The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
Some might say London is the energetic center of England. The streets are full of people commuting to work with lattes hastily bought in hand, as they meander around packs of tourists marveling at the city’s sites. London is an architectural jungle, with 15th-century churches on one side of the road, then sky scrapping financial buildings on the other. Yet, the sights and sounds can become a sensory overload for those who live in the city. In times like this, an escape to the countryside is the respite we need to allow the mind and body to breathe. There is no better way to relax from the mayhem of the city than to stay in a luxury countryside hotel, such as the Hertfordshire hotel and spa, Sopwell House.
Based in St Albans, Sopwell House sits upon twelve acres of tranquil countryside. While the hotel is surrounded by nature, Sopwell House is within easy reach of Luton airport and forty minutes away from London. The spa is a hidden sanctuary for those who enjoy luxury, refinement, and relaxation.
The hotel has a rich history embedded within its architecture. The earliest reference to Sopwell House was a deed signed in 1603. The estate is also where Anne Boleyn’s secret marriage to King Henry VIII took place. The Hertfordshire hotel and spa was used for private residency until the end of the Second World War before its conversion into a hotel. In 1986, the Bejerano family bought the property. Today, they continue to develop the hotel’s facilities but will never change the property’s original Georgian architecture.
The enchanting white brick property is even more captivating on the inside. 128 guests’ rooms are kept within the main mansion house, each designed in an elegant, quintessentially British interior style. Each room includes a super king-size bed with soft feather duvets to sink into after a long day at the spa. The furniture throughout each room is styled with slate, wood, and leather materials which compliments the room’s dark green and gold walls. The different types of Mansion House rooms include the deluxe room, the executive room, the junior suite, and the corner suite, which offers a balcony with a view of the hotel grounds.
To the other side of the hotel, a collection of exclusive Mews Suites calmly sits behind private gates. The suites were initially stable blocks to accompany the main farmhouse. However, now a guest can choose from sixteen suites that surround a botanical garden designed by Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medalist Ann-Marie Powell. The suites include grand fireplaces to warm a guest during the winter months, a large four-poster bed, self-catering kitchenettes, and relaxing cedarwood spa baths. Mews Suite guests also have exclusive access to their own private courtyards and an infinity-edged hydrotherapy pool.
The Brasserie is an open-plan dining space with an interior that floods with natural light thanks to the grand floor-to-ceiling windows. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner serving a fusion of British and Mediterranean cuisine. One menu favourite is the pan-fried Brixham sea bream with artichokes, and sauté potatoes in a red wine sauce. Then for guests who must have a dessert to finish off a great dining experience, they can order a pistachio opera cake.
The Cocktail Lounge is another space for a guest to relax. The room features integrated bookcase walls, long French windows, and large velvet armchairs in a tranquil space with two statement fireplaces. Here guests are served cocktails throughout the day, such as cosmopolitans, mojitos, and martinis.
Sopwell House is most well-known for its spa, the Cottonmill. Open to both hotel guests and members, the facilities include a cutting-edge gym, two vitality pools, a steam room, and a sauna. The whisper room has panoramic views of Sopwell’s grounds, then the garden room on the level below leads to relaxing outside hydro pools and hot tubs.
There is also a deep relaxation room with pods for guests to lie in. Once inside, the pod plays calming music and gently vibrates an individual’s entire body. One stand-out treatment is the visue massage where the body is cleansed and scrubbed in order to improve skin health and blood circulation. For a complete gem of a treatment, guests can opt for the quartz massage. For this treatment, the guest lays on a bed of warm sand, which is then moulded to the body, and the therapist massages the guest’s whole body.
The Hertfordshire hotel, Sopwell House is the prescription for relaxation for those of us who are stressed from city life or simply after a self-care weekend. Not only is the property visually calming with its immaculate white exterior, but the spa offers soothing facilities such as relaxation pods, hydrotherapy pools, and peaceful rooms for the night. Sopwell House is a perfect stay for guests who enjoy the serene British countryside and like to unwind within the sounds of nature.
