Yahoo Finance Lime Wood hotel, New Forest: guaranteed good times at this stylish escape
Five star hotels are required to pull off a delicate balancing act. Today’s clientele demand a certain type of classiness, meticulous attention to detail and seamless service, yet want to feel at completely at home. No stuffiness, nor pretention, please. Lime Wood has perfected the art of casual luxury—turn up in a Tesla or Toyota, the welcome will be relaxed and warm.
It’s an immaculately and artfully renovated wisteria-draped Georgian country house at the end of a long drive on the outskirts of the New Forest (wild ponies and cows and donkeys galore!). With timeless new interiors by Susie Atkinson (of Soho House notoriety), hearty locally sourced Italian fare by top chefs Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder, plus a charming spa, Lime Wood is the gold standard in country house hotel perfection.
Where is it?
Near Lyndhurst in the New Forest. Just a couple of hours in the car from London, or a train ride from London Waterloo to Brockenhurst, it’s an ideal weekend break destination. Forest walks and cycles are on the doorstep and the pebbly south coast is about 30 minutes away. Sister property The Pig is six miles away and worth a visit for a bite of its 25-mile menu.
Style
The finest designers in the country have left their exquisite mark on Lime Wood, creating a delightful and elegant mish-mash by David Collins, Martin Brudnizki (Hartnett, Holder & Co restaurant), Rob Angell (The Courtyard Bar), Robin and Judy Hutson (who also own The Pig hotels) and most recently Susie Atkinson who has brought her own stylish sense of comfort and calm to the drawing room and bedrooms. The Courtyard Bar is perhaps the most special space in the hotel with its retractable glass ceiling, marble topped bar, black and white mosaic floors and clashing chesterfield seating.
Food & drink
Raw and Cured at the Herb House spa provides light, healthy bites. Sustenance, which makes you feel as good as it looks, come in the form of crudites with butter bean hummus, fermented beetroot salad with blueberries, pickled apple & Somerset feta and a New Forest asparagus frittata. Wash it down with a freshly pressed juice or kombucha - or a glass of English sparkling wine (it’s not that virtuous).
As night falls, retreat for a pre-dinner cocktail at The Courtyard Bar before settling in for a belt-loosening dinner at Hartnett, Holder & Co. Pasta queen and Michelin-starred chef Hartnett has teamed up with Lime Wood’s head chef to create Italian-inspired dishes made with local produce. The veg is grown in the on-site greenhouse and the meats are smoked in the hotel’s smokehouse. We started with Scottish scallops baked in a moreish tomato butter, parmesan and chilli crust; hoovered up bowls of spaghetti with Cornish lobster, tomato, parsley and chilli; and worked through a meaty portion of Looe monkfish roasted Isle of Wight Romano peppers, anchovy and basil; all topped off with tiramisu, what else?
Facilities
The Herb House spa is slick with an all-singing hydrotherapy pool, lap pool, heated outdoor pool and sauna and steam rooms. David Cameron’s former trainer Matt Roberts runs the state-of-the-heart gym and Sarah Chapman, who was responsible for Meghan Markle’s wedding day glow, is in charge of facials.
Top nutritionist Amelia Freer runs wellness workshops and retreats, and Hartnett, Holder & Co run a cookery school in non-Covid times. There’s a boot room with free Hunter wellies to encourage you to get out and enjoy the local walks.
Which room?
The Pavilion Forest Lodges - such tranquil interiors by Susie Atkinson! - are really special. They’re away from the main house with soul-soothing views of the countryside and a private terrace. The rooms in the main house - also newly redecorated by the talented Atkinson - are spacious, with marble bathrooms and at the heart of the action.
Extra curricular
It’s all about the country pursuits. Horse-riding, archery, falconry and walking are all on the doorstep. Try crab fishing at the coast or kayaking on nearby Beaulieu river. The six-mile walk to The Pig for lunch is a lovely way to take in the New Forest.
Best for
Couples or friends in search of a stylish country escape.
Details
Rooms from £395 per night, breakfast not included; limewoodhotel.co.uk
