Flying out to Zurich it was an unusually clear day. So clear that as we flew over the edge of England I could see my house from the plane. I waved goodbye to Blighty and settled in for the short journey to Switzerland. I was off to review the five star Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, hurrah.

Upon landing, the first thing I discovered was that my phone provider didn’t work in Switzerland. I’d just blindly assumed that I’d automatically get data switched over, but no.

No biggie, I figured, I’d just use the free Wi-Fi that I could see was in the airport. But connecting to the airport Wi-Fi was impossible. Log in here, add this code, no you can’t because you don’t have connectivity, log in here etc.

In the end a fellow traveller did me a hot spot so I could log in and buy some data. So be warned – Switzerland is not in the EU and your phone might not automatically work there. Plan ahead.

Leaving the airport, I was excited about my onward journey, because we had a train ticket to ride. I have a mad passion for train travel. The train was very clean and – we discovered to our amusement – very strictly silent.

In fact, our small group (all women, all quite excited) was roundly told off by a very cross little man who genuinely leapt out of his seat to tap the sign that presumably said “quiet”. We all shut up, trying not to look at each other and giggle.

I was right to be excited though…

I had a first-class ticket, and a first class view of Switzerland as we sped towards our destination. Awe-inspiring mountains rising out of stunning blue lakes, the tops so high they were lost in the clouds. It was thrilling, and I don’t say that lightly. There’s a huge benefit in feeling the power of awe, and the landscape really is awesome.

I could have spent hours on the train. But we arrived at Sargans station all too soon, and were picked up to head to the hotel resort.

Once inside the hotel I was hugely impressed. The lobby is light and airy, with a fantastic art installation of bubbles to represent the natural spa/spring water in the area. It’s upmarket without feeling oppressive. I don’t know how they manage to make such a vast hotel feel so family-run, but that’s how it rolls.

Dogs are allowed, which always makes me happy. And also kids, which I’m generally less enthusiastic about, if I’m honest. The resort is very much geared up for children though, unusual for a spa hotel like this, and I think actually it’s a nice idea. There’s a Kindervilla on site, for the children to hang out in during the daytime, as well as plenty of babysitters.

There’s also a children’s Heidi-themed spa area. So although the little darlings are allowed at the hotel, you don’t get them killing the chill in the adult spa zones. I don’t really mind kids. But don’t want them squawking next to me in the jacuzzi.

Also, something that one finds increasingly these days, despite the hotel having five stars and a very luxurious offering, guests were dressed quite informally. Not scruffy, you understand. Just in a relaxed fashion – which I totally appreciate. I’m done with heels and uncomfortable clothing these days.

My suite was a total corker

The view from my balcony

The suite was vast, situated at the front of the hotel with breathtaking views across the mountains. Standing on the balcony staring at the scenery whilst soft rain pattered around me was a quiet moment of bliss that I can still feel now if I close my eyes.

On my desk I found a gorgeous little selection of sweet and savoury snacks. And I was also delighted to find a very well-stocked fridge and snack zone. Decent gin and tonic! Big tick.

Another word to the wise: I’d felt very smug remembering to bring my UK to Europe plug adaptor, but guess what?! The plugs in Switzerland are different. At our hotel the concierge had a bunch of them you could borrow, and almost everyone in our (British) group needed one. But something to be aware of.

Standing on the balcony staring at the scenery whilst soft rain pattered around me was a quiet moment of bliss

In the afternoon we’d been due to have a tour of the outside art installations, part of the Bad RagARTz exhibition, which happens once every three years. It’s a region-wide showcase, with art, sculptures and statues dotted everywhere. Worth planning a trip around this to see it, if you’re thinking of heading here. But it was raining, so instead we relaxed, had a tour of the hotel resort, including the Kindervilla, and got ready for dinner.

As I was dressing for dinner, a storm broke out over the mountains. Storms always excite me – it was quite something, thunder and lightning over the mountains. I watched it for a bit, spellbound.

Around the resort

The Grand Resort is home to several very lovely restaurants, as well as a health and medical centre, dental centre, and of course the spa. There’s even a take-away sushi kiosk, KOiSO, which I confess to ordering twice from during my stay.

The resort is a centre of medicine and wellness, not just a place for a massage and dip in the water. There are doctors here practicing in everything from orthopaedics, traumatology and vascular disease to mental health, dental health, and Chinese medicine.

There’s also a full-service plastic surgery department, sports therapy clinic, rehab centre, nutrition clinics… you name it, it’s probably at the resort. One could absolutely have a face lift and tummy tuck, and hide out here in the mountains to recover, having regular massages, therapies, and swimming in the various pools. Have put this on my mental wish list for in a few years’ time.

Our first night, and we met in the elegant lobby for cocktails

I’ve had beautifully-made cocktails in places all over the world (she said smugly) but the mixologists here are amongst the very best I’ve experienced. Exquisitely crafted drinks, gorgeous choice of glassware – a very good start to the evening.

Namun is their Asian-inspired restaurant, and where we ate on our first night. The joy of travelling in a small group means you get to order a la carte, rather than have a set menu, which can happen if you’re in a bigger group. I had Thai prawn summer rolls, and a mix of dim sum including dumplings, melt-in-the-mouth Wagyu beef, and various gyoza.

Sadly I couldn’t manage any pudding, but I did choose some sake from their extensive sake-specific menu. And by the time dinner was over, I was ready to drop. The food was magic, and I slept like a baby.

Deliciousness at Namun

Next morning the sun had broken through…

And I was chuffed to bits that I’d ordered breakfast in my room. I leapt out of bed – well, maybe not leapt, but rose enthusiastically – and before even having a cup of tea, bolted downstairs to the outside pool. I’d seen it the day before, and was desperate to get in it, to swim with that phenomenal backdrop, and make the most of the dry weather. It was heavenly.

Back up to my room and my breakfast trolley had been delivered. This for me is the height of dining delight – to eat indulgently in the privacy of my own room. I made a point of having the ‘<<verve>>’ special, so named after the resort’s Michelin-starred restaurant. If you’re interested, it’s crispy sourdough toast, with a tomato jam, and lovage whipped tofu cream, topped with poached eggs and baby salad leaves. I could have done without the jam, very sweet. But the whippy tofu stuff was magic.

Outdoor pool; <<verve>> breakfast; spa relaxation area

I was booked in for the ‘Pause and Reset’ treatment – an 80-minute aromatherapy full body workover that is “specifically designed to help ease the side effects of hormonal changes.” I don’t know about that, but I do know that I could barely stand when I got off the bed. Can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed.

After that it was a short stagger to the spa area, where I bobbed about in the fabulous body-temperature swimming pool, before somehow making my way to my room for a short siesta. Nice to be able to wander around in my robe. It’s one of the nicest and oddest things about fancy spa hotels, I find. Fortunately I had the presence of mind to grab sushi to take up to my room. Because once I landed there, I was wiped out! Siesta time…

The afternoon saw a few activities before dinner…

Post-lunch, members of our group pottered around the local area. For me it was a chance to take in some of the outdoor art installations, and also have a little mooch around the little village next to the resort. Some of the group went to the Tamina Gorge, the source of the 36.5° C warm thermal waters that have made Bad Ragaz world famous.

‘Bad’ by the way, means ‘bath’, in case you were wondering. I didn’t know that until I came here, and I’d thought Bad Ragaz sounded a bit like a rapper’s name. But now we both know.

In the evening we were lucky enough to eat at verve by Sven, the Michelin-starred restaurant on site. I’d been excited about this since we arrived, and made the most of the exciting menu. For starter I had tomato, redcurrant, basil, and pine nut burrata plate, which was outstanding. Then for main course, a few of us shared the frankly astonishing seared beef cutlets with hoisin jus, served with seared lettuce and other bits.

A beef encounter

I know, not very adventurous in a place with a star. But frankly I think you can judge a restaurant by its steaks, eggs, custards, and sauces. I’m going to say it’s a yes from me here. The beef was meltingly delish. I wish I had two stomachs.

Our final day…

And I woke up to breakfast in my room again. I went all-out this time. Eggs, crispy bacon, caviar and a little bottle of Ruinart, my favourite champagne. How could I not?!

Oh well, if you insist

Once we’d checked out, we had a trip to Heidi’s Village, which was as surreal and adorable as you might imagine. Although Heidi is a fictional character, the stories are set in the region, and Heidi’s Village is only a short 10 min ride from the hotel. There are goats, natch. And they’ve created the houses that Heidi and all the other book characters would have lived in. It’s a bit nuts, but very endearing. It’s perfect for children who know the stories.

The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is a great place for multigenerational trips because it’s one of the only places in the world that I’m aware of that accommodates kids at an upmarket spa hotel.

Plenty of childcare, coupled with the children’s spa and pool areas, mean that you can take your kids and grandkids there and not have to sacrifice your own peaceful experience. Or enable your darling offspring to annoy other guests. And when you’re not in the hotel, there’s plenty to do within a short hop from the resort.

I loved the place, and wished I could have stayed longer. The food was exemplary, and the service and facilities faultless. I didn’t want to come home!

Now, to start planning my next visit there…

Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
Rates: high season, rooms and suites from 750CHF (Swiss francs) per night. A suite like mine is around 1,100CHF (£990) per night
‘Pause and Reset’ treatment 295CHF (£265)
Tasting menu at verve by Sven 120CHF (£116)
Return flight Heathrow-Zurich is around £200-300 off peak, but you can easily double that in high season

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Five star treatment at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz – review appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Fancy a holiday with all generations of your family? Bluestone National Park Resort is a great base for exploring the stunning Pembrokeshire coast, and has plenty to offer. There’s tons to do, but even if you don’t stray too far from your digs, you’ve still got more than 500 acres of woodland, fields, lakes and more at your disposal.

We got the train to Narberth, which is the nearest town and station. It’s about 15 minutes’ drive from Bluestone, but my non-driving partner and I took a taxi. As well as being a handy spot to do a big shop before going to Bluestone, it’s a great spot to check out Skomer Island. Hailed as “exceptional” by Sir David Attenborough, the island is littered with puffins at certain times of the year.

But what about the resort itself? We were mostly surrounded by families, but with good planning, especially at busy times, we found we weren’t too bothered by the noise and bustle. There are a lot of buildings at Bluestone, but they’re set out so that most of the cabins, shops, restaurants, and activity areas are fairly close together. This means that if you venture off for a walk, you don’t have to walk far before you feel fully immersed in nature.

One of my favourite areas to explore was the rather obviously named Steep Ravine, a criss-crossing staircase that takes you down into a massive pine forest, full of dirt tracks and secret areas. We visited in September amid a massive storm, so while we didn’t get too lucky with the weather, there was plenty for us to do onsite.

Bluestone’s spa bliss

Well Spa Retreat

There are plenty of activities that are better suited to adults than kids, such as the spa, which suited me and my partner just fine.

At the Well Spa Retreat, you can book treatments that come with a two-hour pass to the spa itself or, you can get a two-hour pass to simply chill out at the spa, which might be all you need.

There are so many different rooms for you to explore at the spa, including two steam rooms, each pumping out different herbs and two saunas, a Celtic sauna and a brick sauna. The Celtic sauna was bigger and hotter and illuminated in green, while the brick sauna was smaller, but still lovely with wooden benches, so you weren’t perching your bum on bricks.

There’s also a salt room, ice pod, meditation room, reading room, waterfall showers, a hydrotherapy pool and, a big chill-out room with free tea and coffee and lots of comfy chairs.

By far our favourite experience was flitting between the saunas and steam rooms, then covering ourselves in ice in the ice pod. It really gets your heart going and is great for your skin!

Getting active, despite the weather

Gorgeous outdoor spaces to explore

Wales in September is always a gamble with the weather, but we tried out mountain biking, which was one of Bluestone’s WYLD off-resort adventures. We were lucky enough to be the only ones doing it in the pouring rain (I wonder why…), so we got to spend time with Declan, who heads up the WYLD activities. He is very passionate about his job and clearly cared a lot about what he was doing.

The mountain bikes are super fancy e-bikes with some real power. This meant that going up steep hills felt like a breeze and three hours of intense distance didn’t feel all too bad. This activity is not for the faint-hearted though. Some of the hills we went down almost had me flying off, even though I cycle most places and ride a motorbike, and have pretty good balance.

Storms ahoy!

Blue Lagoon Waterpark

Even though we were unfortunate with the weather, we weren’t easily put off from exploring. The only bummer was that during a storm, when the winds were really high, a good chunk of the resort was shut off for our safety. We were a little annoyed, but when we went walking the next day and saw that a large tree had come down, we understood why.

Our planned canoeing trip was cancelled, but we weren’t too upset. Looking out at the grey sky and seeing the pouring rain, we didn’t really fancy it. If you’re wondering what else there was to do when everything outdoorsy was shut, the short answer is: plenty.

Between The Hive, The Blue Lagoon Water Park and Serendome there’s always something to do indoors. The Hive is definitely aimed at kids, but has a bar and neon bowling to keep the adults happy. Likewise, Serendome is kid-friendly, but has takeaways for the adults and a bar, so you’re never, er, parched.

Being a water baby, The Blue Lagoon Water Park was my favourite, and we spent a lot of time there. It was a giant domed building with a massive pool, wave machine, outdoor lazy river, outdoor and indoor jacuzzis, a shallow pool for small children, a pirate-themed sensory pool with lots of jets and streams and the four, fairly fast paced, flumes, which we loved. There were two pitch-black total thrill rides, one being super-fast and long and one open-top ride for two people that went outside with two hidden pools along the way. Tons to do for all generations.

What about the accommodation?

Ramsey Lodge

Our cabin was bliss. it was unattached and so, if the windows were closed, you would have no idea you were in a resort with thousands of other people. We stayed in Ramsey Lodge in Forest View, which was close to the village, but far from the entrance and the three main indoor activity centres. This is definitely a better choice if you’re arriving by car, unlike us. We had to get down there on foot with all our stuff, which was not so great. There is a guest transport bus that goes around the resort every half an hour, but for the five days we were there, we never managed to work out the timings. Plus, it didn’t run on a Monday, which was the day we arrived, of course! But, epic walks aside, having our own cabin in the woods to snuggle up in after being out in the rain was really nice.

Dining at Bluestone

Grilled vegetable gnocchi at The Farmhouse Grill

We were never short of things to eat. Even though we arrived with snacks and lunches from our big shop in Narberth to save a bit of cash, we ate more food from the resort than we intended. This is because they had deliveries to the lodges. For a couple who lives off grid in an old converted caravan in the woods just outside the Devon moors, this was a total luxury for us!

We ate out for dinner one evening at The Farmhouse Grill. This seemed to be fairly popular and had cosy vibes. There was a separate bar for drinks and chips. Despite the meaty sounding name, I was happy to see they had a good selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes.

I asked the server what she’d recommend for a veggie and after a rave review of the grilled vegetable gnocchi, I decided to go for that at £16. And I wasn’t disappointed. It was rich and filling. My carnivorous partner decided to get a frankly ridiculous hunk of braised beef short rib for £24. For the sheer size of the tender slab of meat, we didn’t mind paying that price. His glowing review was total silence while eating it, a brisk hobble home, and straight to bed after he’d finished it. I think that means it was good, right?

And as for takeaway, we felt spoiled! There was a good selection of options for eating in front of the telly on the wet nights. The menu was categorised into different cuisines, fish and chips, curry, pizzas, sides, and desserts, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. For both of us, a main, drink and dessert worked out at about £25. It was pretty reasonably priced, it came quickly and arrived with a good range of sauce sachets.

If you plan to do a lot of self-catering, make sure you stock up on a few pantry basics, like oil and condiments as there are no ingredients in the cabin, not even tea bags. There are cleaning products and bin bags, but no food to cook with, so I would definitely recommend ordering in one of their hampers before you arrive. I’d personally recommend the Standard Family Hamper.

Getting the best out of Bluestone

Serendome

The best thing about Bluestone is the site itself. Apart from all the free activities, the best part for us was the acres of woodland and grassland. We’re lucky enough to live surrounded by nature on the outskirts of Dartmoor, but at Bluestone, we found ourselves wandering around in awe of the breathtaking beauty, even when it was pouring with rain.

It’s a great place for anyone who lives in the city, or anyone wants to be surrounded by beautiful landscapes, but still wants loads of indoor entertainment and creature comforts, such as takeaways.
The site is much better if you have a car. Most people coming to the site are families, so presumably at least one person in most groups would have a driving licence. But for us, we had to do a lot of walking.

Once we arrived by taxi from the train station at Narbeth, we were the only people on foot. We found the transport bus timetable baffling, so we did a lot of cycling. There are buggies for rent, but these require a driving licence. We found ourselves very jealous of people driving, albeit slowly, up the resort while we walked or cycled.

But overall, we had a fantastic holiday and it was well worth a visit. For the festive season, they’re offering special ‘Christmasland’ breaks, where you can save up to 35% on activities and stays start at £18pp per night. Seasonal highlights include shows at The Cloud Theatre, Christmas film screenings, hot chocolate and popcorn, and a chance to visit Santa’s Workshop and Rudolph’s Breakfast Barn. The Serendome will be turned into a Christmas wonderland, The Blue Lagoon pool will be transformed into The Elf Lagoon, kids can enjoy a VR sleigh ride, and the village park will turn into the reindeer village!

Christmasland runs from 6 November 2023, to 4 January 2024

Lili Lowe

Lili works across all the channels; writing articles, taking photographs, creating content, and designing eye-capturing imagery. She’s an animal-lover who cries just seeing a picture of a baby sloth.

The post A Welsh wonder: Spas and spectacular scenery at Bluestone Resort appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Ah, a chance to review Ashdown Park Hotel. Yes please. It’s one of my favourite places close to home, and I always know that an Elite property is going to deliver. Sign me up.

There are probably three or four very good reasons to stay at Ashdown Park Hotel. Firstly, it’s a really lovely place and why wouldn’t you etc. There are stunning grounds, deer everywhere, and extraordinary buildings and gardens to hang about in. Secondly/thirdly, there are golf and spa activities. And fourth – possibly most importantly to some people – it’s smack bang in the middle of Winnie the Pooh country.

Pooh talk

Winnie-the-Pooh illustration by E H Shepard 1926

It’s generally accepted that 100 Acre Wood, whilst being a fictional forest, was inspired by Ashdown Forest, close to AA Milne’s home in nearby Hartfield. In fact, the specifically-named Poohsticks Bridge is about eight minutes’ drive from the hotel. Ashdown Park Hotel offers a Winnie the Pooh themed afternoon tea for children. The local area is packed with little ‘easter eggs’, which you can find on Google Maps, like The Heffalump Trap, and the Enchanted Place. If you or your small family members are Pooh fans, it’s a great place to base. I understand it’s something of a pilgrimage for a lot of our American visitors.

Aside from that though, it’s a unique place, with its stained glass, huge grounds, deconsecrated chapel… Those of you interested in its history can read more about that HERE. I love me a quirky experience, but Ashdown Park doubles down on this, and offers elegant but friendly luxury as part of the deal.

Arriving at Ashdown Park…

“You’ve been upgraded,” is a wonderful thing to hear, isn’t it? Guaranteed to put a smile on even the most experienced traveller’s face. So when me and my compadre Laura checked in and heard the magic words, despite trying to look sophisticated and grown-up, we whooped a little bit, and there may have been some light capering around the desk. Thank you Ashdown!

Room 100 Ashdown Park Hotel

And what an upgrade. Two fabulous suites in the East Wing, if you don’t mind. Take a look at mine! It’s literally a gothic dream. And yes, that is the bathroom window. Whilst showering, I felt like Jake Blues as the light hit me through the glass. I could almost hear James Brown shouting, “do you see the light?!” Reader, I saw the light.

That’s quite the bathroom window

Aside from the buzz of being in such a mad and brilliant room, important things to note: Molton Brown toiletries, lovely. Proper coffee machine, thank you. Good mattress – VAST bed. Great quality cotton bed linen, and clean as a pin throughout. No aircon, but I wouldn’t expect it in an ancient place like this; it’s literally made of solid stone. And there was a tower fan in the room, so all good. I would have liked a fridge, although as I write this, I have seen on their website that you can actually request one. Noted.

What did we get up to?

I love golf, although I’m a terribly inconsistent player. We didn’t get a chance to have a bash at the golf course though because we weren’t there long enough. And frankly if it comes to a choice between a round of golf, or swimming and a massage, I generally know where I’m spending my time.

But I am reliably informed that the Ashdown Park golf course is a corker. It’s an 18-hole par 3 course in stunning countryside and you can ‘pay to play’ too, although booking is highly recommended. Dress code applies (no denim etc). The back nine is apparently seated in breathtaking scenery. I ended up feeling a bit sad that I hadn’t brought my clubs – but you can hire. I’ll have to go back and play a round.

As for the aforementioned swimming and massage…

On the day of arrival, having settled into our suites and decompressed, we headed for an early evening swim before dinner. I don’t know about you, but there’s something about dropping into a body of water that makes everything feel better. I didn’t do much swimming, but a fair bit of floating about like a big old log. Didn’t get into the jacuzzi either, because there were children in it, but it looked nice.

The Country Club at Ashdown Park is a nice place to relax. As someone who has visited (and loved) the venue over a number of years, I know that they’ve worked hard on the spa and pool areas. It’s an older building, and they’re working with what they’ve got. There are of course much fancier spas in comparable hotels, but the level of service here more than makes up for that.

Nice calming relaxation space

It’s extremely clean; something I’m fanatical about in shared areas like this! The relaxation room is gorgeous, the pool is a great temperature, the staff are lovely, the setting is beautiful. We didn’t go in the gym (are you mad?). We both had a back, neck and shoulder aromatherapy massage though, which knocked me flat on my arse, it was so relaxing. And both of us slid into a welcome and gently scented post-massage coma in the relaxation room, drinking herbal tea and listening to the soft rain. The standard of service, and the quality of the product is well up to scratch.

Read more: What are the benefits of self-care?

Dinner time

After time spent working up an appetite exercising in the pool, ahem, we were enthusiastic about dinner. I might even have bellowed ‘I could eat a horse’ as we headed to the bar. Keen to excite our gastric juices further, we felt it important to test out the cocktails beforehand. And I’m happy to report that the Rockstar Martinis we had were perfect. No ‘porn’ stars here, it’s much too classy a place, but the drinks rocked just as hard.

Moving into the 2 AA Rosette Anderida Restaurant, they’d seated us in what I reckon is the best table in the house, with massive thrones and an all-round view. I asked to be moved though, because there was a big party close to the table, and I’m a bit deaf, and there was a loud laugher in the group. And ultimately, I liked the change. Our table was by the bustling entrance, with a view over the beautiful grounds. It was also a good vantage point for a nosy journalist to see everything going on.

Consider essential oils for a stress-free travel experience. Read more…

Let’s talk about the food

I’ll list out the proper food names and prices at the bottom – and we kicked off with a little cucumber/fishy amuse bouche. Laura went with crab salad with radishes and pickled bits and lemony stuff, which was fresh and really clean-tasting. I went for the smoked salmon pave, which was a delight, with its little tangle of leaves and beetroot jam. Actually, one of the best things about it was the substantial wedge of smoked fish. I like something to get my teeth into.

L-R: amuse bouche, crab salad, smoked salmon

We both really struggled to make a decision on the main course, because there were so many things we liked. Honestly, I could have ordered every dish on the list and been happy. When I’m in that place I pick something that I’d be unlikely to cook at home, and went for mirin roasted duck.

Mirin roasted duck

Laura is a pesky-tarian and actually also struggled to choose. The fact that there were enough fish or veggie options to make it a hard choice is a plus point. In the end she went for the catch of the day (sea bass) and swapped out something for something, I can’t remember. She got dauphinoise potatoes anyway, which was what she’d been drooling over.

Seabass with dauphnoise

Largely, both main courses were good. Beautifully executed with fresh ingredients. Laura was happy with her fish and potatoes – and I confess to having a touch of food envy when it arrived. She did say she thought both the fish and the dauphinoise could have used a bit more seasoning, but hey. You can always add.

My duck dish was an interesting experience. Perfectly-cooked quack; the toasted cashews, crispy wontons, bok choy, sweet jammy pops of flavour – all wonderful, perfectly in keeping with an Asian dish. But it came with what I can only describe as a jug of gravy. Good gravy, to be fair; sumptuous depth of flavour, clearly properly-made stock etc, but more the kind of thing you’d expect with a roast, or a steak. Not exactly Asian. To be fair, I didn’t mind particularly, happy to dip into it and enjoy it. But it seemed a strange thing to add to what was otherwise a very sophisticated plate of flavours from the East.

Appallingly we didn’t eat pudding. For what it’s worth, I’d have had the rhubarby cheesecake thing if I’d had the space.

Let’s look at the wine experience…

We both plumped for glasses of something different for the starters – Laura had a Chablis, a perfect choice for seafood. And I originally chose a Reisling to go with a funky smoked salmon dish. I’m not saying they brought me a random wine, but the glass I had was not what I was expecting. And before you raise your eyebrows, yes I know what a bloody Riesling should taste like.

I swapped it for a dry Provence rose, which ticked all the right boxes. After the first course we asked for two more glasses of the Chablis that Laura had in the first place, and both got a completely different drink. We thought for a minute we’d gone mad, but no. It was definitely not the same wine. They swapped it out quickly though, and we were fine again. I’ve no clue what happened there, but we were happy in the end. As ever, it was all delivered with charm and a big smile.

Bedtime, breakfast, and goodbyes

I’m always surprised and a bit impressed with myself when I can eat like it’s a national sport in the evening, and then still get up and tackle a full English the next morning. The breakfast was excellent – on the hot plates I was thrilled to find black pudding, a personal fave.

Ate masses, and had to have a little lie down afterwards to avoid a coronary

Their scrambled eggs were particularly good too, all buttery and creamy, and not like some places where they go all hard and you have to take a slice off the brick of egg. You know the kind of thing. The bacon was smoked, sossig was herby. And they have grapefruit juice on tap, which I adore. Plenty going on, anyway. Ate masses, and had to have a little lie down afterwards to avoid a coronary, before departing at 11am.

We left there feeling very chilled out, and quite stupid. Full of amazing food, relaxed from massages and strolls in the beautiful grounds. Ashdown Park remains one of my favourite places to hang out and I will definitely go back and do golf at some point. And who knows, maybe I’ll find a heffalump.

TREATMENTS
Aromatherapy Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage
The classic fave. This treatment includes a scalp massage, although I opted not to have this.
30 minutes, £50

FOOD
Smoked Salmon Pave £16
Herb Potato Salad, Beetroot Jam, Cured Egg Yolk

Portland Crab Salad £17
Lemon Purée, Radish, Avocado, Pickled Shallots, Baby Herbs

Mirin Roasted Duck £34
Sesame, Soy Jam, Bok Choi, Crispy Wonton, Cashew

Market Fish of the Day £29

WINE
Victor Berard, Chablis, Burgundy, 2020, Chablis, France, 2020 £14.60/175ml glass
Cotes De Provence Rosé, “De Sophie “, Provence, France, 2020 £12.05/175ml glass

www.ashdownpark.com

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Ashdown Park Hotel review: pampering, posh nosh, and perfect peace appeared first on Silver Magazine.

As the flat race season is under way at Doncaster, and the sun is starting to show itself a bit, let me tell you about a secret place I have discovered. Ladies and gents, my review of the olde worlde/modern fusion luxury venue that is Ye Olde Bell in Retford. Where modern spa meets historical venue.

If (like me) you have no clue where Retford is, it’s in the middle of the UK, halfway between London and Edinburgh. It’s perfectly positioned for Doncaster, for those of you who love the gee-gees. And it’s also close to Lincoln, Nottingham, and Sheffield.

All photos: Sam Harrington-Lowe

It’s a bit of a mad place

Ye Olde Bell is one of those wonderful dichotomies that on paper shouldn’t work. At its heart, it’s an old, historical venue, as the name suggests, dating back to the 17^th century. It rose to prominence because of its situation between north and south, and the growth of the postal service, whose horses needed a break halfway.

From the outside you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a steak house or similar. But it’s much more than that. It’s now also home to a very modern, beautifully-equipped state-of-the-art modern spa, with some new lodges as part of the accommodation offering, as well as the historical venue. It’s a mad mash-up, I’ll grant you. But it works.

So what did I do when I was there?

I travelled up from London on an Azuma LNER train on a Sunday, which was great. No messing about – on to the train, plenty of space, power sockets, decent seats. When it’s done right, trains are the nuts.

Arriving on a Sunday at Retford, which is a dinky little station, there were no taxis, so that’s something to be aware of. If you want a taxi, plan ahead. There is a helpful list of taxi numbers at the bottom of this article.

The Olde Bell was absolutely heaving when I got there, with a Rolls Royce luncheon bunfight, and a wedding, I think, all going on at the same time. I had thought I might have a roast, but no chance, absolutely booked solid.

I asked my smooth-talking bar steward for help, who recommended a local pub called the White Horse. “Tell them Billy sent you,” he said, “and you’ll be fine.”

Stonking plate of pie and mash at the White Horse

Found the pub fine, they all had a chuckle about Billy. Some shenanigans there, I think. And I sat down and had an utterly stonking plate of pie and mash, which was heavenly. Not for the first time I observed how different it is ‘up north’. Everyone so friendly and chatty – it sounds like a cliché but as with most clichés, it’s rooted in truth. Even the cabbie was nice.

And that was about my lot for Sunday. After the travelling, and enough carbs to sink a ship, I was done for. So I went to my room, in a beautiful, self-contained modern two-floor lodge, lay down and fell into a food coma. I’d been due to have dinner that night but I moved it to the following evening. It was a sensible move.

Read more: review of the Soho House Brighton Beach House restaurant

Heading to the modern spa

Sparkly spa entrance

God I love a spa. Having had a very relaxed evening and a very good breakfast at the Olde Bell’s 1650 restaurant, I couldn’t wait to get into the relaxation vibe. They have spa butlers! How cool? I wandered into the large, airy reception, through the sparkly hallway, and into the land of lounging.

I had treatments, of course. A massage at 11:15, which knocked me on my back. Or front, really. I love a good working over, and having settled into relaxation mode, the massage just about finished me off. I got up from the massage table in a very relaxed state, trying not to dribble and desperately hoping my legs would still carry me. And then I entered the ‘Sabbia Med’.

Now, I’ve had a few spa treatments in my life, but this is a first for me. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it – they have a room that is filled with sand, which plays gentle beachy sounds. Waves, bird noises etc. It’s low-lit, and warm, and has deck chairs.

Sabbia Med room

Did I like it?

Honestly, I don’t know. I was in there on my own, my feet in the sand, listening to the waves. I think for some people it might work. Me, I kinda sat there looking around a bit like a bored child, giggling to myself a bit.

I didn’t hate it, but found myself wondering if there was a camera watching the room and it became a bit Portmerion-like. I don’t want to say Prisoner-like, because obviously the door wasn’t locked. But I wouldn’t book it again. Some people might really like it though – it’s very ‘ambient’. Maybe another day I might be able to relax into the seaside noises. But anyway. Let’s move on.

The ‘real’ outside is a relaxing joy

…it puts Champneys to shame, to be honest. Much cleaner and newer too.

Having left the surreal beach room, I made my way for a good nose round the rest of the modern spa. Look at the lovely outside pool thing with all its bubbles and water features! It’s one of those inside/outside pools with jacuzzi features all round it, and the outside area is filled with gorgeous huts and fire pits. This is my happy place. I spent a fair bit of time just hanging out here, going in and out of the water, reading a book, and generally being incredibly indolent. 

One should also point out that there are a ton of other facilities, such as the steam room, snow storm walk, sauna, mineral mud rasul – there really is something for everyone here. I had a go in the steam room, and wish now that I’d tried the snow walk. But there is a lot of exceptional options here – it puts Champneys to shame, to be honest. Much cleaner and newer too.

The outside area of the pool spa bit

Inside part of the spa pool

I completely ate my own head off

Lunch at the spa was a stormer, courtesy of an unexpectedly sumptuous set menu – I had tandoori spiced fishcakes with pickles to start, followed by pork fillet wrapped in Pancetta with all sorts of rooty vegetable stuff.

Pork fillet wrapped in pancetta

I am ashamed to say I couldn’t manage pudding, but I did have the recommended vino, a very decent Gavi. Make a note – if you’re planning lunch at the spa, maybe go easy on the breakfast. And definitely do any kind of exercise before eating!

Back to historical venue for food

It seems astonishing I had room for food after lunch, but I gamely soldiered on in the name of research. Ever the professional.

Organic beetroot and juniper-cured salmon with wasabi mayo, followed by (off the specials board) calves’ liver with black pudding terrine and greens all found their way in. And it was as good as it looks in the photos. The food here is exemplary.

Did I have pudding? Well yes, behold your heroic reviewer! Bow down to my extraordinary ability to eat myself stupid. I picked another special, the warm blackberry bakewell tart with clotted cream ice cream.

Juniper cured salmon with wasabi mayo

Calves liver with black pudding terrine and greens. Photo: Sam Harrington-Lowe

Blackberry Bakewell tart with clotted cream ice cream

Finally, departure

Friends, I was unable to manage much at breakfast the next day. I didn’t want to have a coronary on the train home. I left the Olde Bell feeling very happy, very relaxed, and very reluctant to go.

HELPFUL DEETS

Rooms starting from £120 for one person per night in a small single. Expect to pay considerably more for a lodge or Superior Room, with suites and lodges hitting the £300-400 mark. Still good value, if you ask me.

Ye Olde Bell

The London North Easterly Railway service London Kings Cross to Retford prices vary massively.

LNER trains

Taxi rank at Retford

Taxi rank is immediately opposite station entrance. Advance booking is advisable. Local operators: Earlybird 01777 700678 (wheelchair accessible taxi available), Hinchcliffe’s 01777 702049, Shelley’s 01777 700108, Target Taxis 01777 248948 (wheelchair accessible taxi available).

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Ye Olde Bell Retford – where modern spa meets historical venue appeared first on Silver Magazine.

This annual competition is BACK baby, after skipping a winter (for obvious reasons). But the hair freezing contest returns this season with new facilities, a new hot springs pool, and the chance to win a fistful of cash.

The photos featured below are all from the 2019/20 season, when the competition took place just before the pandemic really took hold. The winners were announced on 1 April 2020, but by then the world had other things to think about and the contest results kinda got buried.

“That year was the last year that the contest ran in our old facility; a pool that had been there for 50 years. We have been building a brand-new facility that will open very soon,” says the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs manager, Andrew Umbrich. “I’m hoping that we’ll open in the next couple of months.”

You can go any time

Aside from the annual competition, should you find yourself in Yukon, Canada, you can visit the hot springs pools any day during the contest period, when the temperature is below -20°C. It’s a beautiful part of the world, and an experience to add to the bucket list. We know you like adventurous travel ideas!

For more information about opening and dates, keep an eye on the website, and we’ll update this article when we know when it’s all up and running. In the meantime, take a look at the winners and some of our faves from the last contest.

www.hairfreezingcontest.com

Photos: Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs

Winner: Best Female

Winner: Best Male

Winner: Best Group

Winner: People’s Choice

Winner: Most Creative

Some of our favourites

Fancy giving it a go?

This is how it works. Are you brave enough?!!

silvermagazine

If you’d like to receive a regular mini-magazine direct to your inbox with a selection of editorial features to read at your leisure, please sign up for our newsletter. We also run the odd competition and offer and whatnot, and newsletter members get the heads-up first.

The post Hair freezing contest returns after pandemic appeared first on Silver Magazine.