Holm
Palate pleaser
(S)oak up Somerset
Honey-hued Holm, the brainchild of Nicholas Balfe, who founded some of Brixton’s best-loved restaurants, has laid down roots in southern Somerset. Spruce yourself up in one of the seven mid-century-inspired rooms – all named after British trees (Holm is a type of oak after all) and some bear bedside egg-shaped bath tubs – before pining after the sensational seasonal cooking at the reason-you’re-probably-here restaurant. And with its walk-in wine cellar, suntrap terrace and tempting three-course breakfast, we expect epicureans will keep this stay evergreen.
Facilities
Rooms
Seven.
Checkout
10am. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates include a seasonal three-course breakfast; dishes typically comprise yoghurt with homemade granola and compote, a hot dish with smoked trout or thick-cut pork belly, and a sweet treat, plus tea or cafetière coffee.
Also
Unfortunately, this boutique bolthole is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility, but the restaurant is fit for all – it’s on the ground floor and has accessible bathrooms.
Hotel Closed
Holm is open for stays from Wednesday night to Sunday morning; the restaurant serves until Sunday afternoon.
Free Internet Access
Pet Friendly
On-Site Restaurant
At the Hotel
Kitchen garden, terrace and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, minibar, bathrobes and Haeckels bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Holm is a type of oak and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to the rooms – all seven are christened after a range of English shrubs. The mid-century-styled spaces are characterised by local and antique artwork, pared-down plaster walls and soft furnishings in burnt orange and ochre. Bookworms might like Osier’s selection of reads; families can book Rowan and Hornbeam to create a private top-floor stay, or leave the little Smiths behind and shack up in Elm (the double shower and prying eyes don’t pair well). Plus, the latter three rooms are adorned with egg-shaped freestanding bath tubs.
Packing Tips
Swap hiking boots for Grenson ones, waterproofs for Wales Bonner – this is one soigné stay.
Also
The local artwork adorning the lime-plaster walls is available to buy, so if you like anything you see, you can take a piece (of) Holm with you. Come spring, you can book into the stay’s yoga and pilates programmes, plus a wild garlic foraging workshop.
Children
Welcome; cots for under-3s can be added to all rooms except Juniper (£25 a night including breakfast), and under-12s can sleep on a rollaway in Rowan, Hornbeam or Elm (£50 a night including breakfast). Over-12s will need their own room.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Bag a seat at the counter for front-row kitchen action, otherwise sidle up on a pine-green banquette.
Dress Code
Take inspiration from the up-to-scratch interiors and don your best on-trend threads.
Hotel Restaurant
Let’s be honest, if you’re staying at Holm, it’s probably for the food. And rightly so – style and substance coalesce in seasonal dishes showcasing the best of the county’s produce (smoked potato agnolotti with chicken jus and trout crudo with blood orange are among the firm favourites). The contemporary dining room subtly nods to the building’s former lives – the steak knives are made from reclaimed elm-wood beams from its merchant-house days, and the restaurant resides in the old vaults from when the space was more recently a bank (in case you were wondering why a cash point is shrouded behind a curtain). However you choose to work up an appetite between dinner and breakfast is up to you, but trust us you’ll want to be hungry for the morning’s three-course offering – homemade granola and compote, cured pork belly or smoked trout, tamari-glazed mushrooms and a flaky pastry is the real breakfast of champions.
Hotel Bar
There’s no formal bar, but hole up in one of Holm’s drinking spots: the window-wrapped studio space has an honesty bar; sip a biodynamic wine by the fireplace in the restaurant’s snug, or settle in with a house Negroni on the garden-facing terrace. If you’re more of a visual learner, ditch the wine list and see the line-up for yourself in the walk-in cellar.
Last Orders
Breakfast is 8am to 10am and lunch is noon to 2.30pm, both served Thursday to Sunday. Dine between 6pm and 9pm and drink in the bar until 11pm, Wednesday to Saturday.
Planes
Exeter’s airport is a 45-minute drive from Holm; Bristol’s is just over an hour away by car, and Bournemouth’s is closer to a 90-minute drive.
Trains
South Western Railway runs services from London Waterloo and Exeter St David’s to Crewkerne station, which is a 20-minute cab ride from the hotel.
Automobiles
Holm is a three-hour drive from London; an hour’s drive from Exeter, or 90 minutes by car from Bristol. There is a small car park at the foot of the hotel’s garden; the larger Prigg Lane car park, which is a short walk from the hotel’s front door, is on the corner of St James Street and Prigg Lane. Free on-street parking is available throughout the village.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
In preparation for Holm’s multi-course meals, stretch your legs with an appetite-rousing ramble through Ham Hill Country Park; the sunsets from this verdant hilltop are rather spectacular. South Petherton is sandwiched between two National Trust manors – Barrington Court and Montacute House both boast manicured gardens and Tudor heritage. For cliff-top walks and wild swims, Dorset’s dramatic Jurassic Coast is under an hour’s drive away. Swap sea-air stomps for strolls around quaint market town Bridport or debonair Bruton; the latter is home to contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth Somerset, which has just-as-photogenic gardens.
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. .
