In the heart of the New Forest lies a sparkling jewel, a wonderful haven of tranquillity and a blissful escape. It was here that we found ourselves on a fabulous sunny day – Careys Manor House Hotel and SenSpa.

Tucked away down a curving gravel driveway, the hotel is a gorgeously grand country house. With cute gardens for relaxing in the sun and little nooks to explore, they hold the prettiest flowers, greeting you as you leave your car with the valet and enter through the hotel’s grand front door.

A wonderful welcome

We received a lovely welcome – the lobby is charming and introduces the appropriate forest theme, wood panelled with a winding wooden staircase and decorated with wooden sculpture with copper accents that were replicated around the hotel. After checking in, we were shown to our room – one of their newly refurbished Knightwood Garden rooms.

Light, modern and well appointed, the room had a little patio and access to the pretty walled garden with water feature and lovely summer flowers.

A delightful goody bag filled with Senspa products and a bottle of Prosecco welcomed us, along with locally made chocolates which didn’t last long!

Weddings at Careys Manor

A meeting with Weddings Manager, Françoise, followed where we were let into all the secrets of planning a wedding at Careys Manor. She aims to take all the stress out of the day, and even as we sat and chatted, a bride getting married the next day had just dropped off the last pieces of wedding decoration and was in the spa for the rest of the day! Perfect!

Careys Manor prides themselves on being flexible when it comes to weddings. Françoise has been there over 15 years and is the key to a smoothly run wedding. With a choice of four locations, weddings can take place inside the hotel or the ceremony can be held at one of the local churches, and the hotel will host the reception and evening celebrations.

The Cedar Suite has its own private entrance and can accommodate 100 guests for a ceremony, 80 for the wedding breakfast and 150 for an evening celebration.

The Beech Room holds up to 50, for a more intimate affair – with gorgeous natural light, this is perfect for a smaller celebration.

The Lounge is set in the original Manor section of the hotel. With wood panelling, oak beams and Inglenook fireplace, it’s cosy and inviting, welcoming up to 100 guests for your ceremony.

You can even decide to marry in the Cedar Garden under twinkling fairy lights! One of only a few places in Hampshire licensed for outdoor weddings, it holds up to 100 guests.

Perfect for photos

The venue is so picturesque and perfect for photographs. There’s even a secret garden with sculptures of greenery. The gate, with its heart-shaped cut-outs, leads to beautiful foliage and topiary creations. In addition, the fence holds love locks, engraved with the date of the couple’s wedding and bearing ribbons of the colour palette of the day. As part of the wedding package, the hotel offers a first-anniversary bed and breakfast, and couples will come and check on their love lock, remembering their happy day.

The Spa

Finally, we made it to the spa. With an herbal sauna, crystal steam room and bubbling hydrotherapy pool, this is the epitome of relaxation. A perfect place to find some calm. And with the Zen Garden Thai restaurant and large relaxation room, this would be an ideal venue for a hen weekend, couples getaway or retreat before the big day.

Dinner

Feeling utterly relaxed and refreshed, dinner was served, so we headed down to Cambuim, Careys Manor’s fine dining restaurant and enjoyed a cocktail before eating. The restaurant is lovely, relaxed yet refined, with subtle forest theme running throughout. Service was great, and the charming Anna made our evening a delight.

From the delicate Hake to the sublime peanut butter mousse with strawberry sorbet and peanut brittle, the meal was gorgeous – highly recommended.

After dinner, we had time to step into the forest to witness a glorious sunset over the trees. Careys Manor is right in the heart of the Forest, it doesn’t take long to find a gorgeous view.

Breakfast

The restaurant also played host to our breakfast the next morning, where we enjoyed a sunny garden view over a full English after a really comfy night’s sleep. There were buffet and menu options – English and Continental – and once again, the staff were friendly and wonderfully efficient.

And then we were off – into the forest to explore amongst cute ponies, trickling streams, woods and heathland.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Careys Manor – beautiful grounds, wonderful spa and amazing food – all nestled in the heart of the magical New Forest.

Careys Manor & SenSpa, Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire, SO42 7RH

Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa IS A TRUSTED MEMBER OF 5 STAR WEDDING DIRECTORY. VISIT Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa’s PROFILE

This weekend past, my husband-to-be and I experienced a little corner of spa heaven. Since the proposal last September and now a month to go before the big day, our every spare minute has been consumed with discussions on flowers, transport, food, an ever-increasing guest list and consequently, escalating budget. The soft glow of an excited bride-to-be has sadly turned into a furrowed brow and even the prospect of taking a couple of days out to ‘spa’ and ‘relax’ feels like another thing we need to tick off the never-ending to-do list.

Ross and I pack a weekend bag and hop on the train from our London home to Hertfordshire. An hour and a half later and via a surprisingly stress-free journey on the Metropolitan line up to Watford, followed by a 10-minute taxi ride from the station, we find ourselves cruising through the gates of The Grove Hotel and into 300 acres of the rolling countryside…the smile on my face is creeping back already.

I had heard good things about The Grove so my expectations were high. Friends exclamations of “Oh I love The Grove!” and “the spa is amazing!” were just a few comments which I was sure would set me up for a fall but I have to say now, the whole experience was delightful from beginning to end. From the cheerful doorman who welcomed us and took our bags, to the stunning reception adorned with beautiful yet bold flower displays and the helpful check-in staff who advised us on the details of our stay. If you are ever feeling disillusioned by the lack of manners and customer service in everyday life then the staff at The Grove will restore your faith with their Downton Abbey style approach of discreet, yet attentive service.

Our superior room also echoed elegant 20th-century country house interiors with a free standing bath overlooking the golf course and antique furniture placed alongside modern luxuries such as an iPod dock, flat screen television, bathroom products from The White Company and a hotel bed that you’ll never want to leave.

Whilst I would have been quite happy just spending the weekend in this one room…the spa was beckoning. The Sequoia Spa has been frequently listed as one of the UK’s best and so as a regular spa-goer, I was intrigued. When you visit a spa, you want seamless, calm transition from one area to another – you want that zen feeling, the moment you walk through the doors. Sequoia delivered. Again, service with a smile from all the staff and facilities that were clean and faultless – fluffy towels in abundance, lockers with robes and slippers ready to be adorned and ESPA products throughout. I kitted myself out and was whisked away by my therapist, Claire, for a one-hour essential body massage.

Now, I have done a beauty therapy and massage course, so I am particularly fussy about how it should feel. There has been many a time when layed on a massage bed, I’ve thought, ‘pleeease massage my glutes!’ or ‘why aren’t you kneading my shoulders?’. Massage is an art and you can tell when your therapist is bored, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the hour to be up. Thankfully, I had no such experience with Claire who has what I call ‘massage hands’ – long supple fingers to be able to fluidly reach into every knot whilst also having the strength to apply pressure when necessary. My back had been particularly stiff but after an hour of having my chosen essential oil expertly rubbed into every part of my neck, back (including glutes!) and shoulders, I was in a blissful, ache-free, daze. As I was quietly taken to the dark and peaceful relaxation room, I lay on a bed and slept.

Ross had been enjoying himself by the pool and in the ‘heat experience’ rooms whilst I had gone to heaven and back. He commented that the black pool was like swimming in a calm bottomless lake and even the water felt soft to swim in. Unusual but I saw his point.

We ended our day in The Glasshouse – one of three restaurants at The Grove. We had been advised, on several occasions by staff, that this buffet offering was big, they weren’t wrong. This ‘international theatre of cooking’ provides guests with freshly prepared food from all corners of the world and whilst everything was delicious, I particularly liked the unusual seafood dishes such the mini crab style Waldorf salad, king prawns and scallop ceviche. A wonderful carvery and dramatically prepared Asian stir fry was also a highlight of the evening.

It is quite amazing how one can so quickly relax when given the right tools and facilities to do so and The Grove certainly allows for this. With a full tummy and a relaxed state of mind, we decided to forego our usual apres dinner option of cocktails at the bar and instead contentedly headed up to our room, excited to be getting into that big fluffy bed.

The Grove is a member of Great Hotels of the World’s Luxury Collection.

We were invited to spend the weekend at the historic Luton Hoo estate to experience what this grand hotel had to offer. Excited at the prospect of a chance to sample the relaxing spa, luxurious suite and delicious dinner, my husband, daughter and I fell silent as we drove through the trees that bordered the entrance and made our way up the long, winding drive, taking in our beautiful surroundings. Trees, flower gardens and lawns as far as the eye could see thrilled us and we couldn’t wait to see what else was in store.

We were warmly welcomed as the valet took our car and the concierge relieved us of our bags.

Eager as we were to explore the estate, we arrived early before check in time, which gave us a chance to visit the spa and the warmest pool I have ever encountered!

The Spa

A cosy 29 degrees, and a delight to swim in! After a dip in the Jacuzzi our room was ready and we made our way back to the Mansion House. Although only about a short three minute walk, Luton Hoo provide lovely little golf buggy taxis to ferry guests between the Mansion House and spa, for which we were very grateful as the threatening clouds had started to drizzle on us.

And so to our room…

The majestic staircase, wide hallways and high ceilings led us to the Lady Zia Suite, the Hoo’s finest suite in the house. The corridors are packed with paintings and cabinets full of beautiful objects – you simply can not escape the history of this place.

Which is why it has been chosen on many occasions as a film set, featuring in many blockbuster movies. With links to the family of Anne Boleyn, and gardens designed by Capability Brown, its more recent history sees it owned by the Wernher family, before being sold to Elite Hotels. Sir Julius Wernher purchased and transformed Luton Hoo to please his wife, who enjoyed lavish parties there.

A big name in diamond dealing, Sir Julius made a great fortune for a company that would become DeBeers. After Sir Julius and his wife had passed away, the house was left to their son, Harold, and his wife Lady Zia, after whom our suite was named. His wife, of course, had the grandest suite in the house and stepping inside, I could just imagine Lady Zia gazing out of the large windows with breathtaking views across the sprawling lush green grass and flower gardens.

Indeed, a painting of the Lady herself was positioned on a wall within her suite and I spent a moment picturing her sitting at her dressing table whilst her maid ran a bath, or reclining in her lounge. The rooms were enormous! The suite totalled approximately 135 square metres, with five or six sofas in the lounge, a beautiful canopy bed and a well appointed bathroom with both a shower and standalone bath, and stocked with Molten Brown products.

My Tour

We were treated to a tour of the estate by the Operations Manager, Frederick Billet who fascinated us with tales of the house and its extensive history. The Queen herself had her second honeymoon here and would visit her cousin, Lady Zia annually until she passed away in 1977.

We were also lucky enough to see a small private dining room that housed the original paintings of Winston Churchill who had visited Luton Hoo in 1948 to thank a crowd of 110,000 for their war-time support. The paintings were breathtakingly beautiful and we lingered awhile to take in these outstanding works.

As part of our tour, Frederick took us in his car around the grounds and down to a secluded riverbank, home to 53 species of birds and with its own boathouse. A spot that would be perfect for a very special romantic proposal, maybe followed by dinner in their fine dining restaurant.

So from proposal spot to wedding venue, we were whisked over to a spectacular converted Russian Orthodox chapel, influenced by Lady Zia’s Russian heritage. With stunning marble work, intricate ceiling, detailed stained glass and paintings, this would be such a unique and special place to get married.

The Mansion House

In the Mansion House, 50-120 guests can be accommodated for a ceremony, reception including wedding breakfast, and accommodation for the bride and groom.

Warren Weir

Alternatively couples can choose to hold their wedding in Warren Weir, a separate accommodation for up to 290 guests including function suites and 84 bedrooms. Warren Weir also includes an indoor swimming pool and snooker room, and guests can take full advantage of the wider estate including the spa, golf course and walking and cycling trails. The wedding team at Luton Hoo have a number of wedding packages – Silver, Gold and Platinum – and the details for these can be found on their website. Alternatively, their wedding coordinators can tailor make a bespoke package to suit you and your special day.

Back in the Mansion House, we were shown the beautiful intricate original plug sockets, made of ivory, and a cabinet full of treasures. The Wernher collection was valued at over £400m 15 years ago and has only increased in value. This estate holds so much important history and we were so grateful to be given an insight to this magnificent house. Many thanks to Frederick for such an extensive tour.

Lovely Treats

Whilst we were on our tour, Frederick had sent up a bottle of their finest wine, chocolate strawberries and a welcome card to our suite, which was a lovely treat, so we enjoyed a glass of wine before dinner.

Wernher Restaurant

The hotel is home to the Wernher restaurant. During its refurbishment, half the total budget was spent on the restaurant alone, and the marble walls, three enormous chandeliers and plush décor reflect the sizeable investment.

Adams Brasserie

Our dinner for the evening however, was in Adams Brasserie by the spa. The main restaurant, although opulent and extravagant, was not really suitable for our 6 year old daughter who was with us!

The food and wine in the brasserie were superb. I ordered a crab and coriander fishcake to start, followed by a grilled lamb cutlet with Moroccan spiced couscous.

This was followed by a delicious chocolate cherry dome with summer berries and Chantilly cream. The service was excellent and we happily made our way back to the Mansion House to enjoy our suite some more.

Bedtime

The bed was exquisite – I slept like a queen! And in the morning we were able to have our breakfast in the stunning Wernher restaurant. Once again the service was outstanding. Full English breakfasts served on beautiful china which I would highly recommend!

From beginning to end, we were thoroughly spoiled and we really didn’t want to leave! Taking advantage of the little golf buggy taxis again, we headed for a final swim in the spa before heading down the long, winding driveway out into the real world, imagining the famous people who had made the same journey before us.

Luton Hoo really is a spectacular place to visit and it was great to be invited the stay. The staff are attentive, friendly and knowledgeable of the estate’s broad history, the spa is lovely and the rooms are simply exquisite. This would be such a charming place to get married. Set well away from the hustle and bustle of life, you really can escape into a perfect bubble of dreamlike extravagance, surrounded by beauty and steeped in history.

To visit Luton Hoo yourself please visit

 lutonhoo.co.uk

If you are looking for a getaway retreat with your hens then gather the girls and enjoy a weekend away with the bride to be. With two hundred acres of idyllic parkland, the 400-year-old playground of the Duke of Northumberland provides a lush background for your luxury hen retreat.

I could not believe we were just seven miles from the heart of London yet it seemed a world away from the hustle and bustle of London. I found the hotel to be an amazing place to unwind being surrounded by true natural beauty. The hotel was very easy to find with it‘s clear signage to the hotel through Syon Park.

On entering the hotel I found the lobby had a real eclectic mix of design with very quirky and stylish features. We were given a friendly warm welcome, and could not wait to see what our bedroom looked like.

We were allocated a suite that had high-speed WIFI and a 42″ LCD HD TV complete with the latest in-room entertainment system powered by Apple.  The hotel’s seven one bedroom suites feature luxuriously designed bedrooms and adjacent sitting rooms.

Our room had very large windows, rain showers and deep soak tubs are complemented by rich appointments and decorated with eclectic, sophisticated flair.  The suite had beautiful views of the gardens and Conservatory of Syon house.

Our next stop was Kallima, the Spa at London Syon Park.  Bringing together a unique collection of treatments, as well as the non-surgical services. Far from the standard spa routine, Kallima‘s experienced therapists asked me what results I was hoping to achieve, and from that consultation, my spa journey was carefully designed for me. First having a dip in the stunning swimming pool, and jacuzzi with twinkle lights listening to heavenly relaxing music, we had a delicious snack that was brought to us by the poolside, then we were greeted by our beauty therapist who took us for the treatments.

Kallima, derived from the Greek word for beautiful, is also the name of a butterfly that first resembles a closed leaf, and is transformed when it opens its wings.

I had the Tahitian Black Sand Exfoliating Massage, with Ann Semonin products. The Ann Semonin products that were used on me offered ingenious fusions of aromatic essentials,  oil blends, trace elements of marine ingredients.

I really did leave the world behind, as I chose from relaxing rituals that transform the body and soothe the scenes.  I was truly relaxed, recharged and was filled with new vitality.

The hotel’s Martini Bar serves an eclectic mix of must taste cocktails, I was blown away with The Capability Restaurant that manages to incorporate the landscape in the cooking and is brought to life with the finest ingredients grown in the gardens.

Just before leaving the hotel we visited the private garden of the hotel.  Our room key opened the gate to the hotels owns private estate set within 40 acres of stunning landscape.  An awe-inspiring handcrafted bridge resting over a lake occupied with ducks and swans.

Could this hotel be one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in? Most definitely!

• See The London Syon Park for details on hotel packages.

Nirvana Spa is renowned for its pure water source being home to six pure, natural pools fed by a spring deep underground with water clean enough to drink. Nirvana Spa’s famous floatation therapy pool contains hundreds of tons of minerals and salts from the Dead Sea so you can enjoy a relaxing floating experience while treating your whole body to a therapeutic experience at the same time, which is ideal for mum to relax, unwind and rejuvenate.

For more information on what Nirvana Spa has to offer visit nirvanaspa.co.uk

Prize Pack

If you want to treat your mum to a well deserved, relaxing day full of pampering at Nirvana Spa; enter this competition to win a weekday spa package, which includes a floatation experience at Nirvana Spa for two.

Question 1: Nirvana Spa’s floatation therapy pool contains minerals and salts from which sea?

a) The Red Sea

b) The Dead Sea

c) The Mediterranean Sea

Question 2: How many freshwater pools does Nirvana Spa boast?

a) One

b) Three

c) Six

All answers must be sent to pr@5starweddingdirectory.com