While holidays abroad are a great experience, no matter where you go, I’ve always found that places much closer to home can still satisfy your every need for a break.
So, I packed a suitcase, threw on my headphones, played House of Memories several times and jumped on a South Western train and later a Great Western train to Donnington & Co, formerly Donnington Valley Hotel & Spa, in Berkshire.
And since returning, I’ve been reminiscing about my 24 hours there (and wishing I still had some annual leave left).
I arrived on a crisp September morning when it finally became clear that summer was taking its own annual leave and preparing its handover to autumn.
I walked into the marble-heavy check-in room where the staff wasted no time making me feel welcome.
After a long week and taking three trains and an Uber to get here, a visit to the bar felt necessary.
The bar had a warm and elegant interior, which succeeded in making you feel both at ease and special at the same time.
There is a wide range of options on the menu, but my choice, which then became my favourite for the rest of my time there, was the lychee martini.
(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)
On top of being blue (which is always personally exciting to see in a liquid) , the drink really had that lychee taste come through.
I could only imagine how refreshing that drink must taste when returning from a long walk around the hotel grounds.
The bar has a stunning view of the expansive golf course, and I knew that my nature-and-casual-walks-loving self would need to head up there while here.
Once everybody arrived, it was time for what we undoubtedly, though not expressively, were waiting for: lunch.
We were taken to the appropriately named Press Restaurant, Donnington’s food hub.
The newly refurbished restaurant features dark and oak-like furniture with plants and a skylight.
While some hotels’ restaurants do serve three meals a day, but fail to balance the environment of each, there was no issue with that at Press.
We were given a “help yourself” lunch, which set the tone for food standards and quality at Donnington.
A staff member listed everything we could throw on our plates for lunch, and I wasted no time jumping up from my chair.
We got antipasti, calamari, onion bhajis, samosas, bread and butter, sweet potato fries, but my favourite thing was the crispy pork, which I regret not having more now.
After a brilliant lunch, it was time for a masterclass, which showed how hilariously disconnected I was from the others.
Donnington & Co. has a spa where they use TEMPLESPA products, a brand well known for its luxurious, Mediterranean-inspired skincare products and treatments.
Being the only guy there and sitting next to beauty writer and expert Lollie King, I sat with my eyebrow raised as I heard all these different terms, but I was fascinated by the effects and clever names of each product.
Nevertheless, I left with glowing and replenished skin, and I definitely left an impression, particularly when I sprayed the mist so close to my face that it became more of a splash.
After the enlightening masterclass, it was time for what was probably the most exciting thing about my stay at Donnington: the massage.
I opted for the 55-minute-long TEMPLESPA body detox, which included lymphatic body-brushing, warm vitamin and mineral mud, a body wrap, and a face and scalp massage.
I would love to describe every minute of the massage, but given that I dreamt about snoring, it would be a very clunky description.
Turns out I fell asleep and felt terrible for doing so, only to have my worries put to rest when I discovered that it’s actually a compliment to fall asleep during a massage.
Following the rest-induced massage, I decided to head down to Donnington’s swimming pool.
Though the pool was fairly ordinary, with a hot tub included, the standout point to me was the aroma room.
Sauna and steam rooms are fun whenever I find out they are options to visit, but I always find myself sitting down, singing in my head, and then wondering when it will be long enough for it not to be embarrassing to leave.
But the aroma room didn’t have that extreme heat – instead, it was warm enough, had that calming atmosphere, and that scent that you would run to if you had a blocked nose.
Now, one of the best things about staying at a hotel is the hotel room itself.
I had that “run into the room, drop your suitcase, check the bathroom out, then throw yourself on the bed” routine.
I had some time before dinner to spare, so I felt it was the perfect time to explore the hotel grounds and, most notably, the golf course.
With sweet Surrey instincts, I found a woodland to climb up, though Highgate hills trauma soon struck.
When I reached the top of the incline, I was in awe of the beautiful view of rolling fields, distant golfers, and Donnington & Co. sat in the middle of it all.
My inner child struck when I decided to run down the steep hill just for the laughs.
Soon, we regrouped at Press for dinner, where the award-winning sommelier thoughtfully created a wine pairing for each meal we could have.
I went for the gin-cured smoked salmon for starters, the Donnington burger for mains, and a chocolate brownie for dinner.
This was an incredible meal that managed to fill me up to the stomach’s brim, and it ended with another lychee martini at the bar.
Probably the saddest thing about staying at Donnington was going to bed because it signalled that my time there was coming to an end.
I did the Miranda-coined cold bed dance before drifting to sleep.
It’s never fun waking up early in a hotel room, but I knew that after a great lunch and dinner at Press, breakfast just couldn’t be missed.
As expected, breakfast was the typical eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, and apple juice, which was grounding enough.
Check out was approaching, but there was just one last thing to do before saying goodbye: yoga.
We all took a golf buggy up to Donnington’s wedding venue for a yoga lesson, which put my flexibility to the test.
In short, I can’t do downward dog, I can’t empty my mind, I still do the L thing with my hand to remember which is left and right, and I would happily choose to do the child pose for half an hour while others master what the yoga teacher tells them.
After an interesting lesson, it was time for us all to head back to the hotel, but not before we took some shots of the awesome views, including the fountain in the golf course.
Even though I was only at Donnington & Co. for a day, it was unquestioningly one of the highlights of my year, and I wish I could go back in time just to relive it again.
If you’re craving a countryside getaway, I highly recommend this gorgeous place.
While I went in the autumn, I can only imagine what a stay in the blossoming spring, sun-drenched summer, or icy winter can feel like.
