Mr Big’s dream of having a house with a gravelled pathway is a bit far away still for us but as long as we can experience, great hotels like Heckfield Place, we can get a regular taste of it.

The gravelled pathway takes you via a gentle curve to the front of this luxury country hotel.

Spoiler: it is a beautiful hotel that knows how to make you feel welcome, relaxed, appreciated by drowning you in subtle touches of aesthetics, design, art, nature, materials and warmth.

Heckfield Place spa review – July 2023 update

We had always planned to return to Heckfield Place when the spa would open and we finally got  the chance in July 2023 when Mademoiselle was away on holiday with friends.

I was also curious to see whether the food had improved as that had been the only weak point during our last visit.

Called “The Bothy by Wildsmith”, the  spa is located in the property’s original walled garden. You therefore have a lovely bucolic walk before you get to the entrance.

It’s a big space – 17,000ft² – but you wouldn’t know from outside, whether at the front or at the back, which you can see when you go for a walk around the estate.

Initially we were told that we had to reserve our swimming slots but fortunately they had relaxed the policy by the time we got there and we could enjoy it whenever we wanted.

They have a strict “relaxing” policy.  When you arrive, they ask you to take  off your shoes and to lock your phone away. Then you can go down and get changed.  It’s also forbidden to take photos. I managed to get only a few.

The design throughout is pretty understated elegance. It makes the spa feel a bit minimal in some areas – mainly the common ones and the changing rooms. Although I really liked the sculptural ceiling pendant light. However, the treatment area does a good job plunging you in a world of relaxation and indulgence. Hues are warmer and the seats where you wait or relax after a treatment embrace you in their plush cushions.

There are six treatment rooms – two of which are doubles – accompanied by two fitness rooms and a Movement Studio, as well as the Sun Room, an indoor/outdoor dining space offering a small plant-based menu.

There is also a space called The Waters, basically “the pools”! which uses ionisation and natural mineral ions of copper, silver, zinc, aluminium and gold to maximise benefits of being immersed in water. The pool is long and big and boasts views of the Hampshire countryside through huge windows. The loungers around are again very comfortable.

Walking from the pool, you can go to the oak terrace with its outdoor jacuzzi as well as sauna, steam room, and the now ubiquitous experiential shower.  The steam rooms and sauna were closed at the time of our visit but we had the outdoor jacuzzi all to ourselves. You could also choose to splash yourself with a bucket shower of ice cold water!

My treatment was with the spa manager and it was sensational. I was actually his last treatment as he’s been poached to go open the spa at Estelle Manor – one of our next visits for sure.

All  in all, the spa at Heckfield Place provides the kind of relaxation space that you would expect from a hotel of that calibre and price.  However, I wouldn’t say that it’s the best spa I’ve been to. The Newt still trumps all of them for me at the moment.

Read on for the full Heckfield Place review, where I also updated my thoughts on the rooms and the restaurants.

Heckfield review in summary

What we liked

What to be aware of

Beautiful decor throughout With the new addition of the spa, Heckfield Place really becomes an easy to reach luxury escape from London Big welcoming and charming bedroom Outdoor space with the bedroom Generous mini bar with home made snacks, all coming complementary The comfy lounges and drawing rooms The big boot room The spa treatments The friendly welcome and professional service The complementary afternoon tea and cake

The uniforms: designed by cult shop Egg, the baggy style just made the staff look frumpy rather than comfortable or stylish. Room service – only 3 things to choose from Have some more simple food options: good for everyone to sometimes have an easy meal and certainly for the kids, although they do make pasta for them. There is a road at one side of the property and you can hear it when you walk around that side. It’s very quiet in the rooms though It is pricey, and they add 10% service charge to everything you consume.

The design: all elegance and sophistication 

This is exactly my kind of interior design.  A mix of Nordic and English design, antique furnitures and classy French. The colour selection everywhere is just perfect, going from muted greys to green and blue not forgetting the pale pink in the rooms. To be in tune with the land, natural materials are favoured everywhere: bare brick walls, brown oak, bamboo, rattan, wool, fur..

The lounges, drawing rooms and bar are particularly welcoming. You immediately want to spend hours there reading, playing a board game, trying to solve the giant puzzle, having a slice of cake that comes with the complementary afternoon tea each day.  The sofas are just so comfortable, the lighting perfect, the service present just at the right moment. Mr Big, Mademoiselle and I spent many hours there.

Throughout the house there is gorgeous art: paintings, drawings, etchings, photography. I wish there was a catalogue for me to read more about each one of them.

You could also choose to spend relaxing time in the superb bedrooms.

We had a Master room in the Corridors.  This is the more modern part of the hotel but it’s just as beautifully decorated as the main house.

If you come with children, that is where you’ll stay as rooms in the main house are not available to children.

Our room had a lovely palette of dust pink, bamboo, browns and white.  It was just utterly gorgeous. Have a look at the pictures to judge for yourself.

Update July 2023: our room was of the same category but not in the same location. However the decor was exactly the same as the first time. It makes Heckfield Place less of a unique hotel, contrary to the Newt for instance where each room is different.

We actually stayed in another room for one extra night as we wanted to relax for a longer time. It was in the main house and was much smaller but with a lovely view over the front gardens and an old bathroom which I really liked.

The room was of a great size for the three of us and actually felt like a mini apartment.  There was a walk in wardrobe, living area with a very comfortable sofa, a table for room service, the bedroom area with a desk on which I drafted this review, and a bathroom which is not huge but perfectly formed.  A great walk in shower, a deep bath, double sinks, plush towels, everything you can want to make it a luxurious time.

Oh and the most luxurious, soft, cozy, warm bathrobes we ever tried.  We loved them so much that we ordered them online when we got home!

As a nice touch, there was a little Christmas tree complete with fairy lights.

The room opens on your own private garden area and beyond to the entrance to the walled garden.

Sophistication and beauty everywhere at Heckfield Place

In addition to the decor, which my words can’t make justice to, every little touch shows a degree of sophistication and beauty which I only saw before at Domaine des Etangs.

The keys for instance are made of wood and put in a little envelopes with your initials embossed in.

The hotel brochure and essential information is in a mini ipad which is also a book where you can read the history of the place.

The bathrobes are the softest ever, like wrapping yourself up in a cashmere jumper. They are from Ploh and I’m going to buy myself one on their online shop when I go back home.

Nature at the heart of the decor and the food

The flower arrangements are magnificent. I am so impressed by how creative people can be and here, the dry flowers, the trees, the touches of green everywhere, the plant pots, the wild dry branches and foliage on the mantelpieces are just absolute perfection. Artistically put together yet retaining the authenticity of the nature they come from.

The gardens are the pride and glory of Heckfield Place.  There is a lot of history behind them and today, the team of gardeners, arborist, florists, farmers maintain and grow them in respect of their heritage. You can have a tour of the gardens where the trees are amongst the oldest and largest you can encounter.

It reminded me of the beautiful trees at Endsleigh.

The restaurant serves food from local producers or from their own farm and gardens, the hotel doesn’t use any plastic anywhere, the beauty products are created from the herbs in the garden and named after the gardener of the house (whose apprentice then went on to create Kew Gardens, so quite a pedigree).

We ate at both restaurants: Marle and Hearth

Marle is where you have breakfast, lunch and diner and is open to non residents.  The focus is very much on healthy food with lots of vegetables. We thought it was good but not extremely special. For kids they offer pasta or cheese toastie or any dish on the menu in smaller portion.

Update July 2023: thankfully since our last visit, the options and quality of the food have greatly improved. Hearth in particular was really good and now the menu is on parr with the beautiful cozy space. Located in the former stables, the arched high ceiling gives a sense of grandeur but the big fireplace brings warmth and cosiness. The menu now offers choices rather than a 5 courses set menu as before.

Room service was also much more varied and we enjoyed a lovely evening with it in front of the TV in the second bedroom.

What to do at Heckfield Place

Relaxation and walking around the gardens are the main activity besides the spa. They also have a program of various cinema showings, tours of the gardens or the farm etc.. that they suggest when you arrive.

For children, there’s nothing special arranged apart from enjoying the nature, walks etc..

Heckfield Place, Hampshire

Rooms

• 45 bedrooms

Rates

• Friends rooms: £350; guest rooms: £500; chamber rooms: £700; master rooms: £1,000;
• And then if you really have cash, the signature suites between £1,750 and-£10,000 a night!!

For families

• If coming with children, you have to go for a room in the Corridors
• Cot & highchair available
• Cinema, some activities organised by the hotel (such as a muppet show when we were there), board games and of course lots of running around the grounds
• Bikes are also available to borrow

Facilities

• Two restaurants: Marle and Hearth (residents only);
• There will be a big spa with outdoor pool by the end of 2019
• Moon bar; Cellar bar
• Little Bothy Spa with five treatment rooms, yoga studio and gym with partner Bodyism
• 67-seat screening room;
• 400-acre estate with fly-fishing on River Whitewater; running and cycling trails; wild swimming in the river and lakes; and riding on the adjacent Wellington estate

Website

• www.heckfieldplace.com

Location

• Really close to London: only one hour 15 min.  The nearest train station is Hook and they can come to collect you.