Three of our favourite ESCAPES FROM LONDON
Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa, Bagshot, Surrey
This luxury hotel sits in a grand 18th-century manor, with a spa and a four AA Rosette restaurant headed by Michelin-starred chef Steve Smith. You can swim to the sound of underwater music in one of the spa’s eight pools, and sip Champagne in the outdoor tub – waiters are on hand to serve drinks in and around the pools. Enjoy a superb dinner in The Latymer restaurant and learn about the provenance of the artistically presented dishes. From £520 per room, per night, based on two sharing. To find out more and book see redonline.co.uk/pennyhill
Hever Castle B&B, Kent
Strolling through a beautifully scented rose garden, pause to picture a young Anne Boleyn doing the same thing. It’s easy to imagine these moments while staying in a four-poster bed at Hever Castle; wondering if King Henry VIII stole a kiss from Anne Boleyn on the drawbridge – or imagined beheading her as he paced the Staircase Gallery. Guests enjoy out-of-hours access to the grounds: moonlit strolls through the Italian garden and dawn dips in the lake will really give you the sense of belonging to a world of royal romance and intrigue.
From £180 per room, per night, based on two sharing.
To find out more and book see redonline.co.uk/hevercastle
Rocksalt, Folkestone, Kent
This is one of our favourite gourmet escapes. Sitting on the terrace of Rocksalt on a sunny day, overlooking brightly coloured fishing boats bobbing on the water, it’s easy to forget you’re in England. The contemporary restaurant with rooms offers seasonal menus dedicated to local produce, a sophisticated bar serves food virtually all day and, with four lovely bedrooms in owner Mark Sargeant’s adjacent Smokehouse (also home to his summer-only fish & chip restaurant), Rocksalt is the perfect little seaside bolthole. From £110 per room, per night, based on two sharing.
To find out more and book see redonline.co.uk/rocksalt