DOWN HALL
COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL
Ironically,
being as how they are supposed to be enjoyable, restful, and
relaxing, holidays can be very stressful! It's not the holiday itself
that causes the stress, rather, the organizing, packing, and, above
all, the getting there. Airports, these days, are not happy places,
they are fraught with complications, hassle, panic, and all manner of
emotional stress that can leave a traveller bewildered, frustrated
and anxious, before the holiday has even begun. Add to this an early
morning flight, preceded by a long car journey to get to the airport,
and, potentially, you have a recipe for disaster. However, all is not
lost!
I
was recently faced with a 6.25am flight out of London Stansted
airport. That meant arriving at the airport around 4.30am, with a 90
minute drive from home to the airport. Therefore, leaving home at
3am, which meant getting up around 1am. 'Hang on a minute!, is there
any point in going to bed?' The answer came in the form of Down
Hall Country House Hotel.
Located
on the Essex/Hertfordshire border in Hatfield Heath, just 9 miles
from Stansted airport, Down Hall is a well established country house
set in 110 acres of woodland, parkland and gardens. Just 45 minutes
from central London, Down Hall is situated within easy travelling
distance to Stansted airport, which makes it the ideal pre or post
flight hotel. The property has a fascinating history dating back to
1322, when Robert Taper gave the house to Hatfield Broad Oak Abbey.
Since then, the house has had a number of owners and many uses,
including a convalescent home for wounded soldiers, a school, an
antiques business and conference centre, and now, today, a beautiful
country house hotel.
Purchased
in 1986 by the Veladail Group, the hotel is presently going through a
major refurbishment, on-going during my visit, but with very little
disruption to the everyday running of the hotel, and the guests
enjoyment. Many of the 99 bedrooms have already been refurbished,
with the remaining rooms being refurbished over the coming months.
Soon to open, will be a brand new spa and treatment area, which will
be available for public membership as well as hotel guests. Initial
outlay for the refurbishment is in the region of £2.5 million, but
total cost is estimated to be close to £7 million.
There
is certainly no need to go hungry at Down Hall, as dining options are
excellent. The Grill Room Restaurant is a fine restaurant, serving
modern English cooking, including fresh ingredients sourced from
their own vegetable garden. Here, dinner is served from 7pm. There is
also a comfortable and intimate bar area, and afternoon tea can be
taken in either the lounge area or Ibbetsons Tearoom. In the summer,
picnic hampers can be arranged for a picnic in the grounds. To keep
the guests entertained during their stay, facilities include a steam
room, sauna, gym, 2 tennis courts, croquet, and a giant chess set.
The existing spa facilities are for hotel guests only, these will
remain after completion of the new spa, giving hotel guests the
option of using either spa.
I
arrived early afternoon, in good time to make the most of the
facilities, and get myself into the holiday mood. I had stayed at
Down Hall on one previous occasion, a 'Murder Mystery' weekend, but
even so, I still found the sight of the mansion, as I drove up the
drive towards the entrance, most impressive. It really is a grand
looking building, set in a beautiful location. I parked my car and
made my way to reception, carrying only a small overnight bag, having
left my main holiday luggage in the car. Check in was quick and
efficient, and the reception staff were extremely friendly and
helpful. I took the opportunity to arrange a table for dinner at 7pm,
I needed an early night! I also arranged for an early morning wake up
call.
My
room, one of the refurbished rooms in the west wing, was very
tastefully decorated. Situated on the ground floor, with patio doors
leading on to the grounds, it was perfect for relaxing in after a
long journey. It was a very good sized room with high ceilings and a
beautiful chandelier, there was everything I could wish for to ensure
a most comfortable stay. Amenities included a seating area, with
table and chairs, tea and coffee making facilities which was very
welcome after a long drive, and a very spacious bathroom with
bath/shower, toilet, bidet, twin sinks and complimentary toiletries.
But, most important of all, a generously proportioned and
exceptionally comfortable king sized bed. There were also bathrobes
which came in very useful for the spa.
There
is something of interest around every corner of Down Hall, beautiful,
sweeping staircases, adorned with fine works of art, large,
tastefully decorated rooms which are available for private functions,
along with cosy and comfortable public areas. The grounds are a
delight to walk around, although, unfortunately, limited for time, I
did not get to see all the grounds on this occasion.
I
decided to spend some time chilling out in the spa area. The gym was
well laid out with a good choice of exercise equipment, however, I
chose not to work out on this visit, preferring instead to just relax
in the sauna and steam rooms. There are lockers, towels, and
toiletries available in the spa area, and drinking water is available
in the gym area. Following my chill out time in the spa, I showered
and made my way back to my room to rest before dinner.
Dinner
was served in The Grill Room by very friendly and attentive staff who
had, clearly, been trained to a very high standard. The food, too,
was of a very high standard, and the overall ambiance of the
restaurant was very relaxing and welcoming. I chose Prawn and White
fish Ravioli for starters, and Salmon in Beetroot with Pea Risotto
for my main course, delicious! As I needed to be up by 3am, I,
reluctantly, declined the offer of desert or coffee, and headed back
to my room around 9pm, ready for an early night.
I
awoke to my wake up call at 3am as arranged. I had also arranged for
a light breakfast to be brought to my room for 3.30am. It arrived
promptly, and I enjoyed a breakfast of fruit and yoghurt, and a pot
of tea. Just enough to keep me going until brunch. I checked out of
the hotel at 4am. The drive to the airport took a mere 20 minutes,
and the journey was made even more enjoyable when I was rewarded by
the sight of 2 deer, 3 foxes, 1 owl, and several rabbits, a wonderful
way to start the day! I arrived at the airport in plenty of time for
my flight, relaxed, refreshed, and a lot less stressed than had I
driven from home that morning. Without doubt, a far more enjoyable
way to start a holiday.
I
would definitely consider Down Hall again for a pre/post flight stay,
but I would also highly recommend the hotel for a longer stay as it
is such a wonderful, comfortable, relaxing hotel, set in an area
where there is so much to see and do. Down Hall is also the perfect
location for a wedding, and with 161 weddings taking place every
year, I am clearly not alone in my opinion. Down Hall is also a
fantastic location for business meetings, with 18 well equipped
conference and meeting rooms and its close proximity to London.
Places
to visit during any stay at Down Hall include: Mountfitchit Castle,
the House on the hill toy museum, Audley End House, Hatfield House,
Hatfield forest, Bishop's Stortford, Cambridge, Colchester, Imperial
War Museum Duxford, and, of course, London. All these destinations,
and many more are within easy travelling distance of Down Hall. For
further information visit Down Hall Country House Hotel's website at: www.downhall.co.uk
