The Priory: A Weekend Retreat

Still got the January blues? It’s time to check into the Priory …

The 4 star Nutfield Priory is located in Reigate less than an hour from London and is perfect for a blues busting weekend away.

I’d had a pretty rough New Year what with being stuck in Edinburgh reporting from the worlds biggest New Years Eve party. When the lovely guys at handpickedhotels.com invited me down to check out their quintessential country house hotel for a weekend of lounging around in a fluffy white robe it didn’t take much persuasion, and I headed off to deepest depths of Surrey.

As you pull up to The Priory, a neo gothic style mansion once a residential school owned by the local authority, gone are the dorms and blackboards and replaced with plush suites and large formal communal spaces to hang out and drink tea.

As I was shown to my suite ‘The Kipling’ named after the famous poet Rudyard Kipling, which was to be my home for the weekend, there was even a plaque by the front door with one of his most famous poems ‘if’ just case you fancied getting familiar with his work.

The suite itself was huge with a king size leather sleigh bed that you literally have to climb up into and perfect for all day lounging around. The Suite was fully equipped with free wifi, mini bar and a snazzy coffee machine which I never did quite work out to turn on. The style was classic with a touch of luxury.

As dinner & breakfast was included in the weekend package, I headed down to the Cloisters Restaurant holder of 2 rosettes from the AA for culinary excellence for my foodie fix and it far exceeded my expectations.

Ordering from the set 3 course menu there was plenty of choice with 5 starters & mains. I plumped for the duck rillette on two nights of my stay, the pork belly one night and the sea bass for another. They the were excellent in taste and presentation worthy of its rosette rating.

Breakfast was a choice of cooked options from the full works to healthy haddock accompanied with a view of the rolling countryside and free papers on hand to catch up with world outside.

In order to break up the day I visited the health club located in the grounds with its onsite spa! Indulging in a facial and massage combo the treatments promptly sent me heading back to the suite in a zen like trance and I crashed out for the rest afternoon in total bliss.

My stay at the Priory was a weekend of indulgent ‘me time’ with great surroundings and excellent food. If you are needing some time out from life The Priory is the perfect pit stop. Highly recommended.

Website: www.handpickedhotels.co.uk

Twitter: @NutfieldPriory @hp_hotels

Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa,
Nutfield Road
Redhill
Surrey
RH1 4EL

[email protected]
T: 0845 072 7485 / 01737 824 400