Spa Consultant Simone explains why she loves Luton Hoo Hotel

Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa is widely recognised as one of the most luxurious country house hotels in the UK. Where no stone is left unturned to provide guests with a greeting fit for royalty, here Spabreaks.com Spa Consultant Simone explains why she loved it on her recent visit…

Regal first impressions of Luton Hoo

I honestly think it’s the most luxurious hotel I’ve ever been to. I went with my colleague Amy, and my first impressions were that it was just incredibly grand and regal - little wonder as it was once owned by royalty. It’s got a real sense of old world grandeur.

The luxurious hotel

The rooms at Luton Hoo are beautiful spaces in their own right, so you definitely want to make time to relax in them and enjoy them. We stayed in a twin room but that means something totally different here to anywhere else.

You each have your own bedroom with a double bed each, the bathroom has two sinks and there’s a Jacuzzi bath as well. There’s enough wardrobe space to stay for a month and there’s a separate living space as well.

The beautiful restaurants

We dined in the Adam’s Brasserie, which is separate from the main hotel building, but they have an internal black taxi service that will take you anywhere in the estate as it’s so large.

The brasserie is the more casual dining space at the hotel, and it has a separate bar and sitting area which is decorated with photos of all the movies that have been filmed at the hotel as well as bottles of vintage Champagne in glass cases.

At breakfast we ate in the Wernher Restaurant, which is a spectacular space that’s all marble walls and silver cutlery. Breakfast offers enormous choice and you can also enjoy fine dining in Wernher’s in the evening, which is really special.

The elegant spa at Luton Hoo

The spa is in another separate building within the grounds of the hotel. Here you will fine a lovely relaxation room and a terrace as well for when the weather is good.

In the relaxation area there are lots of teas that match the different treatments, so there’s one to revitalise, one to relax, and there’s also Luton Hoo’s own tea blend to try as well as well, alongside healthy snacks to nibble on as you watch the fish swim by in a large tank. It’s really hypnotic.

We spent most of our time in the hydrotherapy pool in the spa, which follows the hotel’s decadent theme with marble underwater seats and swan neck massagers. There’s also a main pool for swimming with panoramic views over the woodland and grounds. Then there is a sauna and an enormous steam room, which would definitely accommodate a group of friends.

The scenic Bedfordshire location

The gardens at the hotel are famous for their scale and their beauty with trails you can walk (or jog?) if you want to explore. Coming through the grounds is a beautiful way to arrive, and as you’re greeted at the front of the hotel there’s a large fountain which is very beautiful. Water features pepper the grounds, and there are peacocks wandering around which adds to the magic.

There are generally quite a lot of people at Luton Hoo, but because of the size of the place and the grounds it never feels like it. There could be a wedding going on and you would never know.

The other lovely thing about the hotel is that it’s easy to get to. We travelled by train from Brighton to Luton and then got a taxi from the station, which only takes about 10 minutes. There’s a taxi rank at the station, so there’s no need to book and the hotel will help to arrange a return trip for you.

The verdict: who would love Luton Hoo?

I would definitely recommend Luton Hoo for couples because it’s quite quiet and really makes your visit feel like a special occasion. If you’re going with a partner I would definitely recommend dining in the Wernher Restaurant. However, it’s also great for groups as well because of amount of space and the large number of treatment rooms. If you’re visiting with a group of friends I would recommend eating in Adam’s Brasserie.

Top tips for visiting Luton Hoo

• I would suggest going for two nights because there’s so much to do, you can’t experience it all in one day. There’s a driving range, plenty of space for a walk, shooting and of course the spa and afternoon tea.
• Book the Wernher Restaurant for dinner if you’re visiting for a special occasion. It doesn’t cost much more than brasserie and the experience is unreal.
• You can order board games to your room (you can order pretty much anything actually), which is also a nice way to enjoy spending time in the room. The rooms are so beautiful you really do want to enjoy them, which is another reason to stay for two nights - have dinner ‘out’ on one evening and ‘in’ on another.