New Year started with the thought of eating clean and getting lean, but one last blow out on NYE was less than wholesome. Falling out of a taxi onto Canal Street at the feet of some glitter filled drag queen – ’tis the season to be jolly after all.
Dry January? Nah, we need something to get us through the most depressing month of the year. Sick of the partying and needing to unwind? How about a spa break in the countryside with an open fire, amazing food and a large glass of something? Sounds good to me!
This little Cotswolds haven is in the heart of Gloucestershire, near Tetbury. The old house is rich with the smell of log burning fires and on arrival was filled with flat cap, welly wearing locals on route to the local shoot. We checked into our room – almost its own little house – up a cute pathway leading up to a little outdoor seating area. Opening the front door to a massive double bed with crisp bedding and cosy blankets…it almost felt like a den.
The second downstairs room was equipped with bunkbeds for the children and the facilities of a baby monitor so Mum and Dad can dine in peace. A grand staircase leads to an upstairs bathroom with a couple of double baths – always a winner and double points for the TV on the wall!
Before we go to dinner we make the unanimous decision to head to the spa. A menu of treatments, a pool, a chill area, and a mountain of magazines. All this is quite sufficient, but there is something quite liberating about heading out to the cold, in your swim suit to sit in a warm, outdoor hot tub overlooking a log burning fire. The steam rises as it’s so bloody cold outside but so toasty in the bubbles.
Heading back to our room in our dressing gowns, we decide to see what the evening had in store. The restaurant is high-end but with a wholesome, home-cooked feel. real. The food managed to peg that fine line between gourmet and filling and was always delicious, with the best meal by a million miles being the fantastic Beef Wellington… so bloody good!
The next day we finished off our trip with a walk around the grounds, a game of Frisbee is the sport of choice, with different tracks to complete.
A shout out to this hotel, who keep it high-end whilst making it accessible to families and children. As well as offering baby monitors it also has a wide variety of children’s cutlery, plates, cups and bibs.
The food is adaptable and makes having a weekend away super stress-free and as a new mother, how accommodating this hotel is comes much appreciated.
Nights at the Calcot Hotel & Spa start from £249 per night
Calcot Hotel & Spa, Near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8YJ
01666 890391
http://www.calcot.co
