Coworth Park: hotel review

WHAT’S THE VIBE?

There are some things in life you can be sure of. DFS will always have a sale on, a curry will always taste better the next day, and a stay at the Dorchester Collection guarantees a kind of no-expense-spared luxury. Coworth Park forms part of this venerable family of hotels – the Berkshire brother that’s within kissing distance of London on the edge of Windsor Great Park, spread across 240 acres of meadows, thickets of silver birch and polo fields that satiate an appetite for the rural.

Mansion House Premium Suite

Copper bath, Junior Suite

Bedroom, North Lodge

North Lodge, exterior

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Starting off as a manor house with stables in the 16th century, Coworth Park has seen many incarnations since, including an all-girls school, the home of Selfridges chairman Galen Weston and, currently, a hotel that places pillows under the heads of politicians, A-listers and royalty alike. As the property that Prince Harry kipped in ahead of tying the knot, you might presume he has a penchant for equine-themed interiors, sumptuous spas, and in-room shortbreads.

Considering Coworth’s typical clientele, my arrival in a 2008 Renault Twingo without a left-wing mirror during a Rolls Royce convention could be considered bad timing. However, upon settling in, you soon realise that every guest is treated as if they have touched down on the helipad. Good, old-fashioned hospitality is at the core of Coworth, and guests should be prepared to be cosseted within an inch of their lives.

WHAT TO EAT?

Not to be mistaken with the father of capitalism, Coworth Park’s head chef, Adam Smith, knows more about fine dining than he does the free market. Helming the kitchen of Michelin-starred Woven, this Roux scholarship-winning, ex-Ritz alum leans into haute cuisine. If the quality of a bread basket is a reliable metric of how good your dinner will be, rest assured you’re in the safest of hands here. Pillowy milk buns, glossy croissants and squidgy slices of rye ready to smear into the sauce that follows, whether that be a butter-poached lobster with white truffle, grouse pie with spiced quince or wild Cornish tuna belly with bergamot. Provenance and quality are paramount to Smith, and you can taste it.

Bread selection at Woven

Snacks at Woven

Dining room, Woven

Morel Spoon

Dining room, Woven

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By morning, Woven transforms into the breakfast buffet with a Henry VIII-style array of pastries, charcuterie, cakes, cheeses, and crumpets topped with beef short rib that are pure gluttony. The area Coworth Park resides in was previously known as Cow Garth in Anglo-Saxon times because the pastures were used to graze cows. After eating goliath portions of the animal, the etymology feels a bit on the nose.

WHAT TO DO?

Join the countrified crowds at the equestrian centre for a spot of horseriding, or if that’s not your bag, the hotel hosts on-site duck herding events. The spa, complete with gym, treatment rooms and swimming pool (with underwater music), needs little introduction, and the grounds and surrounding forests warrant a substantial ramble. Should you visit in the spring months, you’ll witness the 12,000 bulbs painstakingly planted in the meadow come into full bloom.

The meadow at Coworth Park

What's nearby?

Here are our top three activities to pursue in and around Ascot.

SILENT POOL DISTILLERS

Head to the Duke of Northumberland’s Albury Estate on the banks of the legendary Silent Pool, and you’ll wind up at the nominal craft gin distillers. Pop in for a tour and sample the tipple.

GO APE

Tower tree tops, mount zip wires, and tackle high rope obstacles at the heart-thumping tree-climbing experience Go Ape. Tarzan yell optional.

WINDSOR CASTLE AND GREAT PARK WINDSOR

For a slice of regality, head to Windsor Castle, which still operates as an official royal residence. Filled with art, armour, and swoonsome gardens, this day out is fit for a king or queen.