At the time of writing, I’m looking out the window at trees whose leaves have turned golden brown and there is the soft pitter patter sound of rain on the glass. I’m thinking back to a time in mid-August when I stayed at Sopwell House. The lawns were green, the Annabelle hydrangeas were in full flower and dominating the gardens, and the sweet smell of honeysuckle filled the air.
Sopwell House is a Georgian country house hotel located in 12 acres of Hertfordshire countryside in St Albans.
As I pulled into the driveway, I was struck by the magnificent hydrangeas. Almost as tall as me, they stood high with their giant delicate white flower heads fluttering in the warm summer air. The entrance was filled to the brim with them and had me exhaling deeply before I’d even stepped foot inside the hotel.
The entrance to the hotel is spectacular. A grand stone fireplace demands your attention from the left, while a central glass ceiling flooding the room with light pulls your attention to above. Fresh flowers occupy every available corner. Within minutes, you can feel yourself leaving the outside world behind and succumbing to the restfulness that is Sopwell House.
The hotel has 126 rooms and suites, two restaurants, and two bars, and let’s not forget the main reason guests come to Sopwell House… the spa.
Cottonmill Spa facilities include two vitality pools, an indoor pool, steam room, and poolside terrace, as well as a gym complete with Technogym ‘Artis’ line equipment.
And then there is The Club at Cottonmill Spa which was added to the hotel just over five years ago following a £14m investment, and it’s nothing short of spectacular. It’s an elevated space for guests staying in the suites, booked for Club spa days, or members only, complete with spa gardens, a whisper room, and a deep relaxation room.
The spa garden looks like a Chelsea Flower Show exhibit (which is no surprise, really, seeing as it was designed by RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner, Ann-Marie Powell), but it’s scattered with loungers, cabanas, a fire pit, and several hot tubs. In the mornings, you can order iced lattes and cappuccinos to the cabanas, and in the afternoon you can order Champagne and cocktails to your heart’s content.
In between sips and snoozes, guests can take a dip in the indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool, opt for some peace and quiet in the silent whisper room, settle into stillness and rest in the deep relaxation room, refresh with multi-sensory water therapy in the experience showers, take deep breaths in the botanical or salt steam rooms, or soothe tired muscles in the organic or panoramic sauna.
Like I said, it’s nothing short of spectacular.
Spa treatments at Sopwell House are exceptional, too. ELEMIS and Aromatherapy Associates are the spa partners of choice, offering a number of globally recognised treatments that have not only stood the test of time but are changing the future of skincare.
One particular stand-out treatment worth mentioning is the Cottonmill Quartz Poultice Massage. Ancient wisdom says that immersing your body in hot sand eases the symptoms of many medical conditions, including aching joints and muscle pain. Taking this principle of thermal therapy, Cottonmill guests can lie on an amber and quartz crystal bed which is designed to ease tension from the body through undulating massage and dynamic flow while stimulating the cells.
Warm amber and quartz poultice are then used to dissolve knots and ease tensions around the body. Partnered with a soothing pressure point facial massage, this treatment targets the main areas of tension on the back, feet, face and scalp, leaving the body fully restored and invigorated.
After a day filled with indulgence in the spa, there are two restaurants to choose from at Sopwell House. One is The Brasserie which recently reopened following an extensive refurbishment and serves seasonal British classics under the direction of Executive Chef Gopi Chandran and Head Chef Marilena Ungureanu. The other is Omboo – a vibrant Pan-Asian restaurant serving flavourful dishes inspired by the spice routes of Asia and the Far East. Omboo has a lively atmosphere. Think: dim lighting and the sound of constant cocktail shaking.
Room rates start from £289 per night based on two guests sharing a Plush Room on a bed and breakfast basis.
This autumn, opt for an Autumn Club Break from £760 per night. Price includes an overnight stay with breakfast, access to Cottonmill Spa and The Club at Cottonmill, one treatment per person, dinner in Omboo or The Brasserie with a £50 credit per person, and a Jessica Russell Flint silk eye mask.
Sopwell House, Cottonmill Ln, St Albans AL1 2HQ
