It’s official – the new Roaring Twenties have finally begun
The spirit of the jazz age is back at Beaverbrook Hotel, says Lou Barraclough – and the guests couldn’t be happier
The one redeeming feature of having to fumble for a mask as one clambers out of one’s car at a fivestar hotel – not a situation my family is in often, you understand – is the shift in focus from attempting to cover up one’s not-very-clean-and-definitely-not-fivestar car, to covering up one’s face.
It was only as we handed over the keys to Beaverbrook’s smiling (non judgy) valet and were greeted by the cheery reception team, that we realised we were being welcomed by maskless smiles. On the first day of our Surrey autumn staycation we had stumbled upon “mask-free Friday”.
It wasn’t just us who had been caught by surprise. Management had made the announcement (after several weeks’ surveillance of staff testing) only moments before we arrived. Behind their welcome, the team’s unnerved expressions were those of someone having forgotten to do something important – like get dressed.
But the move added to the omnipresent ambience of bonhomie: the reception area buzzed with multi-generational families weekending together; couples enjoying a romantic break; and glamorous groups of mid-lifers meeting over lunches that lingered to twilight. The estate’s heyday may have been in the 1920s, but since reopening in 2017 it has paved the way for a second Roaring Twenties – and now that it is almost fully functional again, it’s certainly making up for lost time.
“Beaverbrook is always lively,” said John, a member of the estate golf club who was checking in his two daughters and three grandchildren to celebrate his belated 50th wedding anniversary – delayed for six months as a result of you-know-what. “And while it was great for guests to be given the all-clear from masks last month, it didn’t feel right for the staff to still be wearing them.”
We, however, didn’t have time to soak up the ambience as we were whisked off to take the hotel’s classic Morgan Plus Four for a spin (the classic car is available to hire from £450; May 17 to October 31). Bouncing along the leafy byroads to nearby beauty spot Newlands Corner had the evocative touch points of the jazz age: we felt like Toad of Toad Hall.
Simpler transport is also available: the Coach House Spa and rooms and Garden House accommodation (both with dog-friendly options) are located outside the main building and there is a buggy to take you to your destination. You can also take a cycle around the grounds: e-bikes can be hired from £75 for a morning. We gave it a go, managed to miss the rain and were more than ready for an evening’s frivolity.
Come cocktail hour, charismatic bartender Charlie was delighted to be rid of his mask so that he could converse more freely and said the response from guests had been overwhelming. Over dinner in the Garden House restaurant, meanwhile, the air crackled with conviviality and every table was alive with diners enjoying chef Barret Jones’s interpretation of fresh produce harvested from the kitchen garden.
The new freedom was appreciated here too. “Much as I love an atmospheric evening meal, my hearing isn’t the greatest,” said Barbara, who was enjoying a girls’ weekend. “Add a mask into the equation and I can’t even lip read!”
After an evening of overindulgence, the following morning spent at the beautifully appointed and designed Coach House Spa – featuring indoor and outdoor pools, a thermal spa and a relaxed restaurant – delivered. Spa director Rene van Eyssen has introduced three-hour Nurture in Nature sessions, but with time of the essence on our overnighter, I plumped instead for the Seasonal Autumn Nourishment Treatment with head therapist Lino Zinchi (bookable as part of a spa day for £275). It was nothing short of extraordinary – a destination treatment truly worth travelling for.
In fact, so is Beaverbrook’s whole pan-generational experience. Of course, there were niggles: our stunning Fleming suite, complete with dreamy bath and views over the gardens and Surrey Downs beyond, suffered a slight case of style over substance, with no drawers and just enough hanging space for a coat. The bed wasn’t the pillowy soft joy we had expected and there was no milk in the complimentary minibar, nor maps for the bikes or walks (we weren’t the only guests who managed to get lost). But these were quickly forgotten.
Beaverbrook’s combination of timeless class, cutting-edge interiors and contemporary dining has achieved that holy grail of appealing to all ages, all together. And no masks, to boot. Bring on the Roaring 2020s.