After all, your hotel shouldn’ t simply be a place to rest your weary head after a hard day of sightseeing or meetings. It shouldn’ t be a byproduct of going away somewhere interesting and exciting. It should be part of the entire experience, and in this particular hotel, that is what you get.
The Spa Hotel’ s history is a long one, and with luminaries such as Princess( later Queen) Victoria staying there, it has always been something of a star in Tunbridge Wells’ crown. It first opened as a hotel in 1880, but had been a country retreat long before that, with the owner, Major Yorke, happily enjoying the fact that Victoria wanted to stay with them in order to enjoy the famous Chalybeate Spring. And since visitors still flock to Tunbridge Wells, it is no surprise that the Spa Hotel is thriving.
After a friendly welcome, we went up to our room to drop off our bags and generally have a bit of a nose around. As we neared the door, we could already see that something a bit exceptional was ahead of us – our room was set apart from the others, entered by climbing a little set of steps. There had to be something gorgeously opulent behind that door, the door to room 216. And there was. This was more than a mere room, much more than a box with a bed and a bathroom. This was stunning. Not just a bedroom, there was a living area too, and, had we been staying longer, I’ m sure it would have been a joy to relax in it a little more.
The bed was so comfortable that just testing it out was enough to tell us that that night’ s sleep was going to be a good one. Decorated in cool blues and creams, the room was a dream. And the bathroom, with its deep, dark walls and large bath was sheer luxury. I spent a lot longer in that incredible shower than I needed to, and it was worth every second.
Opening up the balcony doors, we stepped out onto a small area that held a table and two chairs, perfect for enjoying a glass of wine and looking out onto the grounds of the hotel. From there we could also see the swimming pool, which reminded us that we really should go and try it out.
The steam room was what really beckoned, and that’ s where we headed first once we made our way down to the spa. The steam room is big enough to stretch out in, but small enough not to feel lost in, which can be the downfall of these particular luxuries. Next, feeling altogether more refreshed and energised, we tried the pool itself. Another bright room, with large windows that allow for natural light to enter along one side, we could quite happily have spent hours in there. But of course, there was the sauna to consider. And consider it we did. Unlike the single steam room, there are two saunas – one for men, one for women – but, just like the steam room, they were both the ideal places to enjoy a bit of quiet‘ me time’.
All too soon it was time to leave but, on the positive side, we were leaving because we had a table booked for dinner in the hotel’ s brasserie, Zagatos.
Zagatos is informal, relaxed, and there is plenty of choice when it comes to good food and drink. Since we stayed on a Sunday, roasts played an important part on the mouthwatering menu, but that was by no means the only option. For my starter I picked the salmon fishcake with tangy, homemade gribiche sauce, and my guest had the farmhouse terrine with apply chutney. Both were delicious. The fishcake was soft and expertly seasoned without too much potato stealing flavour away from the salmon itself, and the terrine was rugged and rustic yet the added touch of the chutney gave it all a refined air.
This was followed by the roast sirloin of beef for my guest, and the smoked haddock for me. What a roast it was! The plate came loaded with all the trimmings including an impressive Yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy, and the beef was as it should have been – melt in the mouth and as juicy as could be. As for the haddock, not only was the fish cooked to perfection, but the addition of the poached egg which oozed yolky goodness all over the plate and the excellent mustard sauce made it incredibly moreish. I didn’ t quite lick the plate clean, but I’ ll admit that I was sorely tempted …
Dessert was just as wonderful as the rest of the meal – chocolate fondant for him, a generous slab of treacle tart for me, although in the end we did share, as it’ s the right thing to do when pudding is on the table. The fondant had a soft, sticky centre and a light fluffy exterior which was surprisingly rich and ultimately gorgeous. The treacle tart was a proper oldfashioned wedge served with crème fraîche and toasted macadamias and, although utterly full up, we polished off the lot.
And so to bed. The enormous bed was just as comfortable as it had looked when we first saw it, and after all that swimming and relaxing and eating, it was the ideal spot to rest our weary, happy heads.
The Spa Hotel Mount Ephraim Tunbridge Wells TN4 8XJ 01892 520331 www. spahotel. co. uk
TheSpaHotel TheSpaHotel
133