The Grove.
We realised recently that we’ve stayed in about 50 hotels in the last year and so thought it would be great to highlight some of the best of them with you as there are some great places we’ve stayed at which would make amazing wedding venues, honeymoon hotels, first wedding night hotels or even sophisticated hen do hotels.
We’ll stay close to home with the first one which is the stunning Grove Hotel near Chandler’s Cross in Hertfordshire. You may have seen it in the media last month as it’s where President Obama and David Cameron met up for a round of golf. It’s a bit of a celeb-spotting paradise (although we only spotted Pat Sharpe checking out when we were there – remember him?) and it has the most beautiful spa and fabulous restaurant!
The hotel itself is 5 star and has a range of different rooms – the Presidential Suite is very dramatic – they’re all really tastefully decorated in muted tones and all super calming. There are 3 different restaurants with our favourite being The Stables, a rustic Country hideout or relax in the lounge for afternoon tea. The lounge spaces are unlike any we’ve seen in a hotel – all little nooks and crannies with some quirky art adorning the walls.
The award-winning Sequoia Spa is a destination in itself. The large indoor pool is unique with its black mosaic tiled flooring – it feels like you’re having a night swim! There are jacuzzis too and a gym (which we purposely did not get to see).
The Grove is often called London’s only Country Estate and you can see why. There are so many things to do here that are outdoors including an actual man-made beach in the grounds, heated outdoor pool, volleyball courts, croquet lawn, nature walks and tennis courts but we spent most of our time in the extensive gardens, including stunning walled gardens with beautiful landscaping. It was utter relaxation.
There are some pretty unique spaces for weddings too – we’d bypass the huge events building (there are lots of rooms in here in which you could hold your wedding) and go to the end of the walled garden near the pool and you’ll find a really cute restored Victorian glasshouse called The Potting Shed which has enough room for 60 guests for a wedding reception. It’s really authentic and full of character and perfect for those of you who want something a little different with an amazing view of the gardens.
We loved this hotel and would definitely go back if we were looking for a relaxing weekend without having to travel very far. The only word that describes the place is tranquility. Let us know if you’ve been and what you thought of the place and we’d love to see your pictures if you got married at The Grove!
