Down Hall Country House Hotel, Essex : A Calm and Tranquil Retreat

Down Hall Country House Hotel, located in Hatfield Heath, dates back to 1540 and is one of England's longest established country hotels. Set in 110 acres (of woodland, parkland, and landscaped gardens), the hotel is an excellent retreat for those wishing to escape the chaos of city life. Down Hall is within easy reach of London - just 45 minutes from Central London and only a 15-minute drive to Stansted Airport making it an excellent choice for business and leisure travellers alike.

We recently stayed at Down Hall with a spa package included in our stay. The treatments and spa were great; our room was lovely and the staff friendly and efficient. Everything was great and we enjoyed the whole experience.

The Room

We stayed in one of the newly designed Deluxe Double rooms in the Main House building. The room was clean and well presented. The colour scheme was subtle - not the main focus in the room but it blended well with the rest of the décor. The bed was extremely comfortable and the room included mod cons like tea & coffee making facilities, a mini fridge, safe and iron & ironing board. Some nice touches included the presence of board games like noughts & crosses and dominoes - perfect for whiling away the hours with your companion. I also liked the many different varieties of tea and coffee provided in the room.

The bathroom was good sized and spotlessly clean. Bath robes, slippers and Gilchrist & Soames mini toiletries were provided.

We were in Room 108 and there was a lovely seating area just outside the room. We loved it.

Beautiful Interiors

One of the main draws of Down Hall is it's baroque and nostalgically attractive interiors. Relaxing in its grand lounge, you get a feeling of what it would have been like to live in such an ornate building in years gone past. The high ceilings and stunning chandeliers, beautiful decorations and the copious number of cosy chairs and sofas make the lounge area a lovely place to relax and socialise.

Eden Spa

We were booked in for treatments at 3:30pm - a 'Lift & Firm' facial for me and a 'Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage' for the husband, but we arrived a little later than we had planned due to incidents on the motorway. The spa staff was welcoming and accommodating. They gave us a tour around the spa and then we were met by our respective therapists for our treatments.

My treatment, the Lift and Firm facial, was lovely. Using Super Active products the facial improves the skin tone and firmness. The lifting techniques used during the facial help to combat the signs of ageing and stimulate collagen production. The treatment lasts 85 minutes; mine was cut down to an hour as I arrived late. But I cannot fault the treatment or the lovely therapist at all - the facial left my skin feeling soft and gorgeous. The husband enjoyed his relaxing massage. After our treatments, we spent some more time at the spa enjoying the wet spa facilities.

Dining

Dining at the Grill Room Restaurant was a lovely experience. The food was good, the portion sizes perfect and most importantly the food arrived promptly. We started off with Chestnut mushroom soup with truffle oil and tarragon. It was delicious and full of flavour. I followed it up with Green olive gnocchi with baby courgette, wild mushroom and pickled shallot. It was presented beautifully and also got a big thumbs-up from me on the taste front. The husband had the other vegetarian option from the main course menu - Parmesan risotto, baby gem and cured hen's egg with preserved lemon. Again it was very good. We finished off with two interesting selections from the desserts menu - Raspberry, oat biscuit, buttermilk ice-cream and meringue for my other half while for me it was Dark chocolate marquise, pistachio mousse and peach ice cream. Both the desserts were delicious.

In addition to the good food and speedy service, the restaurant staff also deserves a special mention. They were friendly and attentive but in a congenial rather than a contrived way.

Final Word

Our stay at Down Hall Country House Hotel was perfectly wonderful. A relaxing break in this beautiful and peaceful setting was just what we needed to recharge ourselves after a hectic week. If you are looking for a weekend of idyllic relaxation then look no further than Down Hall.

Booking

Prices start at £139 a night for a classic double room. Down Hall also offers some special packages like the 'Funky Fridays' which is priced at £119 based on double occupancy including breakfast and a welcome Funky Friday cocktail. There is another interesting offer - 'Superb Sundays', which is only £99 per couple and includes a stay in a Classic room with Cream Tea and Breakfast. For more information and to make a booking contact Down Hall using the details below:

Down Hall Country House Hotel | Matching Road, Hatfield Heath, Essex CM22 7AS
Tel : +44 (0)1279 731441

Tips

• If you have mobility problems, then opt for a ground floor room as the hotel doesn't have a lift.
• If you plan to enjoy spa treatments, book them in advance. Also note, that you need to arrive 15 minutes before the start of your treatment for consultation and preparation.

We were guests of Down Hall Country House Hotel. However, all views expressed are (as always) solely our own.