'I experienced luxury accommodation, food and spa at award-winning Mallory Court Hotel and Spa, Leamington Spa'

I was thrilled to be invited to review the hotel, in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, as I knew I’d be in for a treat. This is because I have previously had the joy of staying in the Arden Hotel, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and both are part of the Eden Hotel Collection.

My partner, Callum, and I packed our bags and set off on the two hour journey from our home in Yorkshire full of excitement and anticipation - and we were thrilled when we arrived at Mallory Court Hotel and Spa, which boasts a four AA Red Star Hotel rating. According to the personalised letter which was left in our room, Mallory Court is committed to providing a “relaxing and enjoyable” stay, and it certainly achieved its goal.

The hotel has recently had a £1.5 million makeover which has seen all 19 bedrooms refurbished. I don’t know what the hotel looked like prior to the renovation, but my inital reaction upon seeing the result of the work was ‘wow’. The hotel is simply stunning and oozes elegance, charm and sophistication. It is a quintessential English country house so it’s also just as stunning from the outside as it is on the inside.

The aim of the refurbishment was to make the decor better reflect the 10 acres of lush, green countryside in which the building sits within, and this goal has certainly been achieved.

We stayed in the Hanbury room, and - aside from the sheer opulance of the room - the first thing I noticed was the statement wallpaper; pale pink with birds and flowers. It truly did feel like bringing the outside in.

I was told that all the bedrooms feature designer floral and geometric wallpapers and fabrics from Romo and GP & J Baker among others. They all also have their own individual character - and I’d love to see what the 18 other rooms look like. It was refreshing to stay in a hotel room that did have it’s own identity and unique design. It made it feel more luxurious, but also much warmer and more homely at the same time.

The next thing I noticed, of course, had to be the view outside the window. We were lucky enough to have chosen a warm weekend to stay, so looking out of the window to the extensive gardens basking in the sunshine was truly something to behold. Callum and I were also lucky enough to be able to take this in sat on our very own balcony - a rare feature of a hotel room, but one that was much loved and enjoyed frequently our stay.

Seeing the stunning view evoked instant feelings of peace - which is exactly what you want when you’ve gone away for the weekend. This was also a feeling that continued in to the room, thanks to the sumptious bed which had a velvet headboard in a rich art deco burgundy colour, beautiful soft furnishings such as cushions, a cosy sofa and chairs, and lamps - which all also gave the room a calming ambience.

As part of the refurbishment, existing bedside tables, desks and wardrobes have been restored by local craftsmen specialising in French polishing. Chairs and sofas have also been re-upholstered with a range of chenille and herringbone fabric patterns. It’s clear that the bedrooms have been re-designed and created with lots of love, and the result is a wonderfully stylish, impactful and relaxing environment.

I was also very appreciative of the huge amount of storage space available. There was a built in wardrobe on each side of the bed, which meant that Callum and I both had ample space to hang our clothes - ideal for me as I am, by my own admission, a classic over-packer. There was also another large built in cupboard with multiple drawers, a separate chest of drawers, and a dressing table.

In addition, there was also a small table and a coffee table in the room, along with shelves filled with books about fashion, food and architecture and tasteful nature themed ornaments. The fireplace was another impressive feature. The room had all the amenities you’d expect from a four star establishment; a fridge, a safe, complimentary tea and coffee facilities, an iron and ironing board, a hairdryer, a TV, fluffy robes and slippers.

The bathroom was also an inviting place to be as all of the in-room bathrooms have been re-configured with freestanding baths and showers amid a back drop of black and cream checkerboard floor tiles, cream metro wall tiles with black borders and new deco-inspired sanitaryware and light fittings from Chelsom and R S Robertson. I was very happy to take an hour out to enjoy a long hot soak in the bath, which felt like my own spa experience thanks to the inculusion of Temple Spa products in the room.

Speaking of a spa experience, the hotel does have its very own full spa - Elan Spa. Anyone who knows me knows that my favourite kind of weekend away is a spa break, so I was overjoyed to be invited to experience the spa as part of our stay.

The spa is in a separate building in the grounds of the hotel, but only a short walk from the hotel. It has been awarded 5 bubbles from the Good Spa Guide, and offers an indoor salt sauna, an indoor steam room, an indoor hydrotherapy swimming pool, an outdoor glass fronted sauna and an outdoor vitality pool.

We enjoyed all of the facilities, but particularly the outdoor ones. We were lucky that when we visited the weather was ideal, but there was nothing quite like sitting and relaxing in the outdoor vitality pool - which is similar to a jacuzzi with warm water and water jets - while looking out over the beautiful scenery.

As part of our spa experience, we were also invited to each enjoy a full body massage called Drift Away, which is also carried out using Temple Spa products. The description on the website reads: “This deeply relaxing top-to-toe massage, formulated with a dreamy blend of Mediterranean essential oils including Frankincense, Lavender and Patchouli, is guaranteed to have you drifting away”. That description is very accurate.

I felt so relaxed during the treatment that I had to catch myself and stop myself falling asleep a handful of times - the reason being that I wanted to make sure that I stayed awake to enjoy the experience fully - and Callum told me afterwards that he felt the same. This is the only time that telling someone you nearly fell asleep while they performed their job is a compliment, but it was truly wonderful.

In fact, I normally shy away from full body massages because I’ve not previously particularly enjoyed having my legs massaged, but can say that this has changed my opinion and I have never enjoyed a full body massage so much.

Special thanks must go to my therapist Louise for her amazing expertise and skill. I wish the hotel wasn’t a two hour drive from home, as if it was closer I’d be booking in for another treatment with her as soon as possible. I really appreciated having a cup of tea and chocolate mint waiting for me in the spa waiting area too after the treatment was over. It’s extra little touches like this which make all the difference and make you feel truly pampered and well cared for. The spa is A* and certainly deserves its award-winning status.

Returning to our room fully refreshed and very well-rested, Callum and I changed for the evening and then made our way down the (very grand) staircase in to the hotel’s restaurant area.

The hotel’s 3 AA Rosette restaurant, The Dining Room, serves dishes made from freshly harvested produce from the hotel’s very own kitchen gardens. You can’t get fresher food than ingredients which have been taken from (practically) right outside the front door, and it’s really great to know that all the food is local and the gardens are serving a practical, sustainable purpose as well as being lovely to look at.

The first thing to say about the evening meal is that it was a dining experience, not just dinner. Callum and I were blown away by the service we experienced and the food we were presented with.

Firstly, we were taken in to a waiting area just off from The Dining Room - another room with stylish and cosy cosy and chairs - and given menus to browse while we were brought drinks and appetisers. Then, when we had placed our order, we were taken in to The Dining Room. Think high class white linens, ambient lighting and flowers on the table. Like every other part of the hotel, the room was refined and grand but welcoming.

To whet our appetites, we were given some freshly baked bread, which was still warm from the oven. It was delicious; with a soft centre and a crunch to the crust. It definitely made it look forward to what was to come.

For starters, I had confit egg yolk, manchego cheese, sourdough and mushrooms. This was actually on the menu with serrano ham, not mushrooms, but after I asked for clarification of which dishes were vegetarian for my dietary requirement I was told that the dish could be adapted for me. I partiularly appreciated that the ham was swapped for the mushrooms, instead of just one ingredient being taken away as so often happens in restaurants when you ask for a veggie version of a dish. My thanks to the chef for this as it showed real thoughtfulness and care.

The dish itself was delicious and I loved the saltiness of the cheese contrasted with the earthy taste of the mushrooms. Callum opted for the cornish crab, avocado, chill crisp and radish. He found the dish to be extremely pleasing on the palate and found it to be the perfect light start to the meal. The crab and avocado were creamy and melted in the mouth, and the chilli crisp was just that. He said multiple taste profiles and textures were enjoyed with this dish.

For mains, I had black bomber gnocchi, spring vegetables and red pepper. Again, it was divine and I savoured every mouthful. The way gnocchi is cooked is a personal preference - and luckily I do enjoy it all ways - but the chef had actually chosen my favourite way which is to have a little crispyness of the outside but all the softness maintained on the inside. So, for me, it was cooked to perfection. The accompanying asparagus was also perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Callum chose the Oxfordshire hogget, potato terrine, French beans and salsa verde. He had never had hogget before, but trusted in the award-winning status if the restaurant and anticipated that the dish would be enjoyable. He was pleased to find the hogget was very tender, and a perfect balance between lamb and mutton. The accompanying sides were also delicious and a great compliment to the plate.

For dessert, we both chose the tainoir 64% chocolate mousse with textures of blood orange. The original plan was to share a dessert, but our server Elena insisted that we treat ourselves and have one each so we did - and we were very glad. It was a little taste of heaven for any chocoholic, which Callum and I both admit we are. It was wonderfully rich and soft, and was decadent while also being light.

As well as being incredible on the tastebuds all of the dishes were also amazing on the eye as they were presented so beautifully on the plate. Again, I must repeat, this wasn’t just dinner, this was so much more. Much like it was obvious the rooms had been created by people who have true passion for their craft, it is obvious that the menu has been created by people who adore their work too. Our many thanks to the chef, and again the restaurant absolutely deserves its award-winning status.

In addition, I want to give my particular thanks to Elena. Every member of staff who we spoke to during our stay was lovely and couldn’t have been any more friendly and helpful, but I want to give special thanks to Elena as she chatted to us while she was preparing our table between courses and made us feel very comfortable. She was extremely attentive and we enjoyed her conversation and the knowledge she brought.

The next morning, after a hearty full English breakfast (veggie version for me, of course), it was (sadly) time to check out. Once we had put our suitcases in the car, however, we took the time to walk around the hotel’s expansive grounds and really appreciate the beauty and peace of the green landscape before heading back home.

We were also gifted some wildflower seeds taken from the garden so we were able to bring a little piece of our fabulous weekend back home with us. We planted them as soon as we returned to Yorkshire and the shoots are already coming through. I can’t wait to have what I’m sure will be a beautiful floral reminder of our perfect Warwickshire weekend.