What most visitors want when heading to stunning South Devon is the opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect with their fellow travellers. While there are a number of hotels who strive to offer the perfect environment in which to do this, not many achieve it as well as Boringdon Hall Hotel does.
Barely stopping to take a breath, this ‘enchanted house on the hill,’ which rests close to the county’s capacious and captivating Dartmoor National Park, has transformed itself over the past decade into a hub of luxury, decadence and a place where guests don’t ever want to leave.
Whether it’s investing in the kitchens and head chef Scott Paton, and his team, who has this year been awarded a coveted and well-deserved Michelin star for restaurant Àclèaf; upgrading the spa to offer guests a truly nourishing and rejuvenating experience across the range of facilities; or creating super-sophisticated suites dedicated to wellness, the five-star hotel is always striving to provide a holistic experience for its guests to luxuriate.
I’m no stranger to Boringdon Hall, and so when I was offered the chance to review the luxe hotel’s brand-new spa break, which utilises the new wellness rooms and suites – a £3 million investment not less, I jumped at the chance. Here’s what I thought.
Boringdon’s Hypnos Spa Break
Promising a spa break exclusively for the new wellness rooms and suites ‘for those seeking a retreat with a focus on calming the mind and relaxing the body,’ I was eager to see what could be so different. Was I to find a lavender bubble bath and some camomile teabags in an otherwise standard suite, or was there a little more to it than that? You’ll have to read on a little further to find out.
The Hypnos Spa Breaks includes a two-night stay with breakfast served each morning in the Spatisserie (which sits in the wellness wing), dinners in Àclèaf and Mayflower Brasserie, a GAIA Spa treatment per guest, an additional sleep spa treatment each, and a GAIA Skincare sleep gift set, which is found in the room on arrival. In addition to this, there’s access to the new wellness relaxation room and its outdoor hot tubs as well as access to the spa and 10% off any pre-booked GAIA Spa treatments, in case you need a little more pampering.
The Hypnos Suite
I’ve been lucky enough to stay in a number of different accommodations on previous visits (both complimentary and paid for) and while the delightful Lady Jane suite provides a multi-level space to luxuriate within its characterful surrounds, the Hypnos, God of Sleep Suite might just be my new favourite place to stay.
One of two new wellness suites and 12 rooms, this chic suite exudes refinement and comfort, and is bursting with natural elements and ways to work on one’s wellness, from self-help books littering the shelves to a large outdoor hot tub to ease any tensions, and a GAIA skincare sleep set, to yoga mats and blocks to utilise – and there’s plenty of space to strike your finest warrior pose, too.
Style-wise, the Hypnos Suite oozes cosiness, comfort and a coolness through its trendy furniture – think a cosy curved cream sofa and a mid-wood four-poster bed and matching wardrobes – and statement lighting. When I next have the chance to redecorate my home, I would want exactly this look. I felt comfortable and I loved the soft, welcoming, modern and chic vibe.
The bathroom is a gorgeous blend of natural tones with a beautiful sink feature, rainfall shower to pamper oneself under with the delightfully scented GAIA toiletries, a stand alone bathtub and a large window through to the lounge and views beyond. It’s important to note that fellow guests use a walkway along the front of the rooms to access the wellness wing from the car park, so be sure to close the blind!
It’s certainly spacious enough to spend some time relaxing in, whether it’s a dip in the huge hot tub on the deck, a read of a book while delving into the minibar’s snacks and drinks in your robe and slippers, reclining in front of the fire and TV – which turns into artwork when not in use – or enjoying a game of scrabble or an impromptu yoga session.
Food
Wherever you dine across the hotel, you can be sure of a meal that pleases the palate, whether you’re a fine dining aficionado or a fan of more casual, hearty cuisine.
The Spatisserie
Breakfasts, when staying in the wellness wing, take place in the Spatisserie – the bright, airy and casual space where you can visit between spa visits in your robe from morning through to the afternoon. Expect table service and delights such as granola with natural yogurt and raspberries, fresh fruit salad and an all butter croissant for your first course. Brioche French toast with bacon and maple syrup (delicious); eggs benedict; vegan, vegetarian and meat-filled full English breakfasts and more made up the second course items, while a range of teas, coffees and juice were available to sip.
I treated myself to an afternoon tea because it never disappoints here. You can have with or without champers, I opted for green tea and the selection of sandwiches, sausage roll, warm scones and delightful sweet treats on the top tier suited me perfectly.
Dinner at Àclèaf
A highlight of a visit to Boringdon has to be dinner at Àclèaf, and it’s great to see the restaurant receive the recognition it deserves by being awarded a Michelin Star this year.
As with many restaurants that have been awarded this coveted accolade, diners can expect the odd surprise along the way, top-notch service, an inviting ambience and, of course, mouth-watering victuals to devour, too. The tasting menu comes in at £120 per person for four courses, but you get more than four in reality. Diners can opt for an additional caviar, lobster, consommé course at £50 each and a cheese course at the end for an extra £16 each – we opted for the cheeses.
Any good fine dining meal starts with some great canapes and a glass of sparkling wine and from the crisp potato tartlet to the charcuterie offering and the cheddar beignet to the breads and butters, this was a fine introduction to what we could expect.
Cremet, beetroot and rose was my first course and it was pure perfection, from the presentation, which was a work of art to, more importantly, the full flavours from each element. Next up was crab, curry and mango – I think I have this every time I visit and I love it, the presentation and effort is just as good as the beetroot course and the gentle curry with fresh mango were perfect flavour pairings for the delicate crab.
Course three – venison, date and pink pepper – was utter perfection. All my favourite type of early autumnal flavours were here and the silky smooth venison loin marries to create a truly sublime dish that I longed to savour.
Following the surprise course, a pre-dessert, it was the chocolate, miso and sesame for me with cool, crisp, sweet and slightly savoury elements making for a delicious dish. I followed this with the optional cheese course and was so glad I did, even if I was a little full by this point – there was a fantastic selection of cheeses and hearty accompaniments.
Dinner at Mayflower
Mayflower Brasserie is the more causal dining spot and perfect for those who love the classic burger, pasta, seafood and steak options but with a gourmet twist.
My beetroot gravlax with rye blinis, apple and celeriac remoulade, and a dill crème fraiche was lovely but I was disappointed to not get a hint of beetroot anywhere on the plate (apparently the salmon was soaked in it). The garlic roasted butterfly king prawns with spring onion, rocket and chilli oil were devoured by my dining partner and we both opted for the rump steak for our main course.
Served with the most mouth-wateringly delicious oxtail stuffed Roscoff onion, onion puree, wood sorrel and perigourdine jus (there’s a £15 supplement for this dish, which is priced at £40) and our chosen sides of spiced carrots (a little on the small side for £7) and fabulous parmesan fries with truffle and chive, the star of the show – the rump steak – was largely inedible for the amount of chewy fat to be found throughout. Having said that, it was scoffed by the other member of my table, so perhaps it’s a matter of preference.
Desserts were in good supply and we found it tricky to choose with such a delectable set of options. Sticky treacle tart, strawberry and lemon trifle, roasted peaches and a cheese selection enticed, but we opted for the peanut parfait, which was served with dark chocolate, caramelised banana and banana sorbet, and the dark chocolate mousse, which was served with served with aerated chocolate, yogurt ice cream and mint. You can’t beat a mint and chocolate flavour pairing, in my opinion, and in his a peanut and banana combination wins, so it’s safe to say that we were both happy.
GAIA Spa
Boasting a heated indoor pool and hydrotherapy pool that allows you to swim through to the outside terrace as well as a crystal steam room, tepidarium style loungers, a Finnish sauna and experience showers, the stylish spa is not to be missed. On sunny or dry days the outdoor terrace is the place to be to relax upon a day bed, lounger or in a hot tub, and a visit to the spa would be incomplete without booking a treatment to relax you further.
Luckily, the Hypnos break includes two treatments, one of which I chose, which was the GAIA Calming Journey. I enjoyed a relaxing foot scrub with Magda while we chatted through any issues I had (on this occasion a bad shoulder) and once she had kindly removed the big spider from the treatment room (hello autumn) she focused on relieving the tension in my shoulders and lower back and neck, before I turned over and was treated to a soothing head and neck rub, which I wished could have lasted for another hour. Why is a head massage so gloriously relaxing?
In addition to some advice about how to exercise best for my shoulder I left feeling rejuvenated and ready for a relaxing hour or so in both the existing and new relaxation room, because why lounge just once where there are two spaces dedicated for such indulgence? The new relaxation room as part of the wellness wing is a bright and airy space filled with loungers and plants and doubles up as a fitness studio for morning yoga and Pilates sessions.
Those booking the Hypnos break will also be treated to a Sleep Treatment Ritual by GAIA, which is similar to the calming ritual in that it focuses on easing stress and tension through a neck, shoulder, hand, arm, face and scalp massage. Using natural products from GAIA’a Calming and Sleep Range, it is designed to help those receiving it ease their tensions and enjoy a restful night’s sleep. And anyone coming here to indulge in this break, dedicated to wellness and showcasing the very best that Boringdon has to offer, is sure to leave their tension and stresses behind and head off home with a distinct lightness about them, just as I did.
In a nutshell
For anyone seeking a break where they can indulge in great food, soothing spa treatments and mostly wander about in their robes in a state of utter relaxation – excluding at dinner of course where you’ll get the chance to put in a little effort – then the Hypnos wellness package is sure to tick every box on your checklist.
Factbox
Prices start from £205 per night in a wellness room and from £490 per night in a wellness suite including breakfast.
Address: Boringdon Hall Hotel, South Hams, Devon PL7 4DP
Tel: 01752 344455
Email: info@boringdonhall.co.uk
Website: boringdonhall.co.uk
Instagram: @boringdonhall
See snippets of my travels on Instagram @tashheard_food_travel
Imagery provided by Boringdon Hall Hotel
