What is Chrissy’s Collection?
With her lengthy travel background, Chrissy has years of experience assessing accommodation with quality and customer satisfaction firmly in mind. She was also a hands-on Director of an upmarket Kensington apartment-hotel for five years
As our own Silver Travel Advisor we are delighted that Chrissy brings her experience and eye for stylish detail when she reviews Boutique and Country house hotels. Chrissy’s Collection are her personal recommendations of hotels with something extra that makes them stand out from the rest: discreet and exceptional levels of personal service; stylish, contemporary and comfortable interiors where relaxation is key; smaller, quirky or character properties; luxury hotels with super spa facilities, exquisite dining or amazing locations. In short, very special places.
Approaching Lucknam Park Hotel along a mile long tree-lined drive through stunning parkland you know you are going to be staying somewhere very special. Thoroughbred horses grazing and galloping in the pastures. Bath yellow-stone period buildings. English countryside at it’s absolute summer best.
As we approached the entrance of the beautiful Georgian Palladian house, two uniformed butlers were waiting to welcome us and take our luggage into the hotel. Once inside the spacious reception rooms, beautifully furnished in quintessential country-house style, it was like stepping into another genteel world. Stylish, yet relaxing.
We were shown to our room which was extremely tasteful and comfortable with a marble en-suite bathroom and overlooking the gardens and croquet lawn. We set off to explore the hotel and gardens. The house has a wonderful ambience and is built around a floral courtyard with many secluded areas and ornamental pieces set in the most delightful gardens.
We dressed for dinner and although my husband was concerned when he realised he hadn’t packed a tie, this wasn’t a problem even though he had booked the fine dining restaurant rather than the brasserie. Smart casual was fine. We had a pre-dinner drink in the library and were then taken into the dining room. The service was good but the food was exquisite. The chefs deserve all their many accolades and more. After one of the finest meals we have had in some time we retired to the library for peppermint tea which duly arrived with petit four and ‘Happy Anniversary’ written in chocolate on the plate. As my husband tells me he had only mentioned the occasion when asked at the time of booking some time ago, this was very impressive and a nice touch to the end of a lovely evening.
We had pre-booked treatments in the hotel’s award winning spa complex next morning so allowed ourselves plenty of time to linger over breakfast beforehand. However, there was a slight mix up with one of our orders so sadly we had to leave before we had time to sample the cooked breakfast, more of that later, but not surprisingly the breakfast spread was excellent.
The new spa and brasserie area is a modern design with wonderful pool and steam room complex but blends in very well with the period buildings and gardens. The treatments, although a tad on the pricey side, were excellent. He’d booked me an Eternal Youth Facial – ever the optimist my husband! We then spent the day relaxing around the pool and had lunch outside on the Brasserie terrace. Again, the food and ambience was excellent and all was well with the world.
When we reluctantly came to leave and my husband went to pay the bill – his anniversary treat – the hotel had not charged us for breakfast, so again their behind-the-scenes guest service and attention to detail was first class.
Our stay at Lucknam Park was a special occasion treat. My husband isn’t always good at picking up hints but I dropped so many I’m hoping we don’t have to wait another year before returning to this very special country hotel idyll. If you want to impress someone special in your life or more importantly spoil YOURSELF this hotel would definitely tick all the boxes.
Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa
Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
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Other properties from Chrissy’s Collection:
- Chrissy’s Collection: Amangalla, Galle Fort, Sri Lanka By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, West Sussex, England By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Conrad Centennial, Singapore By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Grayshott Health Spa, Surrey, England By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Heure Bleue Palais, Essaouira, Morocco By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Hotel Icon, Kowloon, Hong Kong By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: House of Jasmines, Salta, Argentina By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Kasbah du Toubkal, Imlil, Morocco By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Le Temple des Arts, Ouarzazate, Morocco By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Legado Mitico, Buenos Aires, Argentina By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Raffles, Singapore By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa, Nantwich, England By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi, Vietnam By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Sofitel Mogador Golf & Spa, Essaouira, Morocco By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: The Torridon Hotel, Wester Ross, Scotland By Chrissy Nason
- Chrissy’s Collection: Hazel Manor, North Yorkshire By Chrissy Nason
