SheerLuxe Stays: Heckfield Place, Hampshire
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THE HOTEL
A decade ago, restoration work began on an 18th-century country house in Hampshire. When Heckfield Place was ready to open to the public three years later, we don’t know whether the team knew the hotel would quickly become a benchmark against which other properties would be measured. But perhaps they had an inkling. Today, a state-of-the-art spa offers endless wellness classes and nature-inspired treatments, and there are six bedroom categories, none of which will leave you feeling short changed. The inimitable Skye Gyngell oversees both of Heckfield’s restaurants: Hearth, which serves simple but outstanding seasonal dishes, and Marle which has won a coveted Michelin Green star. And then there’s the art. You’ve probably seen David Spiller’s ‘All My Loving’ painting on Instagram over the years, but it’s joined here by a treasure trove of eye-catching mixed media, each drawing the eye and enhancing the sense of ‘quiet luxury’ with which the hotel was associated with before the term had even been coined.
While sustainability is at the heart of everything Heckfield Place does (over the next few years, there are ambitious plans to power hot water with biomass energy, install a rainwater collection system and launch an eco-friendly glass-blowing centre), it’s also the beautiful – and intuitive – design of the property that keeps guests coming back. Wooden keys you tap on hessian to unlock your room, clean sans-serif typeface text on the walls directing you around the house, a staff uniform in which Regency seems to meet Sandro – everything has been thought about. Heckfield is also blissfully quiet. Guests can sit in the lounging areas – of which there are several – reading papers and drinking tea by a fire, stroll around the grounds, or enjoying a drink in the striking navy-hued Moon Bar. Even if you’re just here for a quick overnighter, you’ll leave feeling restored.
THE ROOMS
From the simplest Friends rooms (which are anything but simple) to the magnificent Long Room, the accommodation makes a stay here feel like time spent in a comfortable country house owned by stylish (and very successful) friends. Picture plants you wouldn’t be able to keep alive yourself back at home, luxe linen curtains, plump duvets, crisp white sheets, floor-to-ceiling windows and artwork by some of the biggest names in the art world (ours had an original Barbara Hepworth sketch behind the sofa). It’s all so cosy, comfortable and homely, you almost expect someone to bring you a cup of tea in bed in the morning when you don’t want to face checking out.
New for spring 2025, Keeper’s Cottage is a self-contained retreat for those looking for a next level of seclusion. On the edge of the Upper Walled Gardens, its light-flooded spaces include a boot room, an open-plan living room and kitchenette with a cocktail cabinet, a day room with a wood-burning stove, two bathrooms and study. On the first floor you’ll find the master bedroom with a super-king bed, a bathroom and a garden terrace. Guests can add up to two extra beds in the living room to comfortably accommodate four people for a weekend escape.
THE FOOD
With Skye (of Petersham Nurseries and Spring fame) as exec chef, you’d expect the food to be decorative, seasonal and pared back – all of which it is. Hearth, open to residents only, uses produce grown on Home Farm, which is the only farm on a UK hotel to be 100% biodynamic certified. The menu is changed biweekly to reflect what the garden has to offer, with a focus on zero waste. Hearth is in the former estate stables, and it makes the most of the high-ceilinged space with tasteful arrangements of dried flowers hanging from the walls, sheepskins draped across dining chairs, and a huge fireplace that gives the restaurant its name. The open fire also dictates a lot of the menu –we tucked into excellent charred tomato flatbread, grilled Calcot onions, and a bowl of hand-shaped cavatelli and beef cheek ragu that would rival the best Italian restaurants.
Then there’s Marle, which is open to non-residents. A gorgeous blend of marble, slate and wood, with far-ranging views across the woodland and lakes and up to duelling birds of prey in the sky above, Marle connects you to the surrounding landscape. There’s a beautiful terrace, which is just the place to kick-start a morning. Its breakfast menu is as sophisticated as an à la carte – look for the likes of banana bread with cassia and walnuts; porridge with tea-poached prunes, farm cream and almonds; and cod chowder with poached egg and sea vegetables. For us, it was the last of those that confirmed the offering as one of the best hotel breakfasts we’ve had. There’s nothing like setting up your day with something beautifully unexpected.
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THE SPA
An addition to the hotel in 2023, The Bothy is found through a secret walled garden, which hides its natural pool and outdoor hydrotherapy tub as well as a sauna, yoga studio and fitness suite. All treatments take place inside The Bothy, an instantly calming, almost monastic space. We loved that before descending the spa’s statement staircase, all spa guests are urged to leave their phones and devices in lockers, The White Lotus style (although, like in the hit TV show, not everyone on our visit stuck to the rules). The result is a space that feels truly tranquil and removed from the distractions of the real world. Rather, every part of the spa has been designed for total relaxation – from the birdsong that plays by the pool (recorded in the woods outside) to the décor, with its neutral colours and focus on natural materials.
There are a couple of signature treatments. One is a naturopathic health assessment, which encourages healing through natural remedies and lifestyle changes. There are also realignment sessions with the resident osteopath for an overall wellness boost. We can’t recommend the Wildsmith therapies highly enough. Designed to sync with your circadian rhythm, even the facials start with a craniosacral hold, followed by a foot, leg, hand and arm massage sequence of stretching techniques to deeply relax you before the facial begins. It’s worth knowing, you now don’t have to head to Hampshire for the experience: Wildsmith has launched The Treehouse on the top floor of Liberty. It’s a smaller recreation of The Bothy – complete with seasonal birdsong and projections of the woods at Heckfield offering 30- and 60-minute facials and massages.
THE EXTRAS
For a stay with a spot of culture, Heckfield often puts on talks and seminars in its chic cinema, The Assembly. If you need another reason to book, a look at its list of events might sway you: there are sessions on sleep, food and the good life in general – plus ongoing supper clubs in Hearth which see celebrated chefs such as Café Cecilia’s Max Rocha collaborate on dinners with Skye. In the art-filled Boot Room, guests can borrow from a smartly arranged line of Hunter wellies and Barbour jackets to explore the grounds and activities on offer, including year-round wild swimming, falconry, tincture-making workshops, fishing, boating and willow weaving.
THE VERDICT
A stay at Heckfield will always feel like a treat because of the charming service. On arrival, your car will be whisked away, while you’re given a refreshing herbal hand towel and livening botanical drink. By the time one of the lovely staff has given you the grand tour, your bags will be in your room, drinks will be on ice and the Roberts radio will be playing. It’s all so effortless.
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While a lovely lunch in Marle and a wander around the grounds make for a special daytrip, the real gems are saved for overnight guests. There are sprawling spaces reserved only for residents. The Morning Room, which overlooks the lake, always has an enormous communal jigsaw on the go for anyone to dip into. The adjoining Drawing Room is a roaring fire-clad space where you can sink into a sofa and help yourself to unlimited afternoon pots of tea and cake (this changes daily, but keep your fingers crossed it's Skye’s famous sticky ginger cake). Back in our bedroom, the team went out of their way to string up a ‘Happy Birthday’ banner and write a birthday card during our stay, an unexpected touch. We loved that the mini bar was filled with no-charge, help-yourself homemade cocktails, cans of own-brand beer, cheese straws and ginger biscuits fresh from the kitchen. And there were more of those luxurious Wildsmith products in the bathroom. With Heckfield Place, it’s all in the details. We didn’t want to leave, and neither will you.
Heckfield, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 0LD
Visit HECKFIELDPLACE.COM
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