Down Hall Country House Hotel, Hatfield Heath

Halloween saw us undertake a relaxed 45 minutes drive to Hatfield Heath, Essex. Our destination - Down Hall Country House Hotel. Situated on the Essex-Hertfordshire border, the hotel is one of England's longest established country hotels and has a long history dating back to 1540. Down Hall has been home to a number of lords and baronets, painters and artists and each one of them has left their own impression on the houses' aesthetic style. Down Hall underwent remodelling in 1720 under the supervision of James Gibbs (an architect). Later, the house served as a recuperation home for wounded soldiers during WWI and was then used as a girls' school for around 35 years before opening its doors in 1986 as a countryside hotel.

The location of the hotel is perfect for those wanting to escape from the hustle and bustle of London. Down Hall is located in Hatfield Heath with 110 acres of surrounding woodland, parkland and landscaped gardens to explore. But it is still within easy reach of London - just 45 minutes from Central London and only a 15 minute drive to Stansted Airport. This makes Down Hall an excellent choice for business and leisure travellers alike.

On arrival at Down Hall, we were given a guided tour of the hotel - taking in the beautiful array of rooms and suites that play host to the most intimate of ceremonies, luxury wedding breakfasts and stunning receptions. Down Hall has rooms that can cater to parties of different sizes - one of their largest rooms can hold around 190 guests and there is even one for smaller parties of around 30 people. All rooms are furnished with luxury interiors, have ornate ceilings and paintings and most rooms have lovely views over the beautiful gardens - it is no wonder that Down Hall is a much sought-after venue for weddings. In fact on the day of our visit, a wedding reception was in progress and we caught a glimpse of the wedding photography in the beautiful garden. With Down Hall in the background, well-maintained gardens and a small fountain, it is a photographers' paradise.

We stayed in one of the hotel's Executive rooms that are located in the newer West Wing. These rooms have been recently refurbished and you can see the effort that has gone into the revamped style - both in terms of comfort and the finishing touches. An extremely comfortable bed, spotless and clean bathroom, complimentary grooming products, good quality bed linen, the fluffiest bathrobes I have ever come across, tea/coffee making facilities, iron and ironing board, laptop-sized safe and a mini fridge - the spacious room was packed with all the right things. The free Wi-Fi was excellent - quick and easy connection and a very good speed. The room was a perfect combination of modern amenities/comfort and the traditional feel one would expect from a building with so much history. We could have easily spent several days at Down Hall - it was that comfortable.

But what I liked the most was the large door opening onto the beautiful garden. A little while after we checked-in, we had a visitor at this door. It was Percy - the beautiful peacock who roams the grounds of Down Hall freely. He seemed very inquisitive and stayed at the door for a long time as though silently welcoming us to Down Hall. The next morning my husband spotted a deer on the grounds. It was a misty morning and a lone deer was grazing at the far end of the ground. Beautiful! Imagine waking up every morning to such beautiful sights.

We had dinner at The Grill Room. The restaurant serves contemporary British fare and was recently awarded an AA Rosette. We started off with sweet corn soup, followed by a main of mushroom and cheese risotto. For desserts it was warm banana cake with ginger ice cream and caramelised banana. The sweet corn soup was the best I have ever had. Breakfast was also good with plenty of choice both in terms of hot and cold breakfast. The service was also nice, with the staff being well-mannered and friendly.

Like I mentioned earlier, the hotel has around 110 acres of woodland and parkland waiting to be explored. You can pick up maps of the hotel and the woodland from the reception and plan your walking route. We took some lovely forest walks and met Percy again. For the fitness lovers there is a brand new gym and if you prefer to relax then there are sauna and steam facilities. Down Hall also has a luxury spa - Eden Spa, where you can choose from luxury facials, manicures and pedicures or body treatments.

Down Hall definitely lives up to its promise of a luxury country house hotel. We had a very comfortable and relaxing stay. If you are looking for a wonderful leisure break, then Down Hall in my opinion is a good option.

Details:
Down Hall Country House Hotel
Matching Road, Hatfield Heath, Nr Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM22 7AS

Tel: +44 (0) 1279 731 441 Fax: +44 (0) 1279 730 416
Room rate: £99 B&B upwards.

For more information visit: https://www.downhall.co.uk/

Note: Some parts of the hotel are currently undergoing refurbishment but this will not affect your stay. When booking ask for rooms in the newly refurbished West Wing and you are sure to have a wonderful time.

Disclaimer: We were guests of Down Hall. However, this has not influenced our opinions about the hotel and our stay.