A family affair in Buckinghamshire

Babies change everything. They should tell you that. But I’m no fool. Granted, I hadn’t fully come to terms with how tired I would be, or how little I would care that all of my clothes were covered in mysterious stains, but I had taken it as read that luxury holidays were a thing of the past, when my son shook up my carefully curated world of facials and fine-dining a year ago.

I resigned myself to new types of breaks, holed up in family-friendly apartments or activity villages, dreaming of the days of massages and degustation menus. I was a mother, so I would make sacrifices. But who am I kidding? I like nice holidays. Luckily I found Stoke Park.

LOCATION, LOCATION

Glorious surroundings, combined with an easy ten-minute drive from Heathrow, not to mention babysitting and crèche facilities, make Buckinghamshire’s Stoke Park the toddler-toting traveller’s dream. So I had high hopes as we pootled up the gravelled drive, a little munchkin burbling in the back seat.

Tucked away just 35 miles from London and set in 300 acres of private parkland, lakes and gardens the 1,000-year-old estate is the perfect place to soak up the best that Britain has to offer and the hotel prides itself on being as family friendly as it is appealing to adults. Nick Downie, Stoke Park’s communications chief, explains: “For the adults Stoke Park has award winning facilities, including luxurious bedrooms and suites, three restaurants, bars and lounges, a 27 hole championship golf course, designed by Harry Colt in 1908, with an all-weather range and indoor swing studio.” And if your sporting skills extend beyond the golf course, there’s also a state of the art gym, complete with hot yoga and spinning studios, not to mention tennis courts if you fancy a game while the little one is having fun in the crèche or being looked after by one of the amazing local baby sitters.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Nick adds: “It’s great for grown-ups but Stoke Park is also incredibly family friendly. Children get the VIP treatment, in the same way as the adults do.”

And they really do. Our little one had his own bathrobe and toiletries in the room. The lovely housekeeper even hunted down a baby monitor when we confessed to forgetting ours and the babysitter we hired to give us time for the first adult dinner we’d had in months couldn’t have been better.

And there’s even more on offer for older kids. There’s the crèche for toddlers as well as a lovely outdoor play area. Not to mention an amazing games room kitted out with an Xbox Connect and PlayStation as well as a pool table and an air hockey table plus much more.

Children can also enjoy their own Little Stars Afternoon Tea if they need to refuel after private golf or tennis lessons and they’re made to feel extra special with themed bed linen and personalised cookies.
There are also separate kids splash times in the pool, which is beautifully warm for babies or kids used to sunnier climes.

SPA SATISFACTION

As all parents know, once the kids are happy, the real fun can begin. I left the boy with daddy for a couple of hours and headed down to the spa for my first much-needed massage since becoming a mum. It’s rare to find a Dubai-standard spa in the UK, outside London, with the same level of luxury and quality treatments we’re used to in the UAE but Stoke Park excels at both. The Thalgo Swedish massage was perfectly tailored and executed by a charming masseuse who pummelled away the post-baby aches and pains. There’s even a heavenly little post-treatment relaxation room with cosy beds and dimmed lighting if you have time for a cat nap.

DREAM DINING

Stoke Park’s equally impressive on the food front. We hit The Orangery for lunch as it offers all day dining, suited to early baby eating times, with an incredibly broad menu sure to satisfy the fussiest of eaters. It’s also next door to a cosy lounge with open fires and plenty of quiet corners for anyone looking to get a little one down for a post lunch nap before 3pm check in. And, amazingly, ours obliged and nodded off for 30 minutes while we had a cup of tea and read the papers.

For dinner, we hit Humphrey’s while junior slept and the babysitter was in charge. We started with a drink in the hotel bar, and complimentary canapés as we were eating in the restaurant. As a vegetarian, I’m used to struggling in fine dining spots but even my snacks were en pointe. Baba ganoush and hummus with crispy strips of homemade pitta for dipping while the other half enjoyed some creamy goose liver pate. We followed these with the restaurant’s three course set menu.

Asparagus atop a gorgeous little thyme muffin for me and scallops for Sir. Followed by beautifully flavoured mushroom fettucine and steak tournedos, crème brulee and delicious petit fours. Perfection and well deserving of its three AA rosettes.

By Emily Morgan

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Movie magic

Wow the kids or your friends, with some serious movie trivia. Stoke Park has always had a close relationship with Pinewood Studios, which is just four miles away if you fancy a peek. Two James Bond films, Goldfinger and Tomorrow Never Dies, were even filmed at the hotel. Look up the game of golf between Bond and Goldfinger after your trip and it’ll all seem very familiar. If you’re more of a romantic-comedy buff, check out Bridget Jones Diary. The lake and room scenes from Bridget and Daniel’s minibreak were filmed at Stoke Park too.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Deal alert!

Double rooms at Stoke Park start from $235, plus 20 per cent tax. Cots are free and extra beds are $50 a night. A local babysitter can be arranged with five days’ notice for $12 an hour plus a $55 booking fee, double on public holidays.