Worth Traveling For
It’s not my imagination. The feather-light china cup I hold is a garden in bloom. It’s bedazzled with flowers, as is the diminutive plate where I’ve begun to mound a mini mountain of clotted cream. At afternoon tea in the drawing room of Coworth Park, scone in hand, I take in a view that seems to be replicated on the porcelain tableware. Layered with folly-edged gardens, punctuated by statuary, the lawn is a carpet of colorful wildflowers that flow towards a wooded forest. Interior and exterior boundaries blur somehow, which results in an elegant picnic vibe. Though seated on a velvet-y chair, amid luminous paintings and lavish furnishings, I feel like I’ve unfurled a blanket beside the flowers for the ultimate al fresco tea party. Needless to say, when the waiter explains that the bespoke china’s design was inspired by the be-flowered vistas, I’m not surprised.
The beau ideal of an English country house hotel, posh Coworth Park, part of the Dorchester Collection, unfolds in Ascot, near Windsor Castle in the county of Berkshire. With a snazzily renovated, grand Georgian mansion at its heart, the retreat spreads across 280 pastoral acres, sculpted with gardens, a pond, restored stables and barns, and a standalone spa. Just an hour from London, and 20 minutes from Heathrow, Coworth Park reigns as the only hotel in the UK with professional polo fields.
Hotel Highlights
A hideaway as evocative as a private club, with that longed for allure of an exclusive party only the best of us have been invited to, this glamorous getaway exudes a friendly but sophisticated ambiance. Yes. It’s bucolic and horsey, but in the best way — not countrified, but chic, artsy, and savvy. Equine activities loom large here — and guests gadabout mounted on big horses dressed in their riding finery or gather at the polo fields to cheer on their favorite ponies and players.
In the summer, pop-up bars draw imbibers into the garden; winters feel cozier, with blankets on terrace chairs for those in search of fresh air. From a design standpoint, nature and abstract equine motifs celebrate the setting: there’s a tree in the lobby, vine-shaped bedposts, painted leaves pressed into lucite tables, wall hangings reminiscent of braided horse tails, and the aforementioned flower-y china tea sets, to name a few. No detail is left to chance. Every nook quickens the heart.
Woven by Adam Smith is absolutely worth the flight over the pond alone. This Michelin-starred jewel box, ensconced in the mansion, has windows overlooking the grounds, though you’ll be too riveted by delectable bites such as his raved-about jellied Devon eel (a smoky, elevated riff on an East London classic) to look at anything besides your plates. I loved the richly enchanting, woodsy design elements as backdrop to Smith’s hyper-seasonal, foraged-composed creations, each a recollection from the chef’s childhood or a transposed or reordered execution of British culinary mainstay — such as the cornish turbot and lobster with zesty Champagne sauce.
Guests can also dine at The Barn (hearty British classics like Sunday roast), in the Drawing Room for tea and light options, and in the spa’s Spatisserie, a healthy haven. Speaking of The Spa at Coworth Park, the outpost burrows into a verdant meadow, offering treatments by topnotch industry leaders such as Valmont, as well as offering a state-of-the-art fitness room, saunas and steam, and an extraordinary indoor pool enlivened with underwater music and huge amethysts that border one side.
Rooms and Suites
Redone and reimagined this year, this classy bolthole bunks guests in 49 rooms and 22 suites — all over-sized and exquisite. Embellished with artistic homages to nature from floral sculptures with Art Nouveau flourishes to magnificent leaf tables, each room underscores the fact that you’ve succumbed to an escape from the frenzy of the city.
Expect freestanding copper baths (my glorious redone suite had two for side-by-side bathing), four-poster beds, and fireplaces. Some rooms occupy the mansion’s upstairs floors, while others lie a short walk (or golf buggy ride) away in retrofitted stables, where a more secluded complex calls to mind a bygone village. Celebrities tend to opt for Dower House, a historic Grade II-listed domicile, circa 1775. Set aside across the fields, it’s a three-bedroom oasis, complete with resident swans. Brand new, North Lodge, also roomy, sits on the property’s furthest reaches.
What to Know Before You Book
Coworth Park is open year round, but imparts a distinct vibe each season. For snuggly romance, winter wins out, but flower lovers won’t want to miss the summer blooms. Make your reservations at Adam Smith’s Woven and for afternoon tea in the Drawing Room well in advance.
Address: Coworth Park, Blacknest Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7SE
Closest Airport Heathrow LHR, less than 30 minutes away
