Our first family trip was spent with friends at the Stoke by Nayland Hotel making use of the spa facilities and the two championship golf courses.
Location: Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf, Spa & Lodges, Keepers Lane,
Leavenheath, Colchester, Essex CO6 4PZ
How to get there: Being based in Surrey it was so much closer than I thought
and only took us about 2 hrs by car. The award-winning hotel is located in the
Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the easiest way to reach the
hotel is by car, which is just a short distance from Colchester and about a 1.5hr
drive from London or 45 minutes by train.
Accommodation: Our accommodation for the weekend was in one of the
fantastic lodges located on the golf course just a short drive from the main hotel
(there is a 24hr shuttle service so you do not need to drive) or a few minutes
walk. The lodge was amazing, a cosy electric fireplace in the lounge/kitchen, 2
bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. There was plenty of space for two couples and their
babies with added amenities of high chairs and travel cots available at an
additional charge.
The lodge also had a lovely terrace area, dining table and fully equipped kitchen
which allowed us to cook for ourselves on one of the nights we were there. The
lodges have won several green awards for being self-sustainable through
investing in renewable sources of energy and providing their own power and
were nice and cosy with under-floor heating during the cold November nights.
Although we did not stay in the main hotel they have plenty of suites and rooms
available with views of the lake and the golf course, for all the details visit here.
Food: Stoke by Nayland has a number of dining options with Sports Bar in the
golf area, The Gallery Grill which has just had a makeover, a lounge bar area
with the most amazing fire and the Lakes Restaurant which is where we ate on
several occasions. They also have The Peake Bistro down in the spa.
On the nights we were not cooking for ourselves we had dinner in the main
Lakes Restaurant, which offers AA Two Rosette dining. They offer classic, locally
sourced dishes such as steak, pork belly, tuna steak and trout. During the day,
they offer an amazing afternoon tea which we got to enjoy whilst the husbands
were off playing golf for £19.95. The friend I was dining with was dairy free and
the restaurant was so accommodating. With a wide array of teas beautifully
presented, mini rolls, scones with local clotted cream and cakes.
Golf: Whilst I am not a golfer my husband is a keen player and enjoyed a round
on the Gainsborough course on the Friday. Both the Gainsborough and Constable courses are championship ones and have hosted some very prestigious televised tournaments including the European Senior Tour. As you can see the views from around the course are amazing and the 4 different lakes and multiple bunkers make for an enjoyable but challenging round.
Spa Facilities: Whilst the boys were on the course, we were in the spa. We also
had several spa treatments including:
Eyebrow Re-shape £17
Hot Stone Massage 55 mins £62
Crystal Clear Frozen Facial Elite 70 mins £115 or £570 for a course of 6.
My skin after the Crystal Clear facial was literally glowing, I think it was at its
peak about 48 hours after the treatment. Hailed as groundbreaking; with the unique microchannelling roller to really get deep into the skin and help to rejuvenate I can see why, it’s also very relaxing pumping the skin full of oxygen
and hydration.
The spa itself was a hotbed, make sure you book up not to disappoint there are
lots of Spa Day experiences to choose from with a spot of afternoon tea or lunch
as part of the package where you get a fluffy robe, towels and flip flops and
unlimited access to the pool which also has special family times so we could take Winston for a dip. There is also a sanarium, steam room and Jacuzzi to enjoy.
Green Credentials: The Peake family, who own Stoke by Nayland Hotel, has
been farming in Suffolk for over 80 years, mainly apples and now also soft fruit.
Their Boxford (Suffolk) Farms long-term strategy has been to operate as a
sustainable green business, Bill and Devora Peake were founder members of the
Soil Association in the 1950s. More information can be found here.
Now a third-generation family business (Did you know Copella was created
here?), which owns and runs fruit farms, a fruit packhouse/storage business and
Stoke by Nayland Hotel employing some 600 staff, they have invested around
£5 million over the last six years in the installation of renewable energy sources.
These include an anaerobic digester, solar panels, biomass boilers, air-source
heat pumps and ground source heat pumps, and they harvest millions of litres of rainwater from glasshouses to re-use on crops.
B&B starts from £90 per room per night based on two sharing an executive single/cosy double room.
