HOTEL of the week
This place is certainly not going to win any prizes for location, plopped atop a hill overlooking the M4 (though this does make for an undeniably easy commute, five minutes from the Severn Bridge). But it’s location is misleading – once in the entrance to the hotel we can barely hear nor see the road, and we’re free to wander through the 2,000acre grounds. There’s a lot going on in this enormous hotel, which has all the razzmatazz of a glitzy cruise ship. With three golf courts, Celtic Manor was home to the 2010 Ryder Cup
so it’s a good choice for golfers. A swanky spa is busy with guests and locals, and there are enough cocktail bars and celebrity chef-fronted restaurants to keep you busy for a good few days. Plus there’s a shopping mall, two pools, several types of adventure sports and a hair salon – get the picture? All the activities on offer attract families, but the hotel keeps the sixth floor as a kid-free zone. We’re staying on this peaceful floor, and our room is well appointed with a huge bed and golf course views. The marble bathroom is well stocked with Elemis goodies and there are fresh Welsh chocolates and good coffee to hand.
We dine at Steak on Six, a restaurant with a twinkly city view to one side and the Coldra Woods to the other. I’ve eaten in enough hotel steak restaurants not to get my hopes up, but this was a delicious, ambitious meal served with cheery aplomb by plentiful
waiters. Steaks start at £31, but there’s a real air of occasion to the place that sends you out full and happy. There are also tasty and unusual dishes like caramelised cauliflower panna cotta and spatchcock chicken with truffle butter.
You could easily come for a few days and never leave, but it would be a shame not to explore the beautiful Usk Valley on your doorstep. We went for Sunday lunch at Newbridge on Usk, a cosy inn, which is an eight-mile drive away through gorgeous Welsh countryside. Also owned by the hotel, it serves top-notch food, but is not quite so expensive. If you feel like venturing further afield, there are castles and stately homes in the area and Cardiff is just 30 minutes along the M4.
Rates start from £91 per room celtic-manor.com