The Grove, Hertfordshire, UK

Think “Hertfordshire grande dame” and what springs to mind? Authentic Turkish cuisine? Complimentary Hackney Gelato ice cream – our summer ‘24 obsession – on tap? A pop-up Everyman cinema showing feel-good films under the stars? No, us neither, but all this and more awaits at The Grove, an expectation-defying countryside escape set amid 121 hectares of verdant parkland reachable within an hour of central London.

The former home of the Earls of Clarendon, the red-brick, Palladian-style listed property has recently thrown off the dust covers following a three-year renovation led by British designer Martin Hulbert, emerging as a reinvigorated five-star stay that, while, yes, still delivering luxury in spades, also has its finger firmly on the pulse. Owned by the family-run private hospitality group Ralph Trustees, the upgraded hotel offers 215 bedrooms and suites, an award-winning spa, championship golf course and array of destination restaurants and bars that pull in not just guests, but discerning locals, too. Visit during the summer season and, in addition to that al fresco cinema, you’ll also have at your disposal a 22m heated outdoor pool and the man-made Ralph’s Beach, complete with deckchairs and volleyball courts. Winter staycation more your style? Christmas at The Grove spells joy in the form of dazzling illuminations, carol singers, woodland walks and fireside nightcaps galore.

Fresh from a makeover, the 215-bed hotel has been transformed into a hotbed of modern-day pleasures, from high-flying restaurants to hedonistic cocktail bars

Surrounded by modern-day pleasures – a nine-course tasting menu at Feast on Cloud 9, say, enjoyed in the comfort of your own private hot-air balloon basket, or a barefoot game of giant Connect 4 in the Walled Garden, perfectly muddled craft cocktail in hand – it’s hard to imagine Queen Victoria letting her hair down on this very lawn, but she’s just one of a roll call of illustrious guests to have attended the hedonistic parties held here in days gone by. Sadly for Queen Vic, though, it would be another couple of hundred years before Hackney Gelato – founded in 2015 by ex-Locanda Locatelli chefs Enrico Pavoncelli and Sam Newman – made an appearance. Debauchery? Try sitting under the branches of a 250-year-old tree and digging into your third pistachio, almond and lemon tub of the day. Just don’t blame us if it becomes a habit.

Rooms are spread across the original Mansion building and the West Wing, a 2003 addition home to 189 rooms

Rooms

The silver lining to having arrived after dark is throwing open the curtains of our signature Hulbert-designed Mansion room in the morning to a bucolic vision of rolling green hills, flower-dotted meadows and thoughtfully planted gardens studded with topiary (I spy… a giraffe?). But it’s not just the view that’s going to make you want to move in permanently. Against a neutral backdrop – all sand, sage and tan – and wooden parquet flooring, there’s an extraordinarily comfortable four-poster bed, sofa and chairs, desk, working fireplace (with staff available to light it for you), loads of wardrobe space, coffee machine with a range of Cru Kafe organic coffee pods, Bose speakers, Netflix-, Disney+- and Prime-enabled TV and a complimentary mini bar that’s so well stocked, it threatens to make mealtimes superfluous. The climate and light controls are foolproof, USB ports plentiful and artworks come courtesy of big-name Brits including Poppy Ellis and Andrew Viner.

Dining options include The Stables Bar and Terrace, an all-day dining and drinking space offering seasonal dishes and an expansive drinks menu

Lunch and dinner

Some guests – calling all Harry Potter fans – choose to make The Grove their base because of its proximity to Warner Bros Studio. For foodies, though, the hotel is something of a theme park in itself. Seasonal pop-ups abound, including, this summer, Skewd, sending out superlative Turkish cuisine, Fuego in the Woods, for open-air family-style Spanish feasts cooked over wood-fired parrillas, and Feast on Cloud 9, with those iconic hot-air balloon booths. Stalwarts, meanwhile, include The Glasshouse, for crowd-pleasing classics-with-a-twist, Madhu’s, for when only an Indian banquet will do, and the Lounges, for anytime you crave sushi.

Is there a bar?

There are many. We love The Glasshouse Bar for its zero-waste policy, “garden-to-glass” cocktails and mocktails made with ingredients grown on-site and floor-to-ceiling windows that further highlight The Grove’s ethos of “bringing the outside in”. There’s also The Stables Bar and Terrace, overlooking the golf course, which is open all day, and the poolside bar (till 23 September). But this list is far from exhaustive. Arrive thirsty.

Other dining options include The Glasshouse, for classics-with-a-twist, Madhu’s, for Indian-inspired dishes, and the Lounges, for sushi lovers

Amenities

It helps to accept that there’s much more to do here than you’ll ever have time to fit into one visit (unless you’re an actor filming at the nearby Pinewood Studios and have moved in for several months). Aside from eating, drinking, golfing and spending time in the state-of-the-art Sequoia Spa, home to a black-tiled ozone swimming pool, or catching a movie at Everyman in the Garden (until 8 September), you can also explore archery, laser clay pigeon shooting, horse riding, off-road driving, tree climbing, bike rides, woodland nature trails and – perfect for those with a special occasion to celebrate and a head for heights – hot-air balloon rides.

What are the hotel’s eco-credentials like?

Robust. Sustainability strategies range from all those you’d expect from a switched-on hotel in the year 2024 to extending the use of the premises to charities for meetings and conferences and the building of wetlands to support local wildlife.

What about accessibility?

Everyone is welcome. You’ll find fully accessible bedrooms (request when booking) and accessible toilets around the property, including at the restaurants and golf club. The spa, gym and pool all offer lift access and various specially adapted facilities.

The hotel grounds are open to guests, with activities on offer such as riding, bike rides, nature trails and more.

What’s the crowd like?

Impossible to neatly categorise, much like the hotel itself. The Grove is as popular with A-listers (Kylie Mingoue and Tom Cruise are both fans) as it is with multi-gen family groups, couples and international business travellers.

Within a short walk I can find

Campfire s’mores sessions, yoga classes, art exhibitions… The only thing you won’t find is much motivation to leave the sumptuous confines of the hotel’s 121 hectares.

Things I should know

You can bring your pup! The West Wing’s ground-floor Classic and Deluxe rooms take dogs weighing under 30kg. Four-legged friends will receive a welcome kit consisting of a bed, food bowl, towel, mitt and toy.

Fancy a ramble but forgot comfortable shoes? Hunter wellies are available to borrow at the Activity Centre.