The Greenway Hotel and Spa, an ideal romantic getaway…

The Greenway Hotel & Spa is a 16th-century Elizabethan manor on the outskirts of Cheltenham. Upon entering the grounds, you are immediately enchanted by the secret garden-esque surroundings. Perfect manicured hedges with secret archways which lead you to further gardens boarded with fine flowers accompanied by sweet smelling floral tributes filling the air. Renowned for the world famous Cheltenham festival, the hotel boosts racing memorabilia along with corridors filled with luxurious traditional Elizabethan style fixtures and furniture.

We were lucky enough to stay in a feature suite called the Elm room. The decor in the suite followed through from hallways into the room and continued with the horse racing theme with bespoke wallpaper sporting horses.

The suite its self was spacious and contained a small lounge area with leather sofas and a large flat screen TV. The king-size bed was adorned with scatter cushions and feather pillows, making the nights sleep that extra bit cosy.Small touches like the homemade short bread in the room, dressing gowns and slippers made you feel right at home. We couldn’t write a review of the room without devoting an entire paragraph to the modern elegant bathroom. His and hers bathroom sinks were laden with deluxe Espa products. Behind large glass doors there was a spacious double shower with individual shower heads, room for two or turn them both on for a real rain forest experience.

The hotel is also home to the plush Elan Spa, which contains a beautiful alfresco wooden hot tub, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room, sanarium, experience showers, a Champagne nail bar, a retail boutique and The Orchard Brasserie. The spa was a real highlight of our stay with highly trained and friendly staff. As well as enjoying some of the spa facilities above we were also lucky enough to indulge in a signature pedicure. The treatment lasted around 60 mins and included a foot massage. The pedicure didn’t chip for weeks but we were given a bottle of the nail polish to fix any “damage” that may occur, this was one of the few little touches that really made the Spa stand out as place that is highly customer orientated.

We enjoyed a pre-dinner aperitif in the garden, an extensive Gin menu resulted in  gin and cucumber tonics all round.

Upon finishing our drinks, the friendly maitre’d guided us through to the traditional dining room, large glass windows over looked one of the well-presented scenic gardens.

We enjoyed the fine dining at the Garden restaurant. The menu focused on locally sourced fresh and seasonal ingredients. To start our meal a elegant portion of meaty terrine ham-hock was served with a topping of lychee, stem ginger and schezwan pepper . The sweetness of lychee harmonising with the rich terrine and fire from the pepper, left your taste buds tantalised and wanting more of this rich, hot and sweet dish.The real show stopper of the meal has to go to the main course. A generous portion of locally reared Cotswold lamb served with Aubergine, black garlic and goats yogurt. The freshness of the lamb was clear and before even trying it, the hearty aroma filled the air and teased the tastebuds. The taste of the lamb enhanced the senses and like butter it melted in the mouth. Never have we enjoyed lamb this fresh! Complemented by the sharp goats yogurt and roasted aubergine this dish was thoroughly enjoyed. Subsequently future lamb dishes (particularly the freshness of it) will be compared and judged to this excellent dish.

Dark chocolate delice, salted caramel and malt was our chosen desert and it certainly lived up to its name – a pure delight indeed. Silky, bold chocolate  cut with the salt from the caramel and crunch from the malt worked really well together.

We had a truly fantastic time at the Greenway Hotel and Spa and if you’re looking for a relaxing break away there is no greater place you could visit.

Seen in the City was hosted by The Greenway Hotel & Spa, a 16th-century Elizabethan manor on the outskirts of Cheltenham. The Greenway has 21 bedrooms, an atmospheric wood-panelled dining room and a bijoux spa (complete with a hydrotherapy pool, champagne nail bar and walled garden with outdoor hot tub). The Elan Spa offers a range of treatments including the 45-minute Signature Pedicure (£50). Stay overnight from £139 per room (two sharing), including full English breakfast and access to the Elan spa. Call The Greenway Hotel & Spa on 01242 862 352(www.thegreenwayhotelandspa.com).