WHAT? WHERE?

Looking for somewhere to enjoy Shakespeare’s country without being in a busy town like Leamington, Stratford or Warwick? Let me introduce you to luxe rural idyll Mallory Court Hotel. It’s a Grade II listed 4 AA red star hotel with 3 rosettes for dining along with award-winning spa and gorgeous grounds. You can go out and explore the surrounding towns, but I highly advise you make the most of it and stay well and truly put. Mallory Court’s owned by Eden Hotel Collection, which has other lovely properties including Bovey Castle and Arden Hotel, and recently won the Small Hotel Group of the Year, so you know you’re onto something good.

THE VIBE

The ivy-covered entry, topiary and manicured gardens are the perfect introduction to Mallory. It’s serious country house luxe, everything here is to the highest standard (just how we like it at Muddy!). Think lounges brimming with squishy sofas, old fireplaces with real log fires burning, bookcases, moody lighting and groaning whiskey cabinets. There’s oak wood panelling and staircases throughout with stylish artwork and gold accents. The original windows look out across the hotel’s beautiful gardens, where you can often see someone busy at work picking fruit and veg ahead of the evening’s menu. The main house’s 19 bedrooms have recently undergone a £1.5million transformation and they are seriously swish – but more on that later.

THE SPA

Elan Spa is easily one of my favourite spas on our patch, and has enough to keep you busy without being too much going on that you’re not relaxing. There’s a hydrotherapy swimming pool with massage jets and stations on one side, there’s also a salt sauna and steam room along with plenty of beds next to the pool, just perfect for a nap or flick through a magazine.

The pièce de résistance is the outdoor thermal suite – my fave spot being the bubbly vitality pool where you can relax overlooking the beautiful Warwickshire countryside and listening to the sounds of nature. I thoroughly recommend you take my lead and order a bottle of champers from the cafe to enjoy in there. When you feel like drying off there’s the outdoor sauna to relax in.

Treatments are held in rooms upstairs using Gaia and Temple Spa products. Massages I’ve had here before were relaxing and left me ready to book in again, would highly recommend!

SCOFF & QUAFF

If you’re looking for fine dining, you can’t get much finer than this. The hotel’s restaurant, The Dining Room, holds 3 AA Rosettes and serves up a constantly evolving menu, with a five-course Tastes of the Seasons menu (£105pp) which changes daily. Produce is seasonal, with most fruit and veg from the hotel’s beautiful kitchen gardens. There’s also a two and three course menu from £65 to £80 which we ordered from.

We started with a glass of the house fizz – one of my personal favourites, Ophelia from Warwickshire vineyard Welcombe Hills. We were brought some canapés – cod roe, and some melt-in-the-mouth beef tartare. Honestly, you could have given me a plate of those for dinner and I’d have been a happy girl.

After we were seated in the oak-panelled dining room we ordered a bottle of the house rose, also from Welcombe Hills. I love that Mallory is such a supporter of local, and from undoubtedly one of the best vineyards on our patch.

Next up was homemade bread with a creamy garlic butter, which had the faintest hints of garlic and wasn’t overpowering at all. It was closely followed by an absolutely delicious apple and smoked cheese custard with pickled and dehydrated onion. A moorish, foodie triumph I hope is still on the menu next time I go back!

Onto the main event (yes, we were still grazing, which was fine by me!). To start I had the Cornish cod with chilli red pepper beurre blanc. A soft piece of the freshest fish on top of a mildly spiced creamy sauce. Heaven. My date for the night had that crispy chicken thigh with sweetcorn fricassee and maple. It was sweet, savoury, crunchy, perfectly cooked and pretty much everything you could want from a dish.

For mains we had the same dish, because it sounded so delicious – and we weren’t disappointed. BBQ beef fillet and braised cheek, globe artichoke and black garlic. The meat just fell apart and there were textures of the artichoke dotted all around the plate, including a lovely savoury cream. The black garlic really made the dish sing, heady in flavour and perfectly complemented the richness of the beef.

We visited just ahead of Halloween, so of course there had to be some pumpkin on the menu. It came in the form of a sorbet, with a ginger beer foam I’m still dreaming of on a bed of granola.

It really hit the sweet spot after dinner, so I went for the cheeseboard with a selection of five British cheeses, chutney and some crunchy homemade crackers. The perfect way to round off the meal. My date for the night had the blackberry and lemon verbena baked Alaska, blowtorched to perfection, cool inside and a lovely light option.

If you’re fancying somewhere different for dinner or lunch there’s the new Asian-inspired Sencha restaurant. It’s full of delicious light options like bang bang cauliflower, karaage chicken and gyoza, and bigger plates like katsu chicken and pork belly ramen.

Breakfast is a sit down affair with plenty of delicious-sounding options. I went for the fresh fruit bowl followed by the full English, complete with black pud, bacon, farmhouse sausage, grilled tomato, mushroom and your choice of eggs. The smoked salmon with eggs was lovely too, lightly smoked (locally, ofc) with a pile of softly scrambled eggs. There’s the choice of croissants and pastries afterwards too if you have the room – I definitely didn’t.

STAY

The hotels rooms have all undergone a luxury makeover to reflect the ten acres of lush, green countryside in which it sits, while also taking inspo from some of the building’s art deco features.

Each room has it’s own character, and look out over the rolling Warwickshire countryside and Mallory’s impeccable manicured gardens. It feels miles away from it all when in reality you’re just down the road from buzzy Leamington. The makeover has made it feel super luxe with textures like velvets and cotton sheets next to original features like the stone windows and huge vintage radiators.

I walked into the bathroom and literally said ‘wow’ – a first for me, I’m not easily impressed! It was absolutely massive with a rolltop bath, walk-in shower and room to dance around in one of the fluffy dressing gowns, if you get the urge. In the main room there’s a huge bed promising a wonderful night’s sleep (which I can confirm), and a Nespresso coffee maker so you can enjoy a delicious espresso overlooking the gardens before breakfast.

Staff were super attentive and showed us to our room and where everything is. More than one told us we should go for a walk around the grounds during our stay, and I was so glad we did as it’s just gorgeous. Make sure you don’t miss out if you visit.

DOG-FRIENDLY

There’s dog-friendly rooms here if you pre-book and 10 acres of beautiful grounds to explore with your pup. Nearby there’s lovely walks at Newbold Comyn and Ufton Fields Nature Reserve, to name a few. All four-legged guests (the best kind IMO) receive a welcome letter, dog bed with cushion, bowl, poop bags and a treat. Cute! Dogs cost £25 a night and not permitted in certain areas of the hotel including the Dining Room and spa.

DISABILITY ACCESS

The property is suitable for those with additional needs. The car park is nearby and completely level. There are two rooms suitable for those with disabilities and staff are trained to welcome those with accessible needs.

OUT & ABOUT

Leamington Spa is only two miles away and great for shopping without being a city slogathon because the town is small and very easy to negotiate. There’s The Parade (the main high street), with more ‘boutiquey’ lanes running off it, and one central arcade, The Royal Priors, and Lower Leam – downtown Leamington with its more bohemian vibe across the river.

Some of our favourites stores include homeware and gift shop Berylune, Muddy award-winning Sanctuary Eleven, fashion boutique Lilac Rose, and if you’re on the hunt for a decent bottle of red, white, fizz (hey, or all three) then head to Leamington Wine Company. There’s also the Royal Pump Rooms – which once housed Leamington’s spa baths and assembly rooms but is now a creative hub with a museum.

If you want to stick to the countryside, you’re only a ten-minute drive from the lovely Hilltop Farm Shop & Cafe in the village from where you get stunning views of the open countryside. Other countryside pursuits nearly include local Clay Pigeon experience at Honesberie Shooting School on a family-owned 400-acre farm around 12 miles south; Offchurch Bury Polo Club on the beautiful Offchurch estate – good for team-building activity days – and Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: A great base for exploring south Warwickshire, but equally if you’re looking for somewhere chilled where you can spend days not having to leave the hotel grounds then this is the place.

Not for: Kids are welcome at Mallory but it’s got a bit more of a sophisticated vibe so maybe leave them with granny and grandad and head off for a bit of R&R.

The damage: You get what you pay for (and then some). There’s a distinct lack of lovely hotels in Leamington and this is a great alternative to stopping in the middle of town. You can book a double room only starting at around £150 but there’s some tempting packages (especially over Christmas!) including dinner in the Dining Room and spa treatments.

Mallory Court Hotel, Harbury Lane, Bishops Tachbrook, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV33 9QB. Tel: 01926 330214.

Review: Mallory Court Hotel, Leamington Spa

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