13 minute read
Post-Covid hotel stays on the Great West Way
Hoteliers along the Great West Way have been busy preparing to reopen their doors, and welcome you back safely, on the 17 May 2021, covid restrictions permitting. Whether you are looking for a city break in a luxury spa hotel, a countryside manor house offering rambles in acres of outdoor space, or a boutique hotel on the banks of the river, there is a hotel for every occasion. Hospitality teams have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure enhanced safety procedures to offer you peace of mind during your stay, so here’s a look at some of the best hotels, getting you ready for your summer staycation.
HOTELS IN THE CITY
If you are starting your Great West Way journey in London The Great Northern Hotel is an exquisitely designed, luxurious boutique hotel relevant and central to today's reborn King's Cross St Pancras. Opened in 1854, the hotel embraces its heritage while moving gracefully with the times. Dress to impress and head to the cocktail bar and glamourous martini lounge. Roseate House London is just a short walk from Hyde Park offering stunning views over leafy Westbourne Terrace. If you are arriving from overseas and need a convenient place to stay in Central London for your 14 days quarantine, the Roseate House London has launched a special quarantine package, based on a minimum 14-night stay, with discounted room rates and a complimentary upgrade to a luxury Suite. Good to know - Roseate Hotels has two further luxury boutique hotels along the Great West Way; The Roseate Reading, described by the Evening Standard as ‘UK’s Sexiest Townhouse Hotel' (see p112); and located in the centre of Bath The Roseate Villa Bath.
Why not combine your city stay with a spa break? Because who doesn’t enjoy a morning filled with shopping followed by an afternoon of luxury pampering? The Great West Way has some of the country’s best and most unique spa hotels, many of which are located in convenient proximity to a city centre. The Gainsborough Bath Spa for example, is located in the heart of Bath, famed for its Georgian-era architecture. Guests of the hotel have exclusive access to the Spa Village, set beneath a glass atrium within the hotel, the spa draws on the city’s natural thermal waters. A short walk away The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa built between 1767 and 1775 is located in the most famous crescent in the world. For the re-opening they have launched a special midweek new package where you will enjoy a night’s stay in a luxury room or suite including full English breakfast, plus a Taittinger Champagne gift set. Why not take a dip in their award-winning spa, then let the tension of the last twelve months melt away while making a toast to a brighter future?
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
If it’s culture, dining and nightlife you’re after, you won’t find better than Abbey Hotel Bath, home to Koffmann & Mr. White's brasserie-style English and French restaurant, for its location. An experiential art-driven hotel, for people seeking true Bathonian encounters, close to all the main attractions, museums and after-dark venues. Meanwhile, Dukes Hotel occupies two magnificent Georgian townhouses on Great Pulteney Street.
You could try the Apex Hotel, Bath’s largest hotel, or for an elegant and vivacious boutique townhouse hotel located on the grandest street in Bath head to No. 15 Great Pulteney.
Taking your dog on holiday with you? Just a short drive from the centre of Bath, Grade II listed Bailbrook House Hotel, (a Hand Picked Hotel), is dog friendly and set in 20 acres - here you can enjoy the historic Cloisters restaurant or contemporary dining in The Conservatory.
If Bristol is your chosen destination for a citybreak full of culture, hotels don’t get more arty than the new Artist Residence in Bristol’s Portland Square, or more central than Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, a historic hotel with restored family-friendly accommodation. You might also enjoy the Rock & Bowl Motel, or The Bristol Wing, a boutique hostel in the Grade II listed old Police Headquarters. Alternatively, The Full Moon is a backpacker hostel adjoining the lively Attic Bar in arty, alternative Stokes Croft. If you would prefer somewhere more serene, close to University of Bristol Botanic Garden, opt for somewhere in Clifton. Although it has a village feel, independent shops, cosmopolitan restaurants and the iconic Suspension Bridge are all within walking distance. Number Thirty Eight, a boutique hotel in a refurbished Georgian merchant’s house, is in prime position. Relax in a room with a roll top bath or soak up panoramic park views. And if you’re just in Bristol for a flying visit - where could be more convenient than Hampton By Hilton Bristol Airport – the only hotel within walking distance of the terminal?
The Mitre Hotel
Bailbrook House reception
Bailbrook House freestanding bath
Reading is technically the UK's largest town, but with so much buzz and excitement around the town, with plenty to see and do, it makes for a fabulous destination to rival any UK city. There is yet more excellent choice of hotels here to stay in too. Malmaison Reading has stayed open through much of the pandemic offering a reduced service to key workers and business travel. Built in 1844, the hotel is the oldest surviving station hotel in the world - perfectly retaining the style and decadence of the golden age of rail travel. Think luxe decor, roll-top baths, and gigantic, soft beds. The Novotel Reading Centre also sits in the heart of the town just a stone's throw from many of Reading's best restaurants, bars and shops – or head to artful luxury townhouse, The Roseate Reading, originally Shire Hall. Marvel over the impressive Italian chandelier complete with 86,000 Italian-glass beads and original lift shaft that has been lovingly restored running the full height of the building. The Roseate Hotel is the perfect place to spend a glamorous evening contemplating the next stage of your journey on the Great West Way.
Afternoon Tea at The Mitre
HOTELS BY THE RIVER
Want to slow down your pace and find your own story on the Great West Way staying near the river? With so many absorbing things to see and do along the Royal River Thames, from watching the historic tradition of Swan Upping to splashing about in boats, you might want to combine and enhance your mini-break to one of these fabulous hotels with some of the suggestions made in our Enjoy the River article (see p32)?
Start with one of the oldest inns in the world, The Olde Bell in Hursely. Full of warmth, history and charm, this quintessential English coaching inn, with some parts dating back to 1135, offers a variety of bedrooms in barns and lodges ranging from the sublime…to the ridiculously sublime!
One of the newest hotels located on the banks of the River Thames is The Mitre, a stylish boutique hotel in East Molesey boasting balconies, private courtyards, fire pits, jacuzzis and stunning river vistas.
Sir Christopher Wren Hotel & Spa is another with a Thames riverside location. The hotel comprises several characterful buildings clustered around a historic cobbled street by Eton Bridge and Windsor Castle, with a gym, spa treatments, outdoor whirlpool and sauna.
Also in Windsor, both Castle Hotel MGallery and Sir Christopher Wren Hotel & Spa offer spectacular views of both the Thames and Windsor Castle. There are also some fantastic foodie stays to be had in the Thames area. From Hotel du Vin in Henley, housed in a former brewery, to The Hand & Flowers in Marlow - a 3 Michelin-starred pub by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge. You’ll find the rooms in nearby cottages almost as sensational as the fine dining, with their 4-poster beds and deep, double-ended baths.
If it is a riverside break with luxury spa you desire, the Runnymede-on-Thames is a hotel with swimming pool, whirlpool bath, saunas and eucalyptus steam room, and endless pampering with a range of treatments. History-rich Magna Carta country and all manner of outdoor pursuits are also on the doorstep here.
Speaking of spas, they don’t come much better than the Monkey Island Estate. Located on a picturesque island in the historic village of Bray in Berkshire, on the River Thames. The island has a rich history, centuries old, and has been the haunt of monarchs, aristocrats and artists, along with writers, famous performers and Berkshire locals and now is home to one of the finest hotels on the Great West Way.
Garden at the Monkey Island Estate
Further along the river, in Henley, you might enjoy Venue Henley. Once home to the WH Smith family, this 30 acre estate enjoys both views of the river and the glorious Oxfordshire countryside. It lies less than three miles from the centre of Henley-on-Thames, a market town full of historic buildings and home to the famous annual event the Henley Royal Regatta, five miles from the riverside Georgian market town of Marlow and a short car journey to Windsor and the University City of Oxford.
Venue Henley
In Wiltshire’s Bradford on Avon, The Swan Hotel is a charming inn in the centre of town, by the river, full of character combining the traditions of an old inn, dating back to the 16th and 17th Century.
HOTELS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
If your walking boots are the most important item you have packed, and you are looking to reach places that only they can take you, then one of the Great West Way’s beautiful countryside hotels is waiting to welcome you!
North of the Thames, The Langley, Buckinghamshire is the former country estate of the third Duke of Marlborough. The hotel has a wonderful spa, exceptional dining and rooms retaining exquisite period features, such as Baroque fireplaces, and grounds designed by England’s most famous landscape gardener, Lancelot Capability Brown.
If you are looking to stay in Ascot, there’s an abundance of bedrooms and charming grounds, including a private walled garden and beautiful fountain plaza at the Royal Berkshire.
The Langley
Just over five miles away Pennyhill Park in Bagshot is set in 123 acres of Surrey countryside offering Michelin starred dining and an award-winning spa.
Pennyhill Park & Spa
Pennyhill Park & Spa
As a county with an impressive landscape of castles, country houses and sprawling estates, it’s a fine place to get a taste for how the English aristocracy live. It doesn’t get much more luxurious - or traditionally English - than the Cliveden House Hotel, where the Duchess of Sussex chose to stay the night before her wedding. For quaint and cozy, try the Queens Arms, East Garston, an award-winning hotel, pub and restaurant with its own private lodge right in the heart of the North Wessex Downs Area of Natural Beauty.
Cliveden House Hotel
Also in Berkshire, there’s Donnington Grove near Newbury, an impressive 18th-century Gothic house which was once home to Daisy Fellowes, a socialite and fashionista said to have owned the largest jewellery collection in the world. This hotel and country club is set in 500 acres of countryside offering countryside pursuits such as fishing and clay pigeon shooting.
Or perhaps you’re keen to be close to the Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, if so head to five-star Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa, in the Southern Cotswolds set in 12 acres of gardens this is a ‘grown up getaway’ with a cinema, spa, restaurants and more.
Cotswolds villages such as Castle Combe, Lacock, Badminton and Malmesbury all make idyllic destinations for countryside rambles.
Why not stay in the nearby market town of Chippenham, where you’ll find lots more options, like Best Western Angel Hotel - a 17th-century coaching inn, standing in over 30 acres of peaceful, secluded grounds on the edge of the Cotswolds, or head to The Lygon Arms, a luxury spa hotel set in the quintessential Cotswold village of Broadway.
For the ultimate tranquility of a countryside escape with views in all directions, head to the beautiful county of Wiltshire. This predominantly green landscape is a wayfarers' paradise - an ancient, rural county full of excellent walking routes and intriguing places to stay.
Start with England’s oldest hotel - sitting proudly next to the 12th Century Abbey in the centre of the historic, vibrant and charming market town of Malmesbury, The Old Bell Hotel has been restored to the height of elegance, glamour and English charm. Grade I-listed, it’s thought to date back to the 13th century when it was built to house visitors to Malmesbury Abbey next door. For a luxury family experience, Woolley Grange Hotel in Bradford-on-Avon is another superb choice. Guests of all ages are indulged at this Jacobean Manor House. There’s even complimentary childcare at Woolley Bears Den, so little ones can get stuck into seasonal activities, like making butterfly sun catchers, while adults head off for a welldeserved spa treatment.
Luxury Family Hotel, Woolley Grange
With a name like this who could refuse a stay (and if you’re lucky, a hug too) at The Bear Hotel? Set in the heart of the quaint historic traditional market town of Devizes, the hotel is run by Wadworth Brewery. An original 16th century Coaching Inn with many beams and other original features, the Bear’s en-suite bedrooms include grand 4-poster suites with front views of the Market Square.
Cricklade House Hotel is a beautiful and dignified country house, built at the turn of the last century with a most impressive magnificent Victorian-style glass conservatory which runs the full length of the original building, making the most of the hotel's elevated position. Sit out on the terrace and enjoy wonderful panoramic views over Wiltshire countryside. Beechfield House, also in Wiltshire, is a stunning country house hotel offering a truly opulent place to stay. Or try The Manor House, a 14th Century luxury hotel and golf club in Castle Combe (part of the Exclusive Collection along with Pennyhill Park, Surrey and Royal Berkshire, on the outskirts of Ascot).
Cricklade House Hotel
For a unique concept of keyless entry and no reception, meaning you’re able to stay safely and privately without having to interact with any other guests book yourself a room at No.7 & No.8 Kingsbury Street, Marlborough. Arrive hungry - they also have a fabulous burger restaurant. Further west, Lorne House, near Corsham, the childhood home of Thomas the Tank Engine author, Reverend W.V. Awdry, is today a large Victorian villa with elegant charm, or head to nearby Guyers House Hotel & Restaurant, a traditional country house with an awardwinning restaurant.
And if you’re looking for somewhere quick and convenient for visiting top attractions, you’ll love Holiday Inn Salisbury-Stonehenge, the closest hotel to Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site.
DoubleTree By Hilton Swindon is ideal for resting tired feet after a different type of day spent walking – a shopping spree at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Swindon.
Find more places to stay, including bed & breakfasts, farm stays, self-catering, pubs, camping and boats from our website.
→ www.greatwestway.co.uk/stay
