Since having a baby last year, I’ve begrudgingly accepted that holidays will never be the same again, which is exactly why we decided to ship ours off to the grandparents and enjoy some much-needed respite at one of the UK’s most exquisite hotels.
Coworth Park in Ascot was the has-it-all hotel of choice for this pair of frazzled parents. We were seeking plush accommodation for a rare lie-in, incredible food we could actually savour without interruption, sprawling grounds for a buggy-free meander and an incredible spa for some much-needed silence. Thankfully, Coworth Park offered it all - and then some.
As you’d expect from a hotel within the Dorchester Collection - which also boasts The Beverly Hills Hotel, Le Meurice in Paris and, of course, The Dorchester - among its impressive roster, quality is paramount.
We felt the tension leave our bodies as we drove up the drive to the hotel amidst sprawling acres of picturesque Berkshire parkland (240 to be precise) and manicured polo fields. The hotel staff are the most friendly (and immaculately dressed) we’ve encountered, and no task is too big.
The hotel’s decor perfectly marries the hotel’s original charm and character with an immaculately modern touch. There’s English smoked oak flooring, beautiful floral displays at every turn and the dulcet tones of a pianist playing in the lounge area, which serves as the perfect spot for an aperitif (my husband has vowed to recreate the ‘best gin cocktail he’s ever tasted’ back at home), and prelude to an epic dinner at Woven by Adam Smith.
The new restaurant from the hotel’s incredibly humble and affable chef is simply sublime. Walking into the pantry as chefs busily conjure up work of art-esque appetisers truly sets the scene for the experience to follow. Designed by Martin Hulbert Design, the interiors are both theatrical and contemporary, and the two floor-to-ceiling wine cellars make for perfect Instagram fodder.
Chef Adam Smith says he finds a rare pleasure in being able to bring together the finest ingredients on a plate. He likes to ‘remix’ the staples of the British cookbook in vibrant and unexpected ways, which he does with aplomb at Woven.
Our culinary experience kicked off with appetisers from the pantry: mouthwatering canapés like cured seabass, XO sauce, kalamansi, seaweed, brown crab salad, and goat’s cheese with hazelnut and truffle (an ingredient that features heavily on his menu). I simply can’t not mention (or picture below) the bread basket: a selection of croissants and deliciously soft homemade breads for the table. After raving to the chef himself about the carb offering, he told me he really judges a place on its bread basket and that’s a man after my own heart.
The menu continues to champion British produce as the courses come: from the larder we enjoyed hand dived scallop with celery and bergamot, Hen of the Woods - Old Winchester, cauliflower, mushroom and turnip and truffled chestnut. From the stove, we devoured Hereford beef, fallow deer, dover sole and Cornish Turbot.
In celebration of Coworth Park’s bee hives, desserts include black fig, estate honey, walnut and bee pollen, as well as Adam’s signature chocolate, sea salt, coco nib and crème fraîche, which was truly incredible. If you’ve any room, opt for a selection of British cheeses served from the pantry. We were also sent back to our room with a box of ‘treats’ - think praline chocolates and lemon and ginger meringue tarts - which served as the perfect car snacks en route home the next day.
We practically rolled back to our Mansion House Premium Suite in a delightful food coma. As the largest suite at Coworth Park, this showstopper of a room allowed us the space to enjoy some much-needed alone time (me in the hotel’s iconic deep roll-top copper bath with a glass of fizz and him enjoying the sprawling TV in front of the open fireplace). I had the best night’s sleep of my life; it’s little wonder that Prince Harry chose the hotel as his place of rest the night before his wedding. In fact, Coworth Park is being touted as one of 2023’s most lusted-after wedding venues. From walking down an aisle of wildflowers to a grand celebration in the Oval Room, there’s something both charming and unique about a countryside wedding and Coworth Park is the perfect for spot for exactly that.
Waking up to the view of the sprawling polo fields, which are adorned with wild flowers in summer, was a real treat. Guests are invited to enter an even deeper sense of relaxation at the state-of-the-art spa, which has a relaxation room with freshly-baked cookies, crystal-adorned swimming pool and a range of treatments by prestigious Spanish house, Germaine de Capuccini.
For a treatment you won’t stop thinking about long after you’ve left, plump for the Radiance Vitamin C Face and Body Signature Therapy - an energising yet truly relaxing face and body ritual that uses the power of Vitamin C to boost collagen renewal. No one has time to exfoliate (especially a new mum), so the exfoliation with a vitamin C-enriched balm, followed by a deeply hydrating vitamin C body wrap to firm and tone the skin, is a real luxury. Whilst cocooned in this relaxing body wrap, your therapist performs a brightening and illuminating Timexpert Vitamin C facial and uses a soothing massage ball to target tension and re-energising dull skin. The result? A lit-from-within glow and overall sense of blissful calm.
The Coworth Park team themselves hail the hotel as ‘five-star but familiar’, offering a warm welcome for every guest, with service and standards that are impeccable, but with a dash of easy charm. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
