insideKENT Magazine Issue 83 - February 2019 | Page 109

GETAWAYS
THE PERFECT ROMANTIC ESCAPE AT
DOWN HALL HOTEL
DOWN HALL HOTEL CAN BE FOUND AMID A HOST OF WINDING COUNTRY ROADS IN
HATFIELD HEATH, NOT FAR FROM BISHOP’S STORTFORD ON THE HERTFORSHIRE/ESSEX
BORDER. I ALWAYS FIND IT AMAZING THAT YOU CAN TRAVEL JUST A FEW MINUTES
FROM A MOTORWAY OR A-ROAD TO TOTAL SECLUSION AND PEACE, AND DOWN HALL
IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF AN ACCESSIBLE BOLTHOLE, OFFERING PRIVACY, LUXURY AND
A FAIR HINT OF ROMANTICISM.
by Samantha Ready
Entry is via the sweeping entrance lane, complete
with beautiful flower beds and flags billowing in the
winter breeze that heralded my arrival at the stunning
Italianate manor house. Inside was a host of lounges
and banqueting rooms with painted ceilings, feature
fireplaces, ornate plasterwork, historic art works and
show-stopping chandeliers; it was easy to see why it
was awash with celebratory couples and groups
enjoying afternoon tea, and excited couples-to-be
planning their impending big days.
Check in was friendly and efficient and we were
swiftly shown to our ‘feature room’, one of a handful
located in the main manor house (accessible only by
the main stairwell), which was exquisitely decorated
and afforded us breathtaking views over the grand
drive and surrounding gardens. Like everything at
Down Hall, it screamed attention to detail.
Checked in and with a few hours to kill before dinner,
there was only thing on our agenda: heading to the
purpose-built Eden Spa for some much needed rest
and relaxation.
Unlike similar hotel/spa offerings, access to the spa
here is not complimentary and must be pre-booked
even for hotel guests. The result however, is two
hours of total bliss in the wet spa with only a handful
of other spa guests for company.
We soothed away our aches and pains in the
hydrotherapy pool maintained at a glorious 36
degrees, detoxified in the steam room and relaxed
our muscles in the sauna before slipping into the
relaxation room with its massaging loungers before
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