Pennyhill Park Hotel takes luxury breaks away and sets the bar so high you wonder how anywhere else will match it…
Pennyhill Park: The Hotel
Pennyhill Park: The Room
Pennyhill Park Hotel has 123 rooms in total, all elegantly and uniquely designed to 5 star standards with no two rooms the same. (And also an excuse to keep coming back!) Their standard rooms are broken into three different categories – Traditional: Inviting, warm and relaxing with traditional style décor, Smart: Furnished to ensure every comfort is met (The bathrooms are our favourite here) and Cosy: everything you need for a wonderful and comfortable stay (ideal for the business traveller).
We stayed in one of their Cosy Rooms which was on the third floor. It was beautifully decorated and played up to its namesake, for the warming decor and contemporary charm really did make it somewhere that felt like home. The plush king sized bed was extremely comfortable – aided by an impressive pillow menu with a great selection to make your sleep the best and most tailored experience it could be. Whilst the room wasn’t the biggest, the design helped make it so inviting that we didn’t really find it an issue.
The bathroom, individually designed was moderately sized and home to a walk-in shower, toilet and his and hers sink area. Oozing with style, the warmth of the light made it a really inviting space. Fluffy towels were neatly arranged next to the spa dressing gowns and slippers. Our only disappointment was not having a bath as that always feels a bit more luxurious on a breakaway, but the shower was of a good size that this didn’t matter too much.
Pennyhill Park: The Restaurant
Dining at Pennyhill Park Hotel is a real treat and an experience in itself, really setting it apart from other luxury breaks away. Two restaurants are available for you to dine at – Matt Worswick at the Latymer, perfect for a special occasion or the brasserie which is a little more casual but still a real treat. Both are award winning and promise to provide a faultless dining experience.
During our stay we dined at the Brasserie – awarded 2 AA Rosettes, it is no underdog to Matt Worswick at the Latymer, it’s just a different way of dining. Being slightly more relaxed it in no way affected the quality of the dishes, each course we tried were delicious. The restaurant is wonderfully modern, oozing with class and a real charm, with the windows overlook the stunning views of the gardens and spa. The A La Carte menu is extensive with a variety of starters, mains and desserts to choose from.
For our starters we opted for the Coronation Chicken: cauliflower and coconut puree, curry mayonnaise and coriander (£9.50) and the Goats Curd: red pepper, black olives, basil sponge and rocket (£7.00). Both courses came out beautifully presented, the delicious aromas a real tease to your tastebuds of what was to come. The Coronation Chicken has the perfect balance of spice and along with a great texture, I could not fault it. My partner’s goats cheese was smooth and tasty, beautifully offset by colourful tomatoes and rocket.
The mains followed – my Teriyaki Glazed Pork Belly (£21.50) followed by my partners Tamarind Glazed Baby Chicken (£22.00) again, faultless! The chicken beautiful seasoned, flavoursome and immensely satisfying, while the Teriyaki Glazed Pork Belly was tender, rich in flavour, succulent and extremely moreish.
We couldn’t manage desserts this time – but the menu was delicious with a whole range of sweet treats such as a beautiful looking strawberry mousse and ice creams. You can check out all of Pennyhill Park’s menus here.
Pennyhill Park: The Spa
For us, the main feature which takes luxury breaks away and makes them truly special and relaxing is the spa – and this is something Pennyhill Park really exceeds expectations, offering a truly relaxing haven that will take you to the ultimate place of tranquillity during your stay. Very often you will hear Pennyhill Park being voted as one of the top spa’s in the UK and after visiting, it would be very hard to go against that, we can think of only a handful of places that we have been that could rival.
Perfect for luxury breaks away for the weekend or simply as a spa day or a spa weekend their facilities are vast. You can float and relax in one of their eight indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs – one is even complete with underwater music! Make the most of silence away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life with the sensory relaxation lounge, or grab a magazine and lay back on a heated tepidarium tiled bed. For a relaxing and rejuvenating experience for the skin be sure to experience the herbal steam rooms, laconiums and ice cave – your mind and skin will thank you! Once you are done relaxing be sure to head to Themis – the Spa’s relaxing restaurant – where you can enjoy delicious healthy snacks and salads with a fresh fruit smoothie.
