Hotel review: The Grove, Hertfordshire, England

As a time-poor Londoner, I often find myself craving a Friday getaway from the city; a countryside escape to take you from desk to spa with as little effort as possible. Lucky for us, the glorious Grove in Hertfordshire ticks all of those boxes and more.
 
Set amid 300 acres of Hertfordshire countryside, The Grove hotel is conveniently less than an hour's train ride from London Euston and a 10-minute taxi journey from Watford Junction station. Only an hour after leaving my desk I was flopped on my bed, with the hardest decision ahead of me being whether to hit the spa or the buffet first. Bliss.

The resort features three unique restaurants, an award-winning spa and a championship golf course. 

The vibe
This is country house luxury living at its best. Beautiful rooms, an indulgent spa with outdoor pool, stunning gardens begging to be explored and a host of drawing rooms packed with art, beautiful chandeliers, board games and log fires in the winter, ensure there's plenty to do during your stay. 
 
The rooms
Rooms range from Deluxe (in either the original Mansion House or contemporary West Wing overlooking the garden), to a vast Presidential suite with its bay-fronted window and marble bathroom. We found ourselves in the former, with its French windows overlooking the formal gardens, and roll top bath surrounded by luxurious ESPA toiletries, which demanded a post-prandial soak.

Food & Drink
Agreeing to leave the spa for the morning, we headed downstairs to The Glasshouse, a lavish dining theatre that will put any buffet you’ve ever visited to shame. The restaurant features eight live food stations with chefs constantly preparing an overwhelming option of delicious, international cuisines. A word to the wise; ensure you do a lap before committing to your dining plan, this much delicious food needs a strategy.
 
We started at the crustacean station, piling plates high with fresh oysters, juicy prawns and sushi rolls, leaving a little sliver for some of the delicious, crisp, fresh salads. Next up was a custom creation of Asian soup, a hearty bowl of mushrooms, egg, chicken, seaweed and crispy onion in a warming broth. We skipped the roast dinners and pasta station - against my better judgement - and headed to the robata grill to pick up a couple of lobster tails, before hitting the dessert trolley hard…
 
There is a slight possibility we overindulged at this stage, given I selected a coconut and Malibu sponge, rose lychee mousse, crème brulée and a dish of three flavours of ice cream, drizzled with hot molten chocolate and covered in mini meringues, chocolate balls, crunchy biscotti and nuts like the overexcited five year old I clearly am inside. Nevertheless, glutton or not, it was delicious!
 
Alas, after such a feast it wasn’t long before we retired. After a much anticipated bubble bath, I crawled into bed in my robe ready for a movie, only to disappointingly find the only options were pay to view. It was disappointing that such a luxury hotel didn’t have any movie options on the TV at all; thankfully I’d brought along my laptop and ergo Netflix, so not all was lost and we eventually drifted into a peaceful slumber to the dulcet tones of Bridget Jones.
 
Breakfast
Sadly, breakfast wasn’t as successful as dinner, particularly as the receptionist unhelpfully told us the wrong end time, something which also wasn’t noted in any in-room correspondence. As such we were left with 10 minutes to rush around The Glasshouse, grabbing from its array of breakfast spoils, when had we been a tad earlier, we could have enjoyed a leisurely a la carte fare of The Stables.
 
Given we were the last ones in, we were somewhat left with the dregs; eggs en cocote that had unfortunately solidified in their time under the lamp, the last few pancakes that were more than a tad limp, dishes that were supposed to be hot but were anything but; at least the pastry basket was still going strong. It would have been nice to at least have one chef perhaps still at his station, willing to make something hot and fresh for those guests who may have lost track of time, though I guess lesson learnt to not leave breakfast until the last minute next time…

The Spa
Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny and feeling revived after an early night, it was time to hit the gym and spa. With its black mosaic-tiled pool, heat experience rooms and specialist treatment options, the award winning Sequoia spa is an experience like no other. There’s a state of the art fitness studio, programme of exercise classes, indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, the ideal circuit for a relaxing Saturday morning.

Hotel guests can enjoy use of the facilities included with their room, while there’s a range of day use and treatment packages for those wanting to indulge in a special treat. I adored having the pool to myself at 7.30am, swimming my lengths and getting a steam in before wrapping myself up in a robe and poring over the Saturday papers.
 
During the warmer months, however, there’s also another special something The Grove has up its sleeve, in the form of its heated outdoor pool. Situated within the Walled garden, a secluded outdoor space, it’s also neighboured by a ‘beach’ complete with deckchairs and volleyball court. The sun blazed on the morning of our visit, and combined with the dazzling warm water it felt like we could have been abroad, not in the middle of Hertfordshire. What a treat.

The Verdict
Breakfast aside, a night at The Grove was the perfect tonic for a busy working week in London; we were both astounded at how close it was. There are also various pop ups and events throughout the year to entertain guests, including a pop up cinema in the summer.

​The details 
The Grove 
​Chandler's Cross
Watford
​WD3 4TG

​https://www.thegrove.co.uk/
​

Best Bits
The spa was brilliant, as was the utterly indulgent evening buffet. Considering how busy it was I would hazard a guess as to it attracting a local dinner crowd as well as just hotel guests, and at such great value for money it’s not hard to see why.
 
Worst Bits
The disappointing breakfast.
 
Most Suited For
Those seeking a speedy London getaway; its proximity to the city and easy access means it’s a perfect break for busy Londoners.

Laurel Waldron 
*During my visit I was hosted by the lovely team at The Grove. All opinions are my own.  Photos courtesy of The Grove.

Our experience overall 
The property:      ★★★★★
Ambiance:           ★★★★
Food & Drink:     ★★★ 1/2
Staff:                    ★★★★