A short drive from the capital and a retreat worthy of a visit for any busy Londoner.
Let’s face it, Sunday is a pain. Either you are too hangover to move, your partner makes you do a bout of dangerous DIY or you force yourself out on a two hour run. That aside it’s a school night, so Mrs TLE and I decided to sneak out to the country (as you do) to try and lift the Sunday gloom, even if I did have to put up some shelves before we left.
We drove to Macdonald Frimley Hall Hotel and Spa that lies conveniently just off the M3 on the outskirts of Frimley. On arrival – after just under an hour’s drive from South East London – we were struck by the friendly and down to earth but professional staff who gave us the itinerary of our day (Check in, Spa Treatments, Dinner) before being shown to our room, which was really a suite, overlooking the leafy grounds.
After settling in we headed down to the spa, housed in another building a short walk from the main hall, and received a similarly warm greeting and given robes before being asked to fill in forms in a very relaxing room before being introduced to our therapists. The 30 minute full body massage was exactly what we needed to take away the stresses and strains of busy London life and by the end of it I was floating! After the massage we used the spa facilities. The pool was spacious and the relaxing theme continued with low lighting where you could completely wind down.
After a few hours of indulgence in the Spa we headed back to our room to rest for a while before changing for dinner, indulging in a few glasses of champagne as we did so. We changed the time of our reservation twice but they couldn’t be more obliging and by the time Mrs TLE was finally ready for dinner we headed downstairs. The service was impeccable with extremely well trained and professional waiting staff who helpfully explained the menu. After much deliberation we opted for the cod and the venison and an entrée of scallops and duck and generous helpings of fresh bread and butter. As ever the low-carb diet was ruined and we were left to drink the shame away.
The meal was delicious and we finished off with liqueur coffees and dessert which our waitress kindly suggested we enjoy in the drawing room which we did, in front of an open fire!
Even though they were holding a Next store office party in one of the function rooms, they didn’t bother us, apart from reminding us how old we are, as we watched the youngsters arrive in style as we sloped off to bed.
For a brief moment the hustle and bustle of London life couldn’t have seemed further away, until we remembered it was Sunday night. Even so we would recommend a stay at the lovely Frimley Hall to anyone seeking a getaway. I could do this every Sunday…but I guess so could we all.
Macdonald Frimley Hall can be found at Lime Avenue, Off Portsmouth Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 2BG