Cosy stays for snowy days
Cambridge’s Langdon Hall provides the ultimate getaway with fine dining
There’s something about a lazy few days away that just feels nourishing for the soul. And that cosy, warm, nostalgic feeling is multiplied in the winter, when crackling fireplaces and bubbling hot tubs and luxurious spa treatments are on the menu, as they are at Langdon Hall in Cambridge.
Pulling up to the imposing 1890s-chic Federal Revivalstyle facade dusted by the kind of fresh snow, you rush out of the biting wind and into a glowing lobby adorned with bountiful floral arrangements, a ticking grandfather clock and the generally refined taste level that you expect from a property with the prestigious Relais & Châteaux status.
When you get to your room, the first order of business is rushing around squealing about the depth of the soaker tub, the fluffiness of the bedding and the picturesque view to the croquet lawn and kitchen garden beyond (and the outdoor pool, ideal in the summer). Light the fireplace, which has been considerately pre-built, and proceed to lounge alongside it for a while, popping chocolates into your mouth like Greek gods gorging on grapes.
Need more indulgence? Visit the spa, where a large Jacuzzi is set in front of a glass wall looking onto trees and sky, so you can sit in steamy bubbling water before your treatment and watch the wintry scene outside.
A sauna and steam and a few delicious tiny muffins in the lounge area later, and it’s time for the main event: a hydrating, oxygenating facial featuring a parade of skin care from the luxe Swiss line Valmont. Skin gleaming, you’ll wander back to the room in a giant white robe and collapse into the king bed for a blissful afternoon nap.
Next up is dinner, which is exciting because Langdon is famous for its Five-Diamond rated restaurant and the meticulous efforts of its longtime chef, Jason Bangerter. He does miraculous things with seasonal ingredients, many of them grown or foraged in the inn’s own organic gardens or nearby farms. Think such delicacies as venison with foraged mushrooms and grape preserves, or lobster with stone fruit jam, butternut squash and brussels sprouts served on a curved white plate that calls to mind an oyster shell.
There’s a special vegetarian menu, to which the same care has been given as every other dish (a fine dining rarity); hope for the sublime cauliflower risotto swirled with Parmigiano Reggiano and dotted with crunchy fried capers and crispy onions. The food is incredible, but if you’re staying longer than a couple days, you may start to crave simpler fare (there's nary a club sandwich to be found).
If you’re lucky, when you get back to your room Linda will knock on the door to do turndown service, and when you try to say you don’t really need anything, thank you, Linda will assure you that it’s very nice, and proceed to pop chocolates, water and extra tea bags on your nightstand.
This is what makes the experience especially wonderful: the kind, friendly interactions you find yourself having with virtually every Langdon staff member you come across. The staff typically seem very happy to be there, and are each treated to an all-expenses-paid one-night stay every year.
After a last ramble in the woods on one of the 12 kilometres of walking trails, you can read newspapers in one of the delightfully decorated, natural-light-filled sitting rooms on the main floor while waiting for your ride home, soaking in the convivial atmosphere and one last crackling wood fire. Nothing could be cosier.