Cliveden House – a stately home staycation

Cliveden House is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places we have stayed in.  It is very hard to know where to start when reviewing a hotel so wonderful!  Is it enough to say that I would happily have moved in and needed encouragement to actually leave? Hopefully the general message and seal of approval is apparent from that! For as long as I have known Mr P we have had a love affair with the Chewton Glen and so visiting its sister hotel was exceedingly exciting.  But I was prepared for the worst, worrying that it wouldn’t be as friendly, gorgeous and relaxing to what we are used to.  Thankfully there was absolutely no reason for anxiety! It has a very worthy place as one of the Relais & Chateaux properties. As birthday treats go, our staycation at Cliveden was an unbeatable treat!  (Note to Mr P – next year’s birthday treats just got even tougher for you!)

Location and grounds

20 minutes or so from Heathrow and easily accessible from the M4 the hotel is located well for a weekend escape from the city or for overseas visitors stopping off near the airport to recharge in luxury surrounded by history.  It is also less than 90minutes from the south coast and for us is somewhere we pass by so often but had no idea of what was hidden in the countryside!  The house sits atop a hill far above and away from the lights of Slough and Maidenhead in a peaceful location overlooking the River Thames.

The grounds and house are owned by the National Trust and so the gardens are open to visitors daily.  However they are sprawling and the National Trust upkeep is incredible – the parterre in spring bloom must be quite something.  We enjoyed a peaceful afternoon walk down to the river and also through the long garden and water garden.  Cliveden doesn’t provide Hunter wellingtons for the walk – but Dubarry leather boots, a very pleasant and comfortable upgrade from what can usually be borrowed at a hotel!  Although early March, in places the floral scents were almost overpowering and the tidiness was noticeable, especially some of the topiary and in the parterre. I can only imagine how beautiful the view up the drive will be once exterior restoration is complete around Easter time and the mermaid on the statue is unveiled after the winter.  Even with the work ongoing the scale, beauty and historical charm of the imposing building is evident.

The House

Cliveden is part of British history.  The design in intricate and with the recent restoration it is safe for many more years.  As you might expect from a stately home there is an interesting history with a splattering of affairs and drama as well as a roll-call of famous guests.  Most notable scandal was the Profumo Affair that left the career of a former Secretary of State in tatters – all from a chance meeting at the pavilion spa!  Apparently virtually all British Monarchs since George 1st have been hosted – so we were in good company!  Winston Churchill was a great fan and currently resides in Lego form in the Great Hall!

All around the house, including in the bedrooms, are pieces of art work and other ancient decorative items.  Whilst it operates as a hotel the common areas retain a ‘homely’ feel to them, much like they would was the house still privately used.  On a weekend afternoon the rooms are bustling with afternoon tea, but in the evenings and during the week they are lovely quiet spaces with plenty of light and roaring fires.  One of the team showed us round and there are fun things to be found – in Lord Astor’s study a hidden alcove where he reputedly hid his whisky so that he could have quiet time from Lady Astor!

Our glorious suite

The Canning Suite is beautifully decorated and restored, glowing in a brand new but ever so old kind of way – the smells of the oak panelling mixed with the sumptuously upholstered room make for a heady mix of quality new and manicured old!  The restoration has clearly been pain-staking and whilst everything is so comfortable and modern and decadent, it is tastefully put together to match the style of the panelling and the age of the property!  Historic features have been retained – be that the fire place, the panelling on most of the walls, or the old-fashioned fire-escape that is hidden in an alcove by the window.  Little things please me and I particularly liked that on the outside of each door is a little space for the name of the guests to be inserted – it made me feel very at home.

The four poster bed was incredibly comfortable and spacious.  There was plenty of seating and it was very comfortably put together throughout.  In so many hotels the suite seating is decorative only however here the settee was perfect for a spot of reading and in reach of the coffee table where a bottle of complimentary champagne was lurking!  Similar to the Chewton Glen, there is a tablet in each room to get in touch with one of the staff team or look up anything about the hotel.  Whilst we didn’t use this it is a really good idea and also means there is internet access for all guests if they don’t have a computer with them.  The room had two televisions (which we didn’t use) – one could be viewed from bed.  There was also a dining table in front of the window – perfect for working, taking in a private view across the parterre or indeed for a room service dinner.

Beyond the bedroom and lounge were two dressing room areas with plenty of storage and space and a dressing table with mirror – and a plug for the hair-dryer.  There is plenty of light in these rooms as well as a mirror – I always like this as it is nice not to have to get ready for dinner under the bright lights of the bathroom!  The bathroom was also spacious – a massive bath that filled really quickly and a strong shower as well.  I haven’t ever stayed at a hotel that uses Asprey toiletries before – they are sumptuous!  His and hers sinks and plenty of space around the edge and on the shelf for storing bits and bobs without them getting wet!

Dining

The kitchen is brand new as part of the refurbishment and chef Andre Garrett is clearly doing great and tasty things in it.  Afternoon tea was in full swing when we arrived and it definitely looks like it needs investigation on a future visit. The Great Hall and the Library are gorgeous venues for a relaxed tea and everything looked perfect, down to the pretty tea cups and the layers of cakes and sandwiches.

We enjoyed dinner during our visit – aperitif’s and canapés in the Great Hall next to a roaring fire before moving to the candle lit dining room for dinner.  When Mr P had arranged our stay he had mentioned my dairy allergy and we didn’t need to mention it again – separate canapés were provided and it wasn’t a problem to slightly alter menu items without either fuss or them losing their original taste and appeal.  We had been reserved one of the two corner booths in the dining room and so were very comfortable on a velvet sofa seat – a perfect spot to take in the surroundings.

The menu would tickle all taste buds – very gastronomic but also very English and very definitely tasty.  For first course there was a choice of rabbit, red mullet, lobster, scallops, goats cheese or salad.  And then for main course sole, venison, sea bass, pigeon, beef or squash.  Mr P had a treat with the lobster and the beef and I enjoyed the scallops and the venison.  The portions were ample and the food design on the plate was stunning.  It is a real treat to eat somewhere special such as this and we really enjoyed our evening.  The sommelier that looked after us was a charming chap and helped pair our food with wines very well. There is also a tasting menu that can be enjoyed with a wine-pairing menu.  Having done this previously at the Chewton Glen it is definitely a good way of having a taste of everything on the menu if it isn’t possible to make a choice!

Breakfast was splendid – how could it not be!  The dining room is so light in the morning and the view across the parterre and gardens stunning.  The buffet spread was very impressive and the fruit was a mix of the expected and the very tropical! All very tasty indeed.  We both then enjoyed the full-english which was cooked to perfection, as one would expect!

Pavilion Spa

When I saw the picture of the walled garden spa and outdoor pool I thought what a shame that we weren’t visiting in the summer when we could swim outside… Unbeknown to me, the pool is heated sufficiently for a bracing swim and with hot tubs next to the pool there is the perfect balance!  And for the visitor that doesn’t fancy an outdoor swim, there is another lap pool (which is warmer) and hot tub inside the spa pavillion!  For the summer months this part of the hotel is particularly important as it is a private haven away from the rest of the gardens which are open to visitors – there are plenty of sun-loungers and seating outside to enjoy the sunshine.  Complimentary fruit, biscuits and drinks are provided.  I had wondered before our visit how privacy would be sought – and the use of a walled (key-card accessed) garden achieves this perfectly.  Given our stay was short we didn’t have any treatments at the spa.

The hotel team

The team at the hotel are just incredible – everyone we spoke to glowed with pride about being part of the restoration process and their friendliness and helpfulness made the experience of staying in an opulent piece of British history even more memorable and relaxing.  From the moment we arrived to when we were waved us off at our car, the service was exceptional and we were greeted by name by every member of staff on every occasion.  Importantly, none of this was in a simpering manner – it was always thoughtful and genuine, an absolute delight!

Summing up

So hard to fault anything, even mid-refurbishment. Jokingly I said to Mr P that a bath pillow would be nice because the bath was so big – quite frankly that is all I could come up with!  I’d have happily kept hunting for faults for a few more days but sadly work beckoned and we had to head back down to earth and out of the Cliveden bubble, but feeling incredibly relaxed and like we’d been away for days and not a one night staycation!  We were invited guests of the hotel.  Regular readers will know that I would never stay somewhere that I wouldn’t have chosen myself and that I am very fussy about where I stay, spending days planning every trip meticulously. As I hope you can see from my comments I was blown away by the hotel!

This birthday surprise is my March entry for #Take12Trips – we didn’t have anything planned for March so to be able to add such a memorable weekend away living the stately home life into a jam-packed spring has been a great addition to the travel year!  We will be back!

With thanks to the hotel for looking after us fabulously and for the use of some stunning photos above.