Eat, Sleep & Relax at a fine Country House Hotel in Leamington Spa

I was able to drive directly up to the front door of this impressive hotel where I was met with porters happy to help with our luggage and park the car. The overwhelming first impression I got was of a large English Country Manor House. The hotel boasts 42 bedrooms across its 10-acre site, but I never got the sense that this was a large hotel.

The reception staff were very efficient and professional, as was to be expected at one of the top 200 hotels in the country. We passed speedily through check in, then had our luggage carried up to our room by porters.

More commonly referred to as simply Leamington, this attractive Warwickshire town has some of the best Regency architecture in the country and had been promoting the fine qualities of its medicinal waters since the 18th century, when William Abbotts and Benjamin Satchwell started to bore drill holes to pump the medicinal waters, much to the delight and benefit of the increasing numbers of visitors to the town. until much of its closure during the late twentieth century.

Mallory Court Hotel and Spa is located in the picturesque Warwickshire countryside, just two miles from the original Leamington Pump Room. It is continuing the tradition of providing luxury spa treatments for locals and travellers alike with their contemporary and modern, `Elan Spa’, which opened seven years ago in 2017.

Orchard House is located next to the old tennis courts on a site which once included a former `helipad ‘through some delightful gardens, manicured hedgerows and a profusion of brightly coloured flowers in full bloom. The house provides 12 luxury rooms sitting above a very impressive series of spa rooms which includes a steam room & sauna, a beautifully tiled outdoor Jacuzzi & `Swedish sauna`, indoor swimming pool and Sencha, a recently opened Asian Fusion restaurant, which celebrates a menu inspired by classic dishes from China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

I would not be staying at Orchard House; my overnight accommodation was in the much older grander Manor House. My room, ‘Blenheim’, named after Sir Winston Churchill’s birthplace, was a Manor House Deluxe Master room, located on the first floor of the West Wing of this superb country house hotel.

Mallory Court was built during the First World War in 1916, for James Thomas Holt, a gentleman who had derived his wealth from cotton, but it seems much older, with its handsome chimney-stacks and mullion windows, It had remained a private home until 1976, when it became a restaurant with rooms. In 1995, the hotel was bought by business entrepreneur Sir Peter Rigby. Mallory Court has been extended & renovated on numerous occasions over the last forty eight years to create the palatial property that we see today.

The Hotel has been decorated in a traditional style in keeping with a country house of this age & status. All 19 of the hotel’s luxury bedrooms have recently undergone a £1.5 million major refurbishment. The renovation of the rooms was led by the Director of Eden Hotel Collection, Marian Carter & interior designer Lucy Yarwood. The refurbishment has created a fresh yet classic look to the hotel’s luxury rooms, seamlessly blending countryside charm, which surrounds the Hotel, with the timeless elegance of the classic art deco design. Each room has been thoughtfully redesigned to imitate the hotel’s picturesque landscape.

The updated rooms feature designer wallpapers and fabrics, rich velvet headboards, and woven cream carpets. Local craftsmen have expertly restored the existing furniture, while original chairs and sofas boast new chenille and herringbone upholstery. The quality & bold art deco style of the east wing bathrooms has been preserved and has been highlighted throughout the main house bedrooms, to convey a feeling of elegance & luxury. The bathrooms have been reimagined with freestanding baths, checkerboard floor tiles, and fresh art – deco inspired fittings. Local craftsmen & suppliers have resourced new products & reupholstered & adapted existing furniture to ensure the overall refurbishment has been carried out sustainably.

Blenheim includes a Super king size bed, as well as the much appreciated tea & chocolate drink sachets, Nespresso coffee machine and biscuits! There was complimentary high speed Wi-Fi & plenty of USB charger & power points for those essential laptops & mobile phones.  A digital TV with Freeview, which we tended not to use, a very comfortable chaise longue, desk & chairs, in – house telephone, bathrobes, slippers, hairdryer & TempleSpa toiletries.

A key feature in many of Mallory’s manor house bedrooms are the bay windows, which really help to frame the beautiful countryside surrounding the hotel, and this latest refurbishment helps to extend this rural feeling throughout the hotel

The room had a large bay window, draped with thick luscious ceiling to floor curtains, framing the fantastic outside views across the Rose gardens, the tennis courts & Great lawn, a former helipad, looking across towards Orchard House. Blenheim was a very large room with equally spacious en-suite facilities including a separate bathtub, walk-in shower, his & hers wash basin with vanity lights & mirrors and a toilet. An Iron & ironing board are available were available on request.

The room was simply beautiful, more the feel of a quintessential English country house, than a large sized hotel room. I didn’t feel as though I was a hotel guest, but I was staying with friends in the country! There was plenty of detail with several bottles of complimentary still & sparkling spring water, Raspberry & Rhubarb and Sicilian Lemonade Sparkling juices, in a small mini fridge along with small containers of fresh milk. It is sometimes the small touches which are most appreciated, as was a turn down service. The room was perfect, and we both had a perfectly peaceful night’s sleep. There was also a safe for keeping our belongings secure & a night light, which we found to be very helpful in the middle of the night, finding our way to the bathroom, without having to turn on any other lights!

We went downstairs and sat on the garden terrace for a pre-dinner drink. It was very pleasant sitting on the patio looking out across the formal gardens down to the two small pools, beautiful flower borders, lawns, a delightful small wooden bridge and arable fields beyond. It was a delightful place in which to sit with a cold beer or glass of wine before a meal in the main restaurant.

Keiron Stevens was appointed the new Executive Head Chef of Mallory Court in February 2024 following the retirement of long standing Chef Simon Haigh, who spent over 21 years with the Eden Hotel Collection! With an illustrious culinary background, Keiron has a wealth of experience and a passion for crafting exceptional dining.

The Dining Room, a formal restaurant was a delightful, wood panelled Elizabethan style dining room with wonderful views over the lawns & formal gardens. The old and new sit  together easily at Mallory Court; the fine dining restaurant in the traditional grand Lutyens style main house and the modern Sencha restaurant, over at Orchard House.

The highlights of the tasting menu for my wife and I were the Suckling pork belly, broad bean, wild garlic & sherry gel and the Manjari chocolate, coffee, yogurt & lime. Both dishes were exceptional!

Tasting Menu: `Taste of the Season`

Amuse Bouche:

Sea Bream Taco

Truffle Gougere

Starters:

Cornish Mackerel, fresh peas & elderflower

Homemade sourdough with Lincolnshire poacher butter

Heritage tomatoes, nori seaweed, green strawberries & almond

Mains:

Cornish cod, Thai green curry, wild rice & coriander

Suckling pork belly, broad bean, wild garlic & sherry gel

BBQ beef fillet, globe artichoke, black garlic & Chimichurri

Dessert:

Garden gooseberries, rice pudding & ginger

Manjari Chocolate, coffee, yogurt & lime

All of the food we ordered was beautifully presented and cooked to perfection. The waiting staff were always smiling, professional & attentive but never intrusive, engaging with us in genuine conversation. After dinner we went and enjoyed coffee in one of the lounges. The complimentary Sea Salt Fudge went down very well as we rested in a couple of comfortable armchairs.

A very important aspect of this hotel are the beautiful gardens, which are obviously well tended which adds to the special character of the Hotel, a real delight for guests to wander through. After breakfast, which was well worth getting up for, my wife & I took a walk amongst the gardens down to two small pools, past beautiful flower borders, perfectly manicured lawns, and crossed a delightful small wooden bridge with arable fields beyond. We really liked the Crown wooden Pavilion on the edge of the great lawn. It was full of comfortable cushions, a very relaxing spot away from the hotel in which you could switch off, read a book or simply chill! On my tour of the hotel and grounds I could see that many of the rooms were beautifully appointed with fantastic views over the gardens.

Everything appears to have been considered to ensure guests enjoy a comfortable, and enjoyable Hotel experience and the food is simply amazing! I would fully recommend Mallory Court Hotel and Spa to anyone looking for a short luxury weekend break or to celebrate a special occasion. Mallory Court hotel simply radiates elegance, fine taste and style with luxury accommodation, magnificent grounds, low – profile and unobtrusive service and simply exquisite, flawless food in the very heart of Warwickshire.

Why not check it out for yourself!

Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of Mallory Court Hotel & the Eden Hotel Collection. The views and comments expressed are as usual my own.

Mallory Court Country House Hotel & Spa, Harbury Lane, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV33 9QB