Switch off your computer at 5pm on a Friday and an hour later you can be in your hotel room waiting for room service to tap at the door.
Don’t believe me? Well assuming you can get to Euston in twenty minutes, it is only 15 minutes on the overland train to Watford Junction and then ten minutes in an uber will take you to The Grove hotel. The idyllic English country garden views will dissolve the week’s events in a flash. Sorry Soho Farmhouse, this is my Priory and I can’t wait to go back.
The Grove certainly deserves a Citizen Femme stamp of approval. Service is impeccable, extremely prompt and nothing is too much trouble. I attended a wedding on a weekend at The Grove and outfit changes were no problem with multiple well-lit mirrors in the bedroom and bathroom as well as a very important full length one. It was so refreshing to open the wardrobe and see more hangers than I could possibly use! The air conditioning and fan were easy to operate, a big bug bear of mine, and concierge were happy to bring up as many chargers as I needed.
The room service menu is diverse and in the wee hours, although the menu is whittled down, you are not forced to order a junk food option as is so often the case. Not only is the mint tea made from actual mint leaves, it is picked from the surrounding gardens! Afternoon tea is a divine affair, close your eyes and imagine you are the Duchess of Hertfordshire. Foodies will not be disappointed at Colette’s, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant. Every year I look for it on the Michelin list but it hasn’t had its turn yet! When it comes to breakfast at hotels, I’m always one for ordering a lazy breakfast in bed, but it’s definitely worth going downstairs for this breakfast, It’s a spectacular spread, especially for vegans.
If downtime and vegetation are high on your agenda, then get straight to the Sequoia spa, book in for a massage (they really know how to get into your deepest muscles) and read no further.
If getting back to nature appeals, I can’t encourage you enough to get a map from the hotel concierge, and follow one of the routes around the many beautiful acres. I recommend the black route, it had us strolling through fields, a castle in the distance and we followed a canal over bridges straight back to the hotel’s magnificent driveway. The hotel’s art collection is truly wonderful, the sculptures in the garden are my favourite. “I can’t believe I’m in Watford,” repeating endlessly in my mind.
You can even hire a bike if you want to save your legs for a swim in the designer pool later. What’s a designer pool then? Well it’s black! I’ve never seen anything like it before except the grey pool at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. It was a little on the cold side for me but an excellent way to burn calories before a three course dinner!
The pièce de résistance is the walled garden at the side of the hotel. Look for the topiary giraffe peeking above the wall and you will know you are in the right place. You need your room key to enter. The garden is magical – asparagus, strawberries, courgettes, apples, pears and countless herbs! This is why the salads taste so good. Behind the garden is my dream conservatory lounge, comfortable but full of the most interesting artefacts. This is the place to read the papers over a cup of tea.
On the other side of the garden was a faux beach and children’s pool. The beach is special despite being fake because the striped deck chairs and Victorian beach houses are just so inviting! Once again I felt like I was in a dreamscape where Watford had suddenly turned into a quaint resort. It’s big enough so that adults needing peace and quiet are not disturbed by the kids in the pool. Order a pina colada and have a nap!
Sometimes it really is the places under your nose that can tickle you the most. Switch off your phone and check in to the Grove, you won’t regret it. This is a great Citizen Femme weekend getaway.
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