Mum Travel Moments

Where? Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, Hampshire

When? August

Who? My husband, our one-year-old daughter and me

Chewton Glen’s impressive reputation as one of the UK’s preeminent luxury hotels meant it had been on my holiday wish list long before we began travelling as a family. So I was very excited to spend a long August weekend there, even whilst pregnant and with toddler in tow! Spoiler – we had a lovely time and would happily return!

Our Room & The Hotel

Set between the New Forest and the Hampshire coastline, this iconic country house hotel combines five-star luxury with a welcoming family-friendly atmosphere and an impressive array of facilities.

We stayed in a beautiful Junior Suite in the main house. Spacious and classically decorated, there was plenty of room for a cot as well as a comfortable seating area and large bathroom. With views of the immaculate croquet lawn, it all felt very peaceful and relaxing.

A complimentary bottle of champagne and homemade treats to greet us in the room made the stay feel extra special, and throughout our visit the service was exceptional. Every member of staff we encountered was warm, friendly and genuinely helpful, striking the balance between attentive while still making you feel relaxed.

The hotel has a real sense of grandeur with its impressive entrance, wood-panelled bar areas and high ceilinged dining room. The expansive grounds are beautifully maintained with lots of different areas to explore including walled gardens, a nine-hole golf course, the croquet and badminton lawns and woodland areas.

Food & Drink

Food at Chewton Glen is excellent and there are several dining options to choose from during your stay.

The Dining Room offers beautifully presented fine dining options (with a kids menu also available), while The Kitchen by James Martin provides a more relaxed setting with a menu focused on wood-fired Italian cooking. We enjoyed an evening stroll across the estate to The Kitchen, which sits separately to the main hotel. Once there our daughter enjoyed playing with other children in the pretty gardens dotted with fruit trees surrounding the restaurant while we ordered.

There are also plenty of lovely spots throughout the hotel to enjoy drinks, afternoon tea or lunch and the all day dining options feature all the room service classics to choose from.

One thing that particularly stood out to us was the children’s food offering. It is genuinely one of the best children’s menus I have seen at a hotel. Meals were also complimentary for children under five, which is always good! Our daughter happily tucked into fresh melon and berries before working her way through several pasta dishes over the course of our stay. There were plenty of other options available too for children with less narrow tastes!

Breakfast was another highlight. There was even a Bloody Mary station for those wanting to start the day in style. Alongside the buffet, guests can order eggs and pretty much any breakfast dish they fancy cooked to order.

Things To Do

One of the things I loved most about Chewton Glen was the great variety of activities available.

For me, the spa was a highlight. The hydrotherapy pool complex is particularly impressive, with a variety of jets, bubbles and relaxation areas that make it easy to while away a few hours.

During another morning of our stay, my husband and I booked a babysitter and managed to squeeze in a quick round on the hotel’s nine-hole golf course. It was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours together and a reminder that family holidays can still include a little grown-up time too.

There are also tennis and padel courts available, alongside both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The weather was a little cool for August during our visit, but we still braved the outdoor pool briefly. On a warmer day, it would be a wonderful place to spend an afternoon lounging poolside.

We really enjoyed a woodland walk direct from the hotel through the Chewton Bunny Nature Reserve, leading down to the nearby pebbled beach. It’s not a long walk, so very manageable even with little ones – although our daughter did fall asleep on her Dad’s shoulders on the way back.

For older children, Chewton Glen runs a Kids’ Club during school holidays and weekends. It is available for children aged four and over, so our one-year-old was a little too young to join in, but it sounded good for the future – with activities ranging from tennis sessions to outdoor adventure activities.

Regarding other childcare options, while babysitters are not employed directly by the hotel, Chewton Glen partners with Tinies, a well-established childcare provider. The nannies know the hotel well and are highly qualified, which gave us confidence in booking a few childcare sessions during our stay.

Final Thoughts

We booked a 3 night package that included breakfast, dinners and a spa treatment each, plus a few extras throughout our stay. Given that food and drinks can quickly add up here, it represented excellent value and is definitely an option we would look to book again.

By the time we checked out, we felt as though we had only scratched the surface of everything the hotel had to offer. We could easily have stayed several more days without running out of things to do, both within the hotel grounds and in the surrounding area.

We returned from Chewton Glen feeling wonderfully relaxed. Whether you’re visiting for the spa, the food, the outdoor activities or simply to spend quality time together, it is a hotel that delivers a truly memorable stay.