If you’re a North London resident, you’ll know that The Grove Hotel in leafy Hertfordshire is the pinnacle of neighbourhood country house hotels. You can barely breathe the words ‘The Grove’ in some necks of the wood without being immediately interrupted by people gushing, “oh The Grove, I love The Grove.” And it’s not long after driving down the undulating driveway, which weaves its way through the championship golf course onsite, that you realise exactly why people are such fervent fans of the place.
Just a 20-minute train journey from the city centre, the pace of life here couldn’t feel more different. There’s a composed stillness here, a calm that pervades both indoor an outdoor spaces entwined with a playful energy and a lighthearted appreciation of the good things in life that immediately pull you away from the day-to-day and instead envelop you in the softer, slower side of things.
Sprawling lawns, spiritedly-manicured gardens and rustic woodland span out around the historic country house, itself decked out in plush fabric, over-the-top furnishings and larger-than-life art works. There’s personality around every corner here, and that doesn’t get diluted as you head upstairs to the Mansion House collection of rooms and suites, some with freestanding tubs looking out onto the lawns, others with four-poster beds and many with working fireplaces. And while the rooms in the newer part of the hotel are more uniform and modern in structure and feel, they still manage to weave in lots of the design elements found in the original part of the building.
On the culinary side of things, the famous Glasshouse – which dubbed one of the world’s most luxurious buffets – offers a vibrant gastronomic experience, with a fresh seafood bar, live pasta station and Indian street food counter among its vast and varied options. We were back and forth for the entire evening, our plates piled high with an ever-bizarre smorgasbord of food, culminating in a trip to the chocolate fountain, the pièce de résistance of the extravagant dessert cart. The Stables, housed in the… you guessed it… old stables, serves hearty English classics, with guests able to spill out into the courtyard when warmer weather allows, while Madhu’s (which won ‘Asian Restaurant of the Year’ in the Asian Restaurant Awards 2024) adds some spice to the hotel’s offerings, bringing the flavours of New Delhi to the English countryside.
Then there are the string of individually-decorated lounges, jutting out into the garden toward the ponds; take a relaxed lunch in the long lounge to the soundtrack of a live harpist and as the sun sets, enjoy cocktails in the sultry deep blue lounge.
And finally, no review of The Grove Hotel would be complete without a standing ovation (in written form, at least) for the spa. The Sequoia Spa, with its distinctive black swimming pool designed to emulate the aforementioned ponds just outside, is a masterclass in how to deliver true relaxation. It’s a maze of relaxation rooms, treatment rooms, lounges, saunas and an outdoor terrace, ideal for enjoying a light lunch or a smoothie in between dips on a warm day.
Plus, the talented team of intuitive wellness practitioners here, together with Bamford, have created a collection of exclusive treatments including signature rituals, massages, and facials, all of which are designed to maximise relaxation, healing and peace, true peace. And peace, as I discovered, is always on offer at The Grove.
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