One massive advantage that non-London hotels have over their capital city rivals is space, and our suite at Brooklands Hotel Surrey near Weybridge, was certainly one of the largest I’ve stayed in.
The Brooklands hotel in Weybridge has 131 bedrooms and isn’t short on space
The huge reception lobby of the hotel entrance, just opposite the Brooklands racetrack
Bedrooms at Brooklands Hotel
The vast central lounge in our ‘super suite’ had a large, glass dining table, a huge sofa, a separate study area with a desk, a bank of fitted wardrobes surrounding another desk, a bathroom with a bath and walk-in shower, and a massive balcony running the length of the suite. Oh yes, and a double bedroom with yet more chairs and desks. It was extremely roomy.
Many of the bedrooms at Brooklands Hotel have huge windows to make the most of the view
Our suite, the Kay Petre, was vast, with a massive lounge, a study, a bathroom, bedroom and balcony overlooking the race-track
Surprisingly for a hotel room named after a woman – Kay Petre, one of the first female stars of motor-racing – the room felt incredibly masculine, with dark colours and minimalist-style decoration (except for the occasional model plane) but it was slick and smart and clean.
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Our room was designed in a business-like style with various plane ornaments dotted around
In another stay at Brooklands Hotel we stayed in a neighbouring suite, the Noel Pope suite, and enjoyed a similar sense of space and great views over the race track.
The track-facing super-suite, the Noel Pope suite at Brooklands Hotel
It was vast, with a lounge area containing a large sofa, dining table and chairs, a separate area with a desk and fitted wardrobes, and the bedroom itself, of which was a large and smart bathroom. A balcony ran the length of the room and provided great views of the track we had just been zooming around.
History of Brooklands hotel
The Brooklands Hotel is a four-star, 131 bedroom art deco-style hotel built on the site of the original Brooklands racetrack. Opened in 1907, the Brooklands track was the scene of the earliest motor-racing in the UK during the 1920s and 1930s (remember those racing scenes in Downton Abbey? They were filmed at Brooklands). While the original track closed in 1939, guests at the hotel have a great view of cars zooming round the Mercedes-Benz track which is at the front of the hotel – read about my own Mercedes-Benz driving experience here).
The hotel overlooks the Mercedes-Benz test track, while the original Brooklands track can be seen behind the hotel
For those who are looking for a rather more relaxing break than driving on skid pans, the spa at Brooklands Hotel is handily located in the hotel itself and provides great views of the Brooklands racing circuit as well as a delightfully womb-like indoor meditation room with heated waterbeds.
There are a whole range of spa treatments at Bspa including massages, facials, scrubs and body brushing, as well as beauty treatments such as manicures, pedicures, eyelash tint and eyebrow shaping. There’s no pool but there is a sauna, steam room and relaxation room and a whole variety of pampering treatments on offer – I had a very nice 80 minute treatment which included body-brushing, firming serum, a facial and a hot stone massage.
The new hot tub on the balcony of the Brooklands hotel spa
Sunlight therapy room at Brooklands Hotel spa
Enjoying the ‘sunshine’ in the sunlight therapy room at Brooklands Hotel
The newest addition is the Sunlight Therapy Room which uses ‘sunlight’ simulators’ to replicate natural sunlight and, according to the brochure, has all sorts of benefits including increased blood circulation, relaxes muscle tension, stronger immune system and an increase in energy. We were given a half-hour slot and arrived with sunglasses at the ready (although there are sunglasses to borrow if you’ve forgotten yours).
The loungers in the sunlight therapy room at Brooklands Hotel
It was like being at an indoor beach, with bright sunshine, plastic loungers and lots of magazines to read, and while I’m not sure about any longer-lasting effects, I certainly enjoyed the experience and felt very relaxed afterwards while catching some actual sunlight on the balcony loungers.
Being in the same building meant we could pad back from the spa to our room in slippers and fluffy robes which felt very civilised.
The restaurant and bar at Brooklands hotel
The high-speed racing track experience and the afternoon spa pampering had worked up an appetite so it was time to head to the 1907 restaurant, named after the year the world famous Brooklands racetrack opened. The hotel website says it draws inspiration from the 1920s and 30s – a period of glamour, innovation, and the golden age of racing and that’s certainly true of the bar which served excellent cocktails.
The bar at Brooklands Hotel does excellent cocktails
The 1907 restaurant at Brooklands hotel
The theme of the restaurant menu was ‘classic with a modern twist’ and covered everything from tapas and salmon starters, to fish and chips, burgers, Nicoise salads and fish chowder to chocolate brownie, pavlova and British cheeses to finished. We found the hummus and soup starters, to the whole-baked sea bass papillote and ribeye steak to be full of flavour.
The generous hummus starter at 1907 restaurant at Brooklands hotel
My ribeye steak was full of flavour
The bar continued the motoring and aviation theme, with plane propellers a central feature
Breakfast at Brooklands hotel
Having an early morning coffee the next morning while relaxing in the sun on our private balcony was a great start to the day. Breakfast was a buffet and judging by the other guests, the hotel is very popular with business travellers, being a few miles from the M25. It also has an impressive array of conference rooms and thus manages to cater for the corporate guests during the week and the spa-and-racing crowd at the weekends.
Visiting the Brooklands Museum and Mercedes-Benz World
Concorde, now retired and living in Brooklands Museum
A girl can dream…
Car fanatics will love racing around the track as well as visiting the three-storey Mercedes-Benz showroom, while a retired Concorde and other planes are just next door at the world-famous Brooklands Museum.
Loving my Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience
So whether you’re inspired by Top Gear, Top Gun or want to treat the petrolhead in your life with a spin around the track while you wave at them from your hot tub, the Brooklands Hotel is the ideal location.
Hotel information and to book Brooklands Hotel
Brooklands Hotel, Brooklands Track, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0SL
01932 335700
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If you liked this review of this luxury hotel and spa in Surrey, then here are a few others nearby to check out: Langshott Manor Surrey: regal luxury in an Elizabethan manor house; Something for everyone come rain or shine at Foxhills Surrey; Pennyhill Park hotel and spa: a luxury hotel fit for England;