Festive breaks and cosy stays
Forget the stress of cooking and washing up. Treat yourself to a Christmas away at a luxurious local hotel. Sophie Farrah packs her bags...
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Angela Ward Brown
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Angela Ward Brown
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Angela Ward Brown
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Angela Ward Brown
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Angela Ward Brown
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Angela Ward Brown
Pennyhill Park
- Prices start at £2,500 for the two-night package, based on two people sharing
- exclusive.co.uk/pennyhill-park
Near Bagshot, in Surrey, charming country house hotel Pennyhill Park will be aglow with crackling fireplaces and twinkling decorations. With two- and three-night packages available, guests can enjoy carol singing, festive quizzes, wintry walks and more, as well as take advantage of the hotel’s multi-award- winning spa. A five-course dinner is served on Christmas Eve, when there
is also the option of attending a local midnight mass, whilst Christmas Day sees a Buck’s Fizz breakfast, turkey feast and hot chocolate during the King’s Christmas Broadcast. There’s archery, more live music and several dining options on Boxing Day. Extra touches include personalised gifts for guests and their four-legged friends, festive film screenings and decorated trees in rooms.
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Richmond Hill Hotel
- Rooms from £149; richmondhill-hotel.co.uk
Combining Georgian charm with modern elegance, Richmond Hill Hotel sits next to Richmond Park, making those long festive walks easier than ever. After a stroll, relax in the hotel’s al fresco Winter WonderLounge, with its fairy lights, blankets, heaters and a menu of mouthwatering fondues.
Christmas Day lunch in the hotel restaurant, 144 On The Hill, includes a glass of champagne and three courses, whilst children can enjoy a mini menu and a small gift (from £139pp, 4-12-year-olds £59, U4s £19). Then, on Boxing Day, enjoy brunch, traditional Sunday lunch or festive afternoon tea.
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Chris Russell
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Richmond Harbour Hotel
Also tantalisingly close to the Park, Richmond Harbour Hotel is another stylish festive spot. Once you’ve checked in (rooms start at £140), enjoy some preChristmas pampering in the impressive HarSPA, which has a sleek swimming pool, a gym, relaxation areas, outdoor Scandinavian hot tubs and a choice of treatments designed for de-stressing. Christmas Day lunch (£95pp) is served in the hotel’s botanical-inspired restaurant, The Gate – think twice-baked Stilton soufflé, slow roast turkey and an apple & morello cherry crumble with brandy ice cream.
Bingham Riverhouse
This beautiful boutique hotel is a sparkling destination by the river in Richmond. Christmas Day starts with fireside drinks in the Drawing Room and a sumptuous six-course tasting menu in the Steven Edwards restaurant – think hand-dived scallops and venison (£175pp). Downstairs, the Garden Room is more informal (£140pp), or you can book a fairy-lit dome seating up to 10 in the pretty riverside garden. Stay the night in one of the 15 beautiful bedrooms (from £160) – some with luxurious roll-top baths and river views – and head for the towpath on Boxing Day.
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Monkey Island Estate
- Rooms start at £275 per night; monkeyislandestate.co.uk
Plucked from a fairy tale, this secluded island near Bray, Berkshire, provides an enchanting seasonal setting. Warm up with mulled wine in the Monkey Bar; unwind with relaxing treatments on The Floating Spa barge; snuggle beside a wood-burning stove in one of the cosy shepherd’s huts out in the hotel’s seven acres of grounds.
On Christmas Day, an indulgent six-course meal (£135pp) with a glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne is served in the elegant brasserie. Check into one of the 40 bedrooms or the exquisite Grade I listed Wedgewood Suite for a seriously cool yule.
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ADAM DUKE
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The Mitre
Perfectly positioned on the Thames at Hampton Court and festooned with twinkling fairy lights, The Mitre is a magical spot. Enjoy a Christmas Eve skate at nearby Hampton Court Palace on the rink before returning for cocktails on the hotel’s après-ski themed terrace. Lunch on the big day (£145pp, 12-16s £80, U12s £45) features the likes of Weymouth crab, traditional roasted turkey breast and black truffle risotto, plus a glass of Bollinger, no less. The two-night package (from £1095 for two) also includes dinner on Christmas Eve and a hamper of tasty treats.
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Jake Eastham
Elcot Park, hotel, spa, gardens,
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tom greenly
The Retreat at Elcot Park
Sister hotel to The Mitre, this laid-back yet luxurious country bolthole near Newbury in Berkshire has a real sense of style. Its festive three-night package includes the use of the sumptuous spa, various feasts and hampers, and plenty of time to explore the local countryside.
Christmas Day starts with a champagne breakfast followed by an extravagant five-course festive feast (£150pp, 12-16s £80, U12s £45), with ham hock croquette, smoked salmon gravadlax and turkey with all the trimmings among the fabulous fare. Prices start at £1,430 for the three-night package, based on two people sharing.
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Laryssa Erratt
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LARYSSA ERRATT
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LARYSSA ERRATT
Beaverbrook
- Prices start at £505 per night (minimum stay is required)
- beaverbrook.co.uk
If you want to get your skates on, head for beautiful Beaverbrook – formerly Cherkley Court, between Leatherhead and Dorking – which boasts its own ice rink with sweeping views across the Surrey Hills. No expense is spared on the decorations across this luxurious hotel and estate, whilst festive films are screened in the cosy private cinema. Guests can unwind in the excellent Coach House spa, while Christmas Day promises a visit from Father Christmas and a traditional lunch served in The Garden House restaurant (£195pp, children £95).
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Fairmont Windsor Park
- Prices start at £1,745 for the two-night package, based on two people sharing
- Three-night packages also available
- fairmont-windsorpark.com
Home to 251 chic rooms and suites, this swish hotel opened in 2022 and has already hosted several A-listers. Its two-night Christmas package includes mulled wine, minced pies, and live music on arrival on Christmas Eve, followed by drinks, dinner in a MOREISH restaurant, and a local midnight mass. The big day sees yet more fine fare and a visit from Father Christmas, with the King’s Christmas Broadcast shown in The Library Club. The hotel also boasts an award-winning spa and beautiful grounds.
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Coworth Park
- Prices start at £5,370 for the three-night package, based on two sharing
- dorchestercollection.com
Dressed top to toe in seasonal splendour, five-star Coworth Park, near Ascot, pulls out all the stops at this time of year. Once checked in, guests can explore 240 acres of picturesque parkland and enjoy a plethora of country pursuits (the equestrian centre is world-renowned) before relaxing in the outstanding spa. The three-night festive break includes afternoon tea and board games on Christmas Eve, followed by dinner and a midnight service at the local church.
On Christmas Day, Father Christmas will pop by with gifts for the children, to be followed by a festive feast, the King’s Christmas Broadcast and a relaxed supper with live music. Boxing Day is filled with activities for the whole family, from a children’s party to wine and cheese tasting for the grown-ups.
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Great Fosters
- Prices start at £2,110 for the three-night package, based on two sharing
- alexanderhotels.co.uk/great-fosters
This historic five-star hotel in Egham, near the Surrey-Berkshire border, has all the essentials for a sensational seasonal stay. Guests checking in on Christmas Eve – for either two or three nights – will be welcomed with mince pies and mulled wine before children get to create their own stockings and leave treats for Father Christmas and his reindeer. Later, carol singers will accompany a champagne and canapé reception, followed by a four-course supper and midnight mass at a nearby church. The following days see more feasting, including a champagne breakfast, grazing buffet, festive afternoon tea and Boxing Day cheese and wine tasting class, plus board games and a falconry display. The spa is sensational.
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