Welcome to seven of the UK’s most romantic resorts
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With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, here are some suggestions to ensure you’re well and truly in your other half’s very good books….
Great golf and sensational Spas. The best of both words. Paradise. What more can you ask for?
Stoke Park, Bucks
Stay and play venues simply don’t come any better than this iconic venue which boasts 27 holes of quality Harry Colt parkland golf (Colt, Alison & Lane Jackson nines), luxury accommodation in the incredible Palladian manor house – which doubles up as the best clubhouse around – and The Pavilion, an award-winning spa, the finest of dining options… and loads more besides. No wonder it’s played starring roles in many movies, including 007 classic Goldfinger.
Contact info: 01753 717171, www.stokepark.com
The Grove, Hertfordshire
Dubbed London’s County Club, The Grove takes centre stage again in October when it returns to the big-time by staging the British Masters hosted by Luke Donald. It will be a decade since The Grove staged the Tiger Woods-dominated American Express World Golf Championship, still the only WGC event ever played on UK soil. The resort is less than 25 miles from central London, and offers luxury accommodation in 26 historic Mansion House suites and 191 rooms within the contemporary West Wing close to the Sequoia Spa where you can indulge in a variety of treatments.
Contact info: 01923 807807, www.thegrove.co.uk
Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire
Magical place to stay and play and the real star of the show is the gloriously historic 18th mansion house hotel which has entertained royalty and prime ministers alike and breathtakingly overlooks landscape created by legendary garden designer, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The modern par-73 course features a monster 261-yards par-3 while guests can unwind in the beautifully appointed spa housed within the original stables courtyard.
Contact info: 01582 734437, www.lutonhoo.co.uk
Bovey Castle, Devon
This stunning estate oozes charm and character throughout and includes a 64-bedroom hotel, mature undulating parkland course, a sumptuous spa, gorgeous lodges and an outdoor pursuits centre. It’s a luxury retreat on the edge of Dartmoor National Park – setting of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novel ‘The Hounds of the Baskervilles’ – and we can certainly recommend the golf balls massage treatment!
Contact info: 01647 445000, www.boveycastle.com
Rockliffe Hall, Co. Durham
Plotted on the banks of the river Tees, it recently won Best Large Hotel of the Year at the VisitEngland Awards. The course is a modern masterpiece with stunning bunkering and water features and is overlooked by a magnificent grand mansion house hotel providing 61 spacious rooms and suites and backed-up by adjacent quality apartment and lodge accommodation. You’ll adore the 50,000sq ft award-winning spa and wellness centre offering various treatments and a 20-metres indoor pool.
Contact info: 01325 729999, www.rockliffehall.com
Marine, East Lothian
North Berwick’s shining star is the four star Macdonald Marine Hotel which majestically overlooks the West Links and provides glorious Firth of Forth views. The hotel can arrange tee-times and special rates at many of Scotland’s Golf Coast courses including Open Championship qualifiers Dunbar, Gullane and North Berwick and unsung clifftop hero The Glen.
Contact info: 0344 879 9130, www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk
Stapleford Park, Leics
Surrounded by 500-acres of Capability Brown landscaped grounds in scenic Leicestershire countryside, it provides a great escape far from the madding crowds with the Donald Steel-designed course meandering its way around the estate. The course has seen European Senior Tour action and is overlooked by a luxury hotel supported by a sensational spa and treatment rooms and gym within a Victorian stable block.
Contact info: 01572 787044, www.staplefordpark.com
