The Grove

Style

Sybaritic country pad

Setting

Herts aflutter

A stately stay with staying power, The Grove in Hertfordshire has been around for decades but this Grade II-listed mansion with a contemporary wing and stellar spa set on a country estate has only recently attracted Smith’s attention, thanks to an overhaul of family-friendly rooms and suites dressed by Martin Hulbert, a robust roster of fun to tempt Smiths of all ages (woodland nature trails, archery and s’mores by the fire), as well as a top-notch kids’ club and babysitting allowing you to step away for a round of golf, spa treatment or dinner for two.

Facilities

Rooms

214, including 12 suites in the 18th-century Grade II-listed mansion.

Checkout

11am; earliest check-in, 3pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include breakfast at the Glasshouse. Suite bookings also include a personal host, private check-in, complimentary minibar, late check-out (1pm), Hackney Gelato menu, bluetooth speaker, and in-room massage (additional charge).

Also

A choice of West Wing rooms, the spa and restaurants are all wheelchair-accessible.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Golf

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Kids’ club, e-bikes, archery, football, tennis, 18-hole golf course, walled garden, kitchen garden, woodland with marked trails, outdoor cinema and beach (both summer only). In rooms: free WiFi, flatscreen TV, minibar, Nespresso coffee machine, free tea and coffee, free bottled water, Bamford bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Families are spoilt for choice at the Grove: deluxe rooms in the West Wing have the most space, small balconies and beds for four. Updated rooms and suites in the Grade II-listed mansion will be unveiled in Spring 2023 and we can’t wait to see how Martin Hulbert transforms them. Of the suites, the Clarendon (for four) is your most family friendly option.

Poolside

Wooden pillars stand sentry poolside at Sequoia, where a black-mosaic-tiled pool beneath a vaulted timbered ceiling is a scenic spot for languid laps; over-fourss are allowed 3pm–5pm daily; at other times between 6am and 9pm (Monday to Friday) or 8am–8pm (weekends), it’s adults only. In summer months, a heated outdoor pool is available beside Ralph’s Beach, combining deckchairs and sandcastles with an ice-cream kiosk. The kids’ club has a toddler-friendly splash pool open daily 10am–6pm.

Spa

Open to members as well as hotel guests, Sequoia Spa is somewhere you could easily spend all day – a smart den of spaces to lounge indoors and out (swing seats and hammocks enhance the laidback vibe), with a choice of bathing options and a wellness-focused restaurant. Much of its appeal is rooted in opportunities to relax: join a yoga class or meditation session, book a facial or massage, and alternate dips in its mosaic-tiled pool with spells in the Jacuzzi, steam room or sauna. Espa therapists work across 18 tucked-away treatment rooms offering body therapies from wraps and exfoliation to deep-tissue, holistic or hot-stone massages; facials are tailored to your needs using skin analysis and Espa products. There’s plenty to raise your heart rate, too: gym bunnies will love the Technogym Visioweb kit and cardio machines including Peloton in the fitness studio – also the place to join an exercise class or opt for personal training. It's best to book treatments in advance, the spa can get booked up fast...

Packing Tips

Evening glamour for dinner at the Glasshouse or Madhu’s; waxed jackets and country-chic wool tailoring for woodland wanders and garden strolls.

Also

To avoid disappointment let a Smith travel specialist reserve kids’ club places when you book your stay.

Children

Families are very welcome; the hotel just request you make all bookings with children over the phone. Under-threes stay for free and its £50 a night for four- to 12-year-olds (£75 during peak dates).

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

At the Glasshouse, bag a cosy bench by the Richard Thomas mural or a table beside the windows – grab a bench against the timbers at the Stables; the round table set into the bay window at the Lounges looks out onto a scenic spot.

Dress Code

Casual by day, but ditch the denim and trainers in favour of your most glamorous threads for evening.

Hotel Restaurant

A glass-panelled dining room of round wooden tables and taupe-upholstered tub chairs that looks onto the gardens and bench-fringed fire pit, the Glasshouse is an all-day affair offering polished plates, food hall-style. A wide choice of cuisines is whipped up using locally sourced produce, some of which is from the hotel’s kitchen garden. Expect dedicated stations for salad, sushi, pasta, grills and roasts and leave room for cheese or dessert – both of which have counters that it’d be churlish to ignore. There’s not a hint of hay nor horses at casual dining spot the Stables, which consists of a pair of banquet-hall-long spaces flanking a prettily planted courtyard. Country-club interiors are dressed with pale timber, leather upholstery and wrought-iron candelabras suspended from exposed rafters. This is an idyllic spot for drinks with snacks or a light bite by day, although food is served until 9pm. Poke bowls, wraps and Asian broths are all on the health-focused menu at Sequoia Spa.

With an open fire and garden views, the strikingly wallpapered Lounges are open for sushi any time between noon and 9pm, as well as coffee or afternoon tea. Evening-only Madhu’s is a pop-up South Asian restaurant in the mansion for dishes such as chilli-garlic prawns, slow-cooked spiced lamb and tandoori chicken. From late May to early September, guests can also indulge in the Cloud Nine pop-up dining experience, featuring a nine-course tasting menu served in vintage balloon baskets set amidst the walled gardens. It might be best to make a reservation for dinner, tables get booked up fast...

Hotel Bar

As you pass through the archway entrance at the Stables, the restaurant is on one side, the bar on the other with terrace tables overlooking the golf course. It has a bar menu, so you can dine here, too, or bag a rustic booth and order a Hugo Spritz with lime, mint and prosecco, or a house lemonade made with lemon thyme syrup. In a light-filled space with stools at the bar and a mix of dining-height and low-slung tables, the Glasshouse Bar is a laid-back spot for grazing on sushi and browsing an international wine list and starred line-up of cocktails. The latter are crafted using herbs and fruit grown in the hotel’s walled garden: try a cognac-based prescription julep or Grove Mary made with sriracha. You can waft in your robe and slippers to a table on the terrace at Sequoia Spa, which serves tea, coffee, smoothies, juices and protein shakes, plus a small selection of wines by the glass.

Last Orders

Breakfast at the Glasshouse is served 7am–10am; lunch, noon–2pm and dinner, 5.30pm–9pm (hours at the Stables are similar). The Lounges is open noon until 9pm; Madhu’s is open 5.30pm–9.30pm (Tuesday–Sunday). Food is served at the spa 11am–4pm.

Room Service

A dedicated menu is available between 6am and 11pm.

Planes

All London airports are accessible from the hotel, with Heathrow and Luton being the nearest (a 30-minute drive away); Gatwick and Stansted are each an hour away by road. Private transfers can be arranged on request for an additional charge.

Trains

Watford Junction is 10 minutes by road from the hotel and has direct 20-minute links to London Euston. There are taxis at the station or the hotel can arrange private transfers if booked ahead.

Automobiles

A car will be handy around these quieter ends; the hotel is around an hour and 15 minutes north-west of central London, and once you arrive, there’s a free private carpark and valet parking.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

The museums, galleries and shops of central London are a train-ride away, but there are nearer delights: take a Warner Bros Studio Tour (a five-minute drive from the hotel) to gen up on all things Harry Potter, or perfect your parallel turns at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. The hotel can arrange horse riding on the Ashridge Estate and archery but be sure to book in advance, as their activities tend to get booked up quickly. In peaceful parkland, Chilterns Open Air Museum is home to 37 reconstructed buildings that bring the area’s social history to life from an Iron Age dwelling to a post-war prefab home. Catch a movie at the Rex, an art deco cinema in Berkhamsted. Falconry centre Woodland Hawking organises walks with Harris hawks through the woodlands at the Grove. If you've got dogs in tow, the Grand Union Canal towpath loops through Heath Wood for an idyllic off-lead amble.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .