted by someone saying enthusiastically: 'You're just in time for lunch!' and was promptly whisked off to sit in the sun with a large G...

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A night in a Chewton Glen treehouse: luxury from spa to treetop

by Sarah Bridge
added January 16, 2018

It isn't often you spend the night at a five-star country house hotel and find yourself sleeping in a treehouse on stilts in the middle of a forest. But a Chewton Glen treehouse, located in the famous Chewton Glen hotel and spa located deep in the he...

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A relaxing stay at the historic Spread Eagle hotel Midhurst

by Sarah Bridge
added January 15, 2018

Just one night at the Spread Eagle Hotel Midhurst felt like a really long stay, which I mean in the most positive way. A stay at the Spread Eagle Hotel Midhurst I arrived there on Sunday afternoon, and by the time I left 24 hours later I'd had ...

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Time for some serious pampering at Ockenden Manor hotel and spa

by Sarah Bridge
added January 13, 2018

Walking into a really gorgeous hotel room like my spa suite at Ockenden Manor hotel and spa in West Sussex can be such a bittersweet moment. There is the initial reaction of 'Wow! This is really, really nice....!' and delight that this is actually al...

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A luxurious country escape at Bailiffscourt hotel and spa, West Sussex

by Sarah Bridge
added January 12, 2018

If lockdown has left you feeling in serious need of a relaxing break with country walks, a first-class spa and restaurant and cosy rooms to hide away in, then, once we are allowed to stay in hotels once more, Bailiffscourt hotel and spa is the place ...

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Langshott Manor, Surrey: regal luxury in an Elizabethan manor house

by Sarah Bridge
added December 15, 2017

To arrive at Langshott Manor is to jump back in time. One moment you are in urban Surrey, passing through towns like Redhill and Horley and driving though a modern housing estate, and then all of a sudden you arrive at a building unlike no other - wi...

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The Bell Inn: a cosy New Forest coaching inn perfect for country walks

by Sarah Bridge
added December 13, 2017

There's a warm glow which comes when reading a newspaper article called 'Cosiest pubs to stay in this winter' and realising you are heading off to stay in one of those featured that very day. This happened to me recently when about to head off to Th...

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Park House hotel: a West Sussex spa secret (but not for much longer)

by Sarah Bridge
added October 17, 2017

It's been receiving guests for more than 60 years but Park House hotel is still making the transition from well-kept local secret to firm fixture on the British country house hotel scene. A stay at Park House hotel With its spa PH2O being short...

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Whatley Manor hotel and spa: a true Cotswolds gem

by Sarah Bridge
added September 27, 2017

Just when you think you’ve stayed in the best hotels in the Cotswolds, along comes Whatley Manor hotel and spa luxury hotel and tops the lot. From the moment the gates opened to reveal a beautiful cobbled courtyard, the entrance garlanded by wisteria...

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A classically English estate at Bowood hotel, spa and golf

by Sarah Bridge
added September 25, 2017

If you like visiting beautiful English stately homes but hate the queues, the drive, the parking and the general hassle which usually goes with such visits, then Bowood hotel, spa and golf in Wiltshire has the perfect solution: its own fleet of golf ...

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The Greenway hotel and spa, Cheltenham: luxury hotel with the fizz factor

by Sarah Bridge
added August 21, 2017

I hadn't meant to embark on an impromptu Champagne cocktail-tasting session just after breakfast, but in keeping with the overall spirit of relaxation and pampering at The Greenway hotel and spa Cheltenham it seemed the right thing to do. It w...

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A picture-perfect Cotswolds stay at the Manor House Castle Combe

by Sarah Bridge
added May 27, 2017

If your idea of a perfect summer's day is afternoon tea (or a gin and tonic) on a beautiful lawn in the sunshine, The Manor House luxury hotel in the pretty Cotswolds village of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, is the place to be. The Manor House ...

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Pennyhill Park – a luxury hotel fit for the England rugby team

by Sarah Bridge
added April 4, 2017

If the England rugby team need somewhere to recharge their batteries after a tough game then they needn't travel very far: their training ground at Pennyhill Park luxury hotel in Surrey is just a drop kick away from one of the finest spas in the coun...

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A stay at The Old Swan and Minster Mill, a classic Cotswolds country pub

by Sarah Bridge
added January 3, 2017

A trip to the Cotswolds is always a treat and if you're in need of some bracing countryside walks, a hearty pub meal and then a nightcap in front of a roaring fire, then The Old Swan and Minster Mill in the pretty Cotswolds village of Minster Lovell ...

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Cosy Cotswolds charm at The Painswick hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added November 11, 2016

Being named The Sunday Times' Hotel of the Year, which The Painswick hotel was a few years ago, can be a double-edged sword. On the upside, the phone didn't stop ringing once the news came out, bookings went through the roof and for a newly-opened ho...

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A deeply relaxing day at Lime Wood hotel spa in the New Forest

by Sarah Bridge
added November 2, 2016

You have to be deeply relaxed to nod off during a massage, so falling completely asleep, not once, but twice, during my treatment at the Lime Wood hotel spa shows what an incredibly relaxing spa treatment it was. This was quite an achievement...

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Quintessential Cotswolds retreat at the Lords of the Manor hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added June 29, 2016

The man who described Bibury as 'the most beautiful village in England' surely never went to Lower Slaughter. It might have a slightly alarming name but Lower Slaughter, all lush green fields, yellow Cotswold stone houses and a babbling brook running...

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7 of the best hotels in the Cotswolds which you’ll love

by Sarah Bridge
added May 18, 2016

Searching for the best hotels in the Cotswolds may sound like an easy task - luxury hotels in the Cotswolds seems to be everywhere! But with so many great hotels to chose from, it's easy to be overwhelmed. The best hotels in the Cotswolds don't come ...

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Calcot Manor luxury hotel: a family-friendly hotel in the Cotswolds

by Sarah Bridge
added December 31, 2015

For those who love the idea of staying in a luxury spa hotel in the Cotswolds (and who doesn't?) and are travelling with children in tow, Calcot Manor luxury hotel, just the other side of Circencester, is a great choice - a Cotwolds hotel and spa f...

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Barnsley House hotel and spa – a wonderfully cosy Cotswolds hideaway

by Sarah Bridge
added December 19, 2015

Within two minutes of arriving at Barnsley House hotel and spa in the Cotswolds I had completely fallen in love with it - and that's before I'd even tried out the private cinema, outdoor hot tub or delicious food. All these things were yet to come, b...

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Bodysgallen Hall hotel North Wales: a country house with impressive views

by Sarah Bridge
added October 14, 2015

Bodysgallen Hall hotel in North Wales was the starting point for my week exploring Wales and it was a great place to begin. One of the top luxury hotels in Wales, its location just outside Llandudno on the north coast is right at the top of Wales and...

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Gravetye Manor West Sussex – food heaven in a luxury country house hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added September 1, 2015

There are some places that are so lovely you can't stop thinking about them after you leave, and Gravetye Manor West Sussex is most definitely one of those. [Note: this review of Gravetye Manor West Sussex was first published in 2015 and some of t...

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Ashdown Park hotel in Sussex: luxury hotel in beautiful grounds

by Sarah Bridge
added June 16, 2015

As beautiful settings go, Ashdown Park hotel in East Sussex certainly has the 'wow' factor. A stay at Ashdown Park hotel Ashdown Park hotel is easily one of the best hotels in Sussex and is a hotel with stunning views. Walking through a stone a...

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Luton Hoo hotel: a classic country house (with Hollywood glamour)

by Sarah Bridge
added June 13, 2015

It isn't often you get to share a sink with Hugh Grant but the sign in our bedroom at the five-star Luton Hoo hotel and spa proclaimed it to be true: the rather quirky sink-in-a-cupboard in the corner was indeed the very same cupboard from Four Weddi...

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Huntsham Court Devon: relaxed exclusive use country living

by Sarah Bridge
added February 7, 2015

Hidden deep in the heart of the Devon countryside and just 12 minutes away from the M5, Huntsham Court is a massive Victorian Gothic 34-bedroom mansion house set in five acres of land, which is in turn located within the 5,000 acre Huntsham estate. ...

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Lucknam Park hotel near Bath: my luxury mansion for a night

by Sarah Bridge
added August 28, 2014

It isn't every day I stay in a 17th century Palladian mansion but after just a few hours at Luckham Park hotel near Bath I was walking around as if I had lived there for years. Staying at Lucknam Park hotel I would grandly descend the staircase...

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