The Credentials
Eschew yourself of London’s hubbub and in under an hour you could be luxuriating in bucolic bliss in a sprawling country pile with an award-winning two-storey spa, so close to Windsor Great Park you can almost hear the rutting stags. Enveloped in 40-acres of glorious grounds Fairmont Windsor Park isn’t a hotel for the indecisive – the vast Jacobean-style mansion has 8 restaurants and bars to choose from and an encyclopaedic spa menu featuring everything from Ayurvedic rituals and cryotherapy to vitamin infusions. In fact, just picking the right room can catapult you into decision paralysis, with 15 categories, ranging from the small but perfectly formed queen rooms up in the eaves to the palatial Signature Royal Suite, complete with a secret lift to whisk you to your private VIP spa suite – I take it back, deciding which room is easy. The best bit? At just two years old, everything about this lockdown baby is sparkly new; from the Insta-worthy interiors to the Rolls Royce golf buggies which zip over its fairytale bridges and across its pristine lawns.
Sleep
Where to begin… with 9 guestroom types and 6 different suite categories to mull, Fairmont has the perfect room for every occasion. In terms of décor, the hotel steers clear of bold statement interiors in the guestrooms (they save that for their spectacular triple-height glass-domed reception atrium and stunning ground floor corridors), instead opting for a muted natural palate with subtle silver accents, glittering bathroom suites and pleasing garden views. For girly spa breaks, we particularly like their double rooms – featuring two queen-sized beds, many come with a terrace or a balcony overlooking the estate’s gardens. Money no object? Book the two-bedroom apartment-style Signature Royal Suite and you can jump aboard your own secret lift to the opulent Salutaris Suite – the private VIP spa suite boasts couple’s treatment beds, a hot tub, a rasul steam room, a day bed, changing rooms and private access to the hammam.
Dine
The recent addition of the hotel’s new Terrace restaurant brings the Fairmont Windsor Park’s gastro offering up to an impressive 8 restaurants and bars. From healthy bites in the spa and relaxed al fresco lunches overlooking manicured gardens to elaborate afternoon teas and fancy fine dining, it’s fair to say that this vast hotel has all bases covered. Breakfast in MOREISH restaurant is an explosion of artisan cheese, oozy honeycomb, steaming pastries and freshly squeezed juices alongside the obligatory cooked fodder. Whilst drowning in faux foliage and bright blooms, the spa’s eatery, Greens, exceeded expectations, with a surprisingly good Caesar salad. But it’s 1215 Restaurant’s indulgent tasting menu that made the biggest impression (the name being a nod to the year the Magna Carta was signed in nearby Runnymede). The patriotic menu features carefully curated dishes made with some of the nation’s finest produce, sourced from The Royal Farms, local artisans and the Fairmont’s very own kitchen gardens. Having enjoyed a chilled Champagne outside, watching children play amidst the early summer blooms and couples toast special occasions all around us like whack a mole, we dined on rich Suffolk lamb, fresh Cornish mackerel and a vibrant English pea tart. The exquisitely selected wine pairings held their own, with a few surprises along the way, like a delicious Armenian noir.
Out & About
Despite being under 5 miles from one of the country’s most famous sights (Windsor Castle), we wouldn’t blame you for not leaving the hotel at all – which says a lot about how much the hotel has to offer. Home to one of the largest spa complexes in the entire country, with 18 treatment rooms, 4 relaxation areas, a heated indoor pool, a well-equipped thermal suite, and an enormous outdoor hydrotherapy pool, it’s a luxurious labyrinth of a spa – one which we were more than happy to get lost in. Want more than your standard massage and a quick swim? Check out the traditional hammam, dip your freshly polished toes into the Japanese Ashiyu foot ritual bath or brave the cryotherapy chamber (which plummets south of -100 degrees).
If you must venture out, why not take an early morning totter past the millionaire’s mansions en route to Windsor Great Park, here you can lose yourself in 4,800 acres of ancient woodland, spot resident deer and historic monuments and take ‘The Long Walk’ to the world-famous castle itself.
Travelling with little ones? Thrills and spills can be found at nearby Thorpe Park or go plastic fantastic at Lego Land, both of which are within a ten-minute drive.
The Crowd
Unsurprisingly, this vast and varied hotel attracts a mixed clientele, from well-turned-out families using it as a comfortable base from which to explore the area’s family attractions to smart travellers bound for nearby Heathrow. Truth be told, much of our time in the spa was spent debating whether or not the steady stream of glamorous couples we were swimming, sweating and soaking alongside were famous, or simply frighteningly well-preened mere mortals on romantic breaks.
The Worst Thing
Even in the rain, we found ourselves drawn to the peaceful courtyard hydrotherapy pool. Heated to a balmy 39 degrees and engulfed in faux flowers and fairy lights, it’s the perfect spot to kick back and relax, yet there isn’t a sunbed insight, just a smattering of solo swinging chairs – Insta-worthy, granted, but this suntrap is crying out for sociable sunbeds.
The Best Thing
Having only opened a couple of years ago, everything in this giant pamper palace is pristine; from the gleaming monochrome corridors which lead to the slick spa, opulent restaurants and bars to the immaculate lawns and gardens which envelope them.
The Details
Room rates at Fairmont Windsor Park start from £575 inclusive of VAT for a Fairmont King room on a fully flexible basis.
Bishopsgate Road, Englefield Green, Egham, TW20 0YL
