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Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa, New Forest

Becky Lucas washes away the stresses of city life in the outstanding hydrotherapy facilities at Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa

The Credentials:

Located in the naturally idyllic New Forest, Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa is a high-end but utterly relaxed four-star retreat in the woods. With locally-sourced cuisine, accommodating staff who strive to make your stay both smooth and memorable, and the respected SenSpa, the facilities on offer inside the resort are as calming and reinvigorating as the scenery that surrounds it.

The 14-metre swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and gym are available to all hotel guests, while SenSpa facilities and treatments need to be arranged separately. The hotel has three restaurants and offers an afternoon tea, with or without champagne, in the lounge.

Just an hour and a half on the train direct from Waterloo, Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa is a fantastic place to race off to, come Friday night, for a well-earned weekend break from the city whirl.

Dine:

There are three main restaurants. The Zen Garden has high ceilings and large windows overlooking manicured gardens, and sits within SenSpa. The menu therefore includes health-conscious and predominantly Thai dishes, ranging from snacks and salads to three-course meals, with everything from herbal teas and smoothies to naughty champagne to wash it down.

Le Blaireau is a brasserie and bar in the hotel grounds with a simple French menu and a stationary Citroën car as a piece of statement, conversation-starting furniture.

Cambium is the hotel’s flagship restaurant, and manages to craft a high-end feel without the pretension of similar venues. Table cloths are white, pressed and pristine and the service silver, but a talented live pianist ensures the clink of cutlery is not the only soundtrack.

We enjoyed the £40 three-course set menu, and opted for pan-fried Shetland scallops, slow roasted cod with lobster risotto and cheese cake with toffee pop corn, salted caramel, honey and thyme ice cream, chased by some fantastic Portuguese port, as recommended wholeheartedly by the affable Portuguese waiter. The English cuisine with French influences was delightful, and made for a memorable evening.

Sleep:

The suites are big—very big. A bedroom and lounge combined, they offer enough space for a three-piece suite, desk/dresser, huge television and a small disco (not included—but there’s enough space). Beds are high and have the right blend of firmness and squishiness.

Who Goes There?

The resort is popular with couples of all ages, mothers and daughters and small groups of female friends. Some guests are clearly escaping from London on a regular pampering weekend, while for others it’s an unique treat. Guests are predominantly from the UK, although there are some in-the-know international tourists, too.

The hotel is child-friendly, but those under seven are not permitted to take dinner in The Manor Restaurant—although they are welcome in Le Blaireau—and all of the leisure and spa facilities are only open to guests over 16 years old.

Out & About:

Trees, trees and more trees. As its name suggests, the New Forest is one of the largest areas of forest and heathland in England, and also one of its most attractive regions. The outdoor pursuit options are therefore endless, and include horse riding (endearingly, Careys Manor’s website states that ‘ponies, rather than cars, have right of way on New Forest roads’), cycling and scenic walks as well as sailing and canoeing.

Those who prefer roaring fires and battered sofas are also well catered for in the area, via dozens of traditional English pubs serving hearty fare and fresh cheek-rosying cider.

The Worst Thing:

The slightly elongated wait for our meal to arrive in Zen Garden killed a little of our Zen buzz. But only a little.

The Best Thing:

SenSpa is sleek, professional and effortlessly soothing. The Thai staff are masters of their craft, and the massages feel both relaxing and as though they are doing some genuine, non-superficial good.

Its hydrotherapy palace also mustn’t be missed: you’ll leave feeling reinvigorated, as though those water jets have zapped away at least some of the strains you arrived with.

The Details:

Rates at Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa start from £129, including breakfast, for single occupancy room reservations.

To book, visit www.careysmanor.com or call 01590 623551.

Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa, Lyndhurst Road, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7RH