Wendy Coumantaros exeriences the style and relaxation of the south coast’s Chewton Glen, with its award-winning restaurant and spa
Wendy Coumantaros exeriences the style and relaxation of the south coast’s Chewton Glen, with its award-winning restaurant and spa
Located on Hampshire’s south coast in one of the most beautiful areas of England, Chewton Glen, a five-star privately-owned luxurious country house hotel and spa, has been described as having ‘possibly the best combination of country house grandeur, food and spa facilities anywhere in the UK’.
Guests can enjoy the hotel’s sumptuous spa and hydrotherapy centre as well as its award-winning restaurant. The New Forest is on Chewton Glen’s doorstep, and one is within easy reach of opportunities for sailing and powerboat trips on the Solent, a range of country pursuits such as riding, fishing and shooting, and sightseeing in Winchester, Stonehenge and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. There is a short ten minute walk to a choice of three different beaches.
The restaurant, where regional ingredients, inspiring new flavours and a focus on superb, contemporary cuisine are the order of the day, is under the expert direction of Luke Matthews, Chewton Glen’s chef. With Cameron Rutherford, he has the responsibility for producing innovative new dishes and truly experimenting with flavour, ingredients and design. Both Cameron and Luke have a mutual interest in the use and promotion of local ingredients and suppliers, and game from the New Forest, and local fruit, vegetables and seafood are already key features on the menu.
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The world-class leisure activities, luxurious accommodation and modern conference facilities makes Chewton Glen the perfect destination for romantic escapes, relaxing getaways or corporate events. The 130 acres surrounding the redbrick 18th century house are magnificent and consist of woodland, croquet lawn and beautifully manicured nine-hole golf course.
All of the 58 rooms and suites at Chewton Glen have been decorated to provide luxury and comfort. With a combination of antique furnishings, magnificent fabrics and countless knick-knacks, they have a sophisticated, elegant style. Each bedroom is designed and decorated to give it a unique atmosphere.
The house has a famous literary link through the fact that Captain Frederick Marryat stayed for periods during the 1840s and gathered material for his famous novel ‘The Children of the New Forest’. Marryat’s brother George owned the property from 1837 until 1855, when it was sold to the Elphinstone family. Clearly, the Captain was much attracted to the New Forest and it is appropriate that in the present hotel many of the rooms have been named after his novels and the characters in them.
The Spa at Chewton Glen offers the ultimate in relaxation and luxury. Recently voted the ‘UK’s Favourite Spa Retreat’, the ‘Laurent Perrier Relais & Chateaux Best Spa’ and the ‘Most Luxurious Spa in the UK’, in addition to the fabulous exclusive Linda Meredith facial therapies, there is a range of holistic therapies and lifestyle programmes and introduced ila Spa Range of products and dedicated treatments into the Spa at the beginning of 2009.
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Chewton Glen has won countless prestigious awards since 1966. In the 40th year of operation the hotel was voted ‘Best Hotel in the British Isles’ and ‘Number Two in the Top 100 Worldwide’ by readers of Condé Nast Traveler (USA) and in January 2006 readers of Gallivanter’s Guide voted Chewton Glen the ‘Best Small Hotel under 100 Rooms in the World’.
