Review: Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa

Why book?

This is a classic old-school weekend retreat, the sort of place to come for proper peace and quiet, to get away from the noise of people needing to see and be seen. Instead everyone is here for that incredible Michelin-starred dinner, a deep night’s sleep and the chance to sign off from day-to-day stress.

Set the scene
A big-hitting Cotswolds estate that still sweeps you off your feet with its sheer force of character, sense of space and brilliant food. It launched in 1997, the eve of Cool Britannia, but proved there was still an appetite for unapologetic old-school glam. The deeply pretty Georgian manor house, all honeyed Bath stone, sits at the end of an avenue of sky-high beech and lime trees, surrounded by exquisite gardens like a Jane Austen film set.

The backstory

Eagle-eyed guests will spot the curious Greek elements dotted around—the urns in the bathroom, the Acropolis paintings in the dining room, the Hellenic motif on the plates. The owners also have Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens in their stable but Lucknam Park is a resolutely English country pad.

The rooms
Wonderfully classic, with swagged four-posters in the largest ones, a hefty whack of chintz and faded florals, pleated silk lampshades and open fireplaces. Classic and Garden rooms are more subdued, less of a flourish of fabrics, and slightly more contemporary. But there is no pretense to be chasing a modern aesthetic. Bathrooms are marble-clad and traditional. There is also a lovely three-bedroomed cottage for privacy seekers or weekending families.

Food and drink
Hywel Jones (who has retained his Michelin star for years) serves exquisite food in his eponymous restaurant. The space is candle- and chandelier-lit, with serious thick linen tablecloths; the kitchen garden supplies herbs and vegetables and almost everything served up is as locally sourced as possible—fillets of Wiltshire beef, Wiltshire truffle, Roundway Hill pork and Brecon lamb. The six-course tasting menus are pretty filling. The Brasserie, by the spa, is more relaxed: drop by for coffee and pastries, wood-fired pizza and light suppers—Cornish bream or even a rump-steak burger.

The service
A purposeful drive in recent years to make the place feel less formal has resulted in a cheery bounce in the staff's step, a raising of chatter levels to almost a hum in the evenings and a relaxed atmosphere where you can wear your robe down to the spa and back again without feeling like a terrible slob.

The spa

Often voted the best spa in the UK by in the Readers Choice Awards, the spa here offers treatments such as 111Skin facials, hot stone massages and salt scrubs.

The neighborhood/area
Lucknam is brilliantly placed for exploring the nearby city of Bath and the Cotswolds. But there’s so much to do within the 500-acre estate too with a spa, a world-class equestrian centre and a heavyweight cooking school.

For families

There are adjoining and interconnecting rooms for families, and babysitters on hard if you'd like to enjoy a meal without the kids en tow (Restaurant Hywel Jones welcomes children over five and even has a child-friendly menu). There is an adventure play area, tennis courts and bicycles for hire, and activities such as pony riding can be arranged at an extra cost.

Eco effort

The hotel has been awarded a Green Tourism Gold standard award, which recognises sustainable practices such as reducing waste.

Accessibility

There are rooms with ramped access and ample room for a wheelchair to move about and a wetroom-style bathroom. Service dogs are welcome. The library and restaurant are all on the ground floor and are wheelchair accessible.