Suite dreams
TWO GRAND concrete pillars and a narrow gravel drive mark the entrance to the Channel Islands’ most glamorous hotel.
From a busy road lined with car dealerships we swing into this serene space. A well-clipped lawn surrounding an ornate concrete fountain fronts a grand entrance to a Norman manor house.
Complete with trailing jasmine and bulbous grasses at the front, it’s my dream country estate.
The entrance hall – a desk and wall table – branches off into all manner of little parlours. The drawing room has an original Elizabethan fireplace and glass cabinet stuffed with antique aperitif glasses. Another anteroom has a pair of adjacent floral sofas, just right for afternoon tea.
Most guests congregate in the main lounge, which offers individual seating areas from discrete window nooks to chesterfields in front of another enormous fireplace. The bar is tucked away on one side, avoiding the urge to make it a feature.
That said, the bar staff are good-humoured and extraordinarily knowledgeable.
There were no sighs of disapproval or raised eyebrows when I asked to taste various whites – a practice these days usually reserved for the UK’s finer establishments.
And Longueville Manor is one of the best. Yes, it may have a discerning, often rich clientele, ensuring there’s no room for complacency, yet many five-star hotels sorely let the side down.
There’s not a chance of that here. Managing director Pedro Bento runs a tight, but happy ship. He works the hotel with a confidence and grace that comes from a genuine desire to look after his guests.
Even in the small yet idyllic spa, The Cottage Garden (as it says on the tin) therapist Clair greeted me like a long-lost friend before dispensing one of the most sublime facials I’ve ever had.
Two tiny treatment rooms with wooden shutters and botanical printed wallpaper have a whiff of a New England summerhouse.
Afterwards, a dip in the Jacuzzi in the walled garden planted with herbs and lavender almost sent me into a catatonic stupor.
But dinner was on the cards. It seemed churlish not to kick-off the evening in the stepped garden which is edged in a wild meadow and overlooks the heated outdoor pool. With a glass of bubbly, a bowl of succulent olives and the evening sun it was nothing short of idyllic. Fellow guests followed suit; some to play croquet, others with cocktails in hand.
We chose to take the opulent route when it came to a dining venue. The 15th-century Oak Room of carved oak panels, beamed roof and red velvet dining chairs is a grandiose affair, offering the right balance of drama for what was to come.
The alternative, was the adjacent Garden Room, with a markedly lighter tone which struck me as lovely for breakfast.
The menu comprised of mostly locally-sourced produce was exceptional. My warm goat’s cheese and beetroot fondant with ruby orange salad was an unexpected delight, as was the delice of sole with Jersey crab and prawns. My other half was making highly suspicious sounds as he crooned over the hand-dived scallops with crisp pancetta and cider butter.
A highlight was the well-stocked cheese selection – hand-picked by head chef Andrew Baird and served from a 180-year-old oak trolley. The hotel’s newest addition, the incredible wine cellar, is stocked with over 4,000 bottles.
Quite rightly, Longueville are very proud of it and can organise a tasting session.
And so to bed. Our plush Tower Suite overlooking the gardens had two big picture windows, lowlighting and was dotted with antique furniture.
The bathroom called for a long soak in the tub thanks to the inset TV above the bath.
Others, on the ground floor, had pretty little private sun terraces reached through French doors and all are impeccably styled.
Breakfast is a wonderful spread of Champagne and smoked salmon, locally-produced honey and exquisite English fry-ups.
I’m sorry I didn’t buy Longueville Manor’s signature mug with the words, “I’d rather be at Longueville Manor”. That’s exactly how I feel.