One of the settings of Spielberg’s latest epic, War Horse, this magnificent mansion house is getting used to life on the A-list.
The magnificent Luton Hoo hotel may be situated a mere five minutes from the hustle and bustle of Luton airport, but with over 1,000 acres of parkland, woodland, lakes and rivers surrounding the property, you easily feel a million miles away.
Having been closed for 10 years to allow a multi-million pound refurbishment to take place, Luton Hoo is now comfortably home to the A-list, having provided the setting for films such as Four Weddings, Casino Royale and most recently the highly acclaimed War Horse, with Spielberg himself being rumoured to have taken up residence in one of the suites during the filming of his latest epic.
A nod to the hotel’s locality to the capital comes in the form of a fleet of black London cabs that can be found dotted across the estate. Electric and privately plated to the hotel, they help ferry guests across the vast estate grounds and make a striking feature on your arrival.
And the estate grounds are certainly worth exploring. The Capability Brown designed garden is beautiful through each of the four seasons, and is obviously lovingly tended to by groundsman Keith Hersey who has worked on the estate for nearly 40 years. Referring to the garden as ‘she’, it is obvious that he sees it as very much his baby.
The mansion itself has 44 rooms and suites, all stunningly decorated in luxurious mansion house grandeur. One of our favourites, the Queen Mary suite, has a striking ceiling fresco and a bed framed by decadent red and cream wall hangings. The marble bathroom is the ultimate in luxury and the views to the front of the mansion make for a relaxing place to watch the comings and goings of the hotel. For a view of the lake the Queen Elizabeth suite is the one to go for. With a huge roll-top bath and beautiful fabric wallpapers, it is an incredible suite to stay in.
The luxury experience also filters through to the dining, in both the more formal Wernher restaurant and the more relaxed Adam’s Brasserie.
The Wernher restaurant was, in the mansion’s history, once the state dining room and has lost none of its original grandeur. Three of the original chandeliers hang from the ceiling which alongside floor to ceiling marble panels and heavy drapes that frame windows which afford sweeping views of the grounds, give a majestic feel to the room. Named after Sir Julius Wernher who bought Luton Hoo in 1903 and transformed the property into a country seat befitting one of the richest men in the land, the restaurant has been awarded two coveted AA Rosettes, and continues to forge a reputation for creating exciting dishes with a modern twist.
Where the Wernher restaurant is about formality (note that jackets and ties are required for men), Adam’s Brasserie is about a more relaxed dining experience with the walls lined with images of the Hollywood stars that have appeared in the films shot at the hotel. The food is still excellent and we particularly love the leather-lined booths for a tucked away and intimate dining experience.
An indulgent weekend away wouldn’t be complete without a spot of pampering and the spa is a great spot to relax with treatments created exclusively with many of the flowers and herbs found growing on the estate. Housed within the original stable courtyard and overlooking the woodland, it’s a great place to unwind. For a real taste of those exclusive aromatic oil blends, we suggest plumping for the Luton Hoo Spa Aromatic Body Massage – bliss!
Rooms at the hotel start from £230 per night. State suites are £895 per night. For more information visit the hotel’s website
