Life has been a bit stressful and hectic lately. Our holiday ended abruptly with a medical emergency (the fallout is ongoing!) and we had some issues with our caravan on the way to Lakefest leaving us feeling rather tired and in need of some pampering.
Luckily the lovely people at Hatherley Manor Hotel and Spa on the outskirts of Gloucester had kindly invited us to visit their spa (GIFTED) then enjoy a meal in their restaurant which meant we could start the festival experience more mellow than manic.
Although we actually live a couple of hours drive away we were aware of Hatherley Manor as it is literally a few minutes drive away from the Churchdown home of our dear friends who held a special birthday party there recently. And of course Lakefest was set in the gorgeous grounds of Eastnor Castle near Ledbury, about 30 minutes drive away.
I gather spa entry is usually included in the room rate if you are staying at the hotel but you can also book into the spa taking advantage of a number of Spa packages including a Pimms and Pamper Spa Day, a Twilight Supper Spa and a Christmas Spa-rty!
We booked two hours to use the spa pool, bubbly vitality pool, relaxations areas indoor and out and the thermal suite with sauna and steam room, heated loungers and a tepidarium.
No-one who knows me will be surprised to hear I didn't use the well-stocked gym!
There were plenty of treatments available including facials, massage and even specialist treatments suitable for pregnancy and for people with cancer.
We found the changing rooms clean and well stocked with lockers, showers with Elemis products, toilets and a fab long dressing table with stools, mirrors, tissues and a hairdryer. The changing area was quite small with benches and hooks (no cubicles) but there was never more than three of us in there during my visit.
This careful management reflected in the poolside and garden facilities too - we had no problem getting seats and sun beds and used the vitality pool, sauna, steam room and tepidarium alone. There was never more than four people in the pool when I was there.
After a relaxing couple of hours we showered and dressed leaving behind our cosy robes but taking our flip flops (which came in handy at the festival showers!) and headed to the Thyme at the Manor restaurant, a light airy space looking out onto a courtyard with additional seating.
Our server greeted and seated us, checking if we were happy with our position and bought pots of tea and coffee. It seems there was some confusion about our lunch booking which she thought was for afternoon tea. I love afternoon tea but after two weeks on Cunard's Queen Anne where afternoon tea is served every single day I was a bit sick of scones. I know, I didn't have to have one every day but my willpower is non-existent.
Lunch menu delivered and another hiccup - my choice was not available. No fear, our lovely server checked that chef would be happy to cook me something from the new dinner menu. Then brought bread and olives to keep us going. That kind of flexibility and service is what can really lift an experience from OK to superb.
My husband chose a prawn and wild mushroom linguini with chives, parmesan flakes and lobster cream. It was a very generous portion with lots of cheese- a little oily, but my husband pronounced it delicious.
I opted for panfried duck with a spiced jus which came with kale, a rectangle of dauphinoise potatoes, citrus fruit segments and a citrusy dressing. This was such a recent addition to the new menu that it's not yet made it onto the menus available to peruse on the hotel's website.
This again was very generously portioned and the duck was cooked pretty much perfectly. I've had flu so sadly can't comment much on the flavour of the sauce/jus as it seemed my tastebuds maybe were still not at peak review level and I wasn't getting much flavour at all. I'll just have to go back and try it again now my palate is functioning. The plate looked prettier than my photo too - soz but I couldn't wait to tuck in!
Because we'd eaten bread, olives and a huge main course each we'd decided to give desert a miss but the chef came out to chat to me about his recipes and convinced us we must try his homemade halva cheesecake and mango panna cotta. Well, I'm glad we were talked into it as they were the highlight of the meal!
The restaurant was deserted throughout our visit with most people choosing to lunch in the spa cafe, but it was a hot Thursday lunchtime and I bet the place is crammed at Sunday lunch and in less extreme weather. The lunch menu has a lovely selection to suit all tastes from a falafel salad, Manor gourmet burger and antipasta platter to sirloin steak and baked camembert.
The dinner menu has some really mouthwatering meals listed and of course there's always afternoon tea!
All in all the Hatherley Manor Hotel and Spa is a lovely oasis just a skip and a jump away from the honey-stoned Cotswolds and historic Gloucester city with a beautiful cathedral which featured in the Harry Potter films.
Obviously we didn't stay (maybe another time?) but a peek online shows a good selection of rooms with different outlooks and configurations, and there are function rooms for events large and small.
We loved the vibe of the hotel which would be a lovely destination just for a drink in any season.
Visit the Hatherley Manor Hotel and Spa website to discover this little gem in Gloucestershire for yourself.
Disclaimer: We were gifted spa access and a meal at Hatherley Manor for the purpose of this honest review.