I was invited in October to take a look inside the Laura Ashley Manor Hotel in Elstree, the journey through London from Kent to Hertfordshire made more enjoyable in the bus provided for our 9 mile journey from Kings Cross- a vintage ride that had everyone stopping in the street and staring. Very much my way of travelling.
The Manor Hotel
The Laura Ashley hotel was very much my style of hotel stays too. At least it would have been pre-children. I confess I was envious of the gaggle of twenty-something fashion bloggers who were with us because this is the sort of place that you would come when you have a boyfriend, a long weekend and a disposable income. It’s near enough to London to be practical yet with far-reaching views across the countryside.
That’s assuming you can tear your eyes away from the delicious food, the fabulous staff and the sumptuous decor. Though the Manor has a very Tudor look from the outside, the interior is very modern- the latest Laura Ashley designs, the thickest towels, the most high-tech of loos (electronic bidet function, since you asked.) It really is like stepping into the smartest Laura Ashley store and having the chance to lay down on the beds.
Every room has a style of it’s own, the most decadent being in the main building, those rooms which share the amazing views, have larger footprints, and clearly lend themselves to spectacular weddings. The smaller rooms in the more modern annex are well appointed- they still have the Laura Ashley patterns, the concepts, the distinctive wallpaper, as well as those things you would expect in a luxury hotel. And with prices starting at £99 per night, they are very reasonable.
There are beautiful sitting rooms, a glorious mirrored bar that is straight out of Gatsby- and with a wide terrace that looks across the lawn and giant chess board- all you’d need would be a flapper dress and a glass of bubbly (no, wait, they gave us that too!) and you would be set for fun.
Would I stay here? No. It’s really not our style of hotel any more, lacking the amenities that we find essential when staying in hotels with a young family. This is definitely a “couples” hotel: you can take time over afternoon tea, walk through the 10 acres of woodland hand-in-hand, maybe have your picture taken for Hello! magazine!
What I did take away were some really helpful decorating ideas for our house, and a renewed penchant for wallpaper, and with our Master Bedroom being refurbished, the current 30% discount across the Laura Ashley site could not have come at a better time!
Disclosure: I would like to thank the Joe Blogs Network for inviting me to take afternoon tea and a enjoy a tour of the hotel, as well as providing the vintage bus and a fantastic event.
Wow what a fantastic day out and it looks like an amazing place.