Homewood Hotel: a quintessentially British home from home
For those in search of escaping to a Georgian country house nestled among British countryside need look no further than Homewood Hotel and Spa. Behiye Hassan checked in to discover what it has to offer.
When it comes to a quintessentially British country retreat, the image that’s often conjured up in the mind is a country house nestled in rolling acres of green countryside. For those looking to make this dream a reality, Homewood will not disappoint. Located just outside of Bath, the cosy hotel occupies a historic Georgian manor overlooking 20 acres of private Somerset land. With its striking setting, excellent facilities and welcoming service, it’s easy to see why Homewood has become a member of the Mrs & Mrs Smith collection and Small Luxury Hotels of The World for 2021.
After arriving at Bath Spa Station, a short scenic 15-minute taxi journey transported us from bustling civilisation into welcome seclusion. As we drove into the estate, which borders the picturesque village of Monkton Combe – home to the country’s most expensive private school – our driver sang Homewood’s praises. To locals, the hotel is the place where you’d take a loved one for an extra special birthday dinner, while for visitors, it’s a chance to switch off and escape from the city.
Meandering up the drive past staff unloading Christmas trees for the festive season, we take in the surrounding grounds which, being late autumn, were bursting with brown and red leaves. Upon arrival at the house, a member of staff greeted us and showed us to the cosy lounge where guests can relax by a roaring log fire and enjoying a complimentary snack cupboard filled with treats such as flapjacks, sweets and corn chips.
We were checked in one of the hotel’s ‘Marvellous Rooms’ on the first floor, which was cosy and spacious with beautiful views of gardens and grounds. Alongside all the creature comforts you’d expect, including a Dyson hairdryer and SMEG coffee machine and kettle, sweet extras such as engraved hangers and freshly baked welcome brownies added a special touch. The bathroom was equally delightful with heated floors, a separate shower and bathtub, and a big light up mirror above the sink covered in full size toiletries by 100 Acres Apothecary.
From the window, we could spot the lit-up domes of Olio restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner of locally sourced cuisine in a beautiful floral setting. We started with generous servings of sweet potato falafels with hummus, red pepper and hazelnut, and burrata with tomato, basil and puy lentils. This was followed by mains of pappardelle puttanesca with anchovies, capers, chilli, olives and goats’ cheese, and battered Brixham haddock with crushed mint peas, an unusual but tasty curried tartare and Koffman’s chips. Sides of barbecue vegetables and truffle and parmesan fires went down a treat, as did the puddings – local Somerset apple and plum crumble with marzipan and amaretto custard, and honeycomb ice cream with chocolate sauce.
A highlight of the Homewood is the spa, located outside of the main house in its own building. On arrival into the spa garden, the first thing that caught my eye was the hot tub, positioned to overlook the countryside. There’s also a swimming pool heated to 28 degrees Celsius and, during the summer months, an alfresco cocktail bar. Inside, wellness enthusiasts can discover a hydrotherapy pool, a sauna and steam room and two flower-filled treatment rooms where a number of therapies are performed. I opted for the CBD Full Body treatment which is a full body massage using a rich CBD healing balm. My therapist Valeria was skilled at noticing the stress in my body and relieving tension – she even released tension I didn’t realise I had! The treatment concluded with a neck and scalp massage which made me feel instantly relaxed and I returned to my room to enjoy one of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in a long while. Although this could have also been due to the fresh West Country air.
Despite being just outside of Bath, it felt as though we were deep in the countryside. And even though most of the rooms in the hotel were booked, Homewood was small enough to feel cosy but never overcrowded. A perfect escape for city dwellers looking to get away from the bustle of the capital.