THE GROVE

Set in 300 acres of glorious Hertfordshire countryside, The Grove is the ultimate five star retreat.

Located just 18 miles from London, and part of the same management that looks after the Atheneum in Mayfair, the former home of the Earls of Clarendon has been lovingly restored and home to an award-winning spa, championship golf course, and dining options.

Originally the rural seat for the Earls of Clarendon who were residents until the 1920s and entertained famous guests including Queen Victoria and Edward VII, the Grove has undergone numerous transformations over time. After the Clarendons’ departure, The Grove went from a girls’ boarding school to the railway’s wartime headquarters before becoming the wondrous country escape it is today.

Set in hundreds of acres of Hertfordshire’s countryside with its very own private beach surrounded by woodland trails and an outdoor pool, the 18th-century Mansion houses 26 rooms, suites and lounges decorated with a 21st- century spin on vintage glamour.

There’s also the thoroughly modern West Wing with a further 189 deluxe, superior and family rooms. With interconnecting rooms, cots for babies, bunk beds and single sofa beds for older children, The Grove is fully equipped to cater for families large or small. Many of these rooms also boast spacious balconies or terraces looking over the immaculate Formal Gardens. Match this with well stocked mini bars, modern bathrooms with ESPA toiletries and wonderfully comfortable beds, The Grove is a home away from home welcoming families, golfers, colleagues, friends and couples alike, making it the ideal place for all to relax and enjoy.

Speaking of relaxation, the recently refurbished Sequoia spa is an experience like no other. With its black mosaic-tiled pool, heat experience rooms and specialist treatment options, the award-winning spa is available to spa members, spa day guest and residents of the hotel. Leave your stresses of the city behind and enjoy the superb facilities, including a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Ladies can also enjoy use of the specially created heaven shower, private steam room, sauna, and wellness pool, located just off the main changing room. A real treat and perfect for some post festive season unwinding.

With treatments ranging from prenatal massages, a citrus drench wrap, and hot stone massage; a must try is the Inner Beauty Facial. Tailored to your skin and precise needs, the Tri-Active ESPA formulas work immediately to cleanse and reawaken your skin, leaving you with a glowing, more radiant and rejuvenated complexion. Guests who have enjoyed treatments can also make use of the newly refurbished Tranquillity room afterwards and relax with a variety of dried fruits and herbal teas.

Elsewhere, there are also impressive fitness and exercise studios with the latest Technogym equipment and a daily timetable of classes. Plus, a Vitality Pool that can massage you from head-to-toe.

After all that relaxing, head down to one of the bars for a welldeserved cocktail or two. The Glasshouse Bar is contemporary and - as you'd expect - bright and airy, with stunning views of the immaculately kept gardens.

From fruit and vegetables to herbs and honey, The Grove’s very own Kitchen Garden produces the freshest ingredients used in these seasonally-led dishes. Next door to the Glasshouse Bar is The Glasshouse restaurant with its own Estate to Plate menu; and on the other side of the hotel is The Stables, which offers a wholesome feast and a cosy bar.

The Stables boasts homemade, artisanal food with a focus on seasonality and homegrown produce. The Stables is the first step in The Grove’s journey to a regenerative approach - rejecting pesticides, chemicals and artificial fertilisers, in favour of regenerating the soil to increase biodiversity and improve water cycles.

From hand-reared meat to plant-based delights, everyone is catered for and the hearty menu champions high quality produce, sourced locally from sustainable suppliers that follow regenerative agricultural methods.

Menu highlights include the velvety jerusalem artichoke soup, Hand-dived scallops, pork belly, Granny Smith apple, celeriac remoulade; Matt’s chicken and leek pie, tarragon mustard sauce; and kale and porcini risotto with Wiltshire truffle. In addition, there is also an array of meats and fish from the grill. Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the apple and foraged blackberry crumble and sticky toffee pudding with Grand Marnier puree and honeycomb ice cream. Those looking for something more savoury can enjoy a host of British Cheeses from across Wales and England.

The Stables is currently closed for renovation but will reopen at the end of March.