Review: Boringdon Hall, Devon
Review: Boringdon Hall, Devon
One of the UK’s most Christmassy hotels, with Michelin-starred dining and a beautiful spa
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Could there be a more festive façade than this? Arriving at Boringdon Hall in mid-November, we were greeted by a 16th-century manor house fully gift-wrapped in a giant red ribbon. Any lingering Grinch tendencies are banished the moment you walk through the wreath-laden doors. Every corridor glitters, every room twinkles.
My friend and I were here on a spa weekend, so we settled into one of the hotel’s Wellness Rooms in the modern wing that are just a comfortable walk-in-a-towelling-robe away from the pool. The rooms are all calm neutrals, soft light, and a bathtub in the bedroom (ours remained untouched; my pal and I are close, but that might have been boundary pushing). Our balcony overlooked the historic manor, its kitchen garden, and at night you can see the lights of Plymouth in the distance. With everything from four-poster suites in the historic building to hot-tub hideaways and pared-back courtyard rooms, it’s worth specifying your preference when booking.
Having arrived in the late afternoon, it gave us time for a pre-dinner exploration of Gaia Spa. This adults-only sanctuary comes well-equipped with a Finnish sauna, a Crystal Salt steam room, a Laconium herbal sauna, and, my favourite: an outdoor hot tub reached via a swim-through from the lower hydrotherapy pool.
Aperitif hour brought the arduous dilemma of choosing between a table in the Great Hall by the fireplace, the cosy lounge, or the Secret Bar (entered through a bookcase, of course). We opted for the lounge and settled in before dinner at Àclèaf, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Our balcony table overlooked the Great Hall with its towering Christmas tree.
Head chef Scott Paton delivers cuisine that’s both playful and precise. We chose the four-course menu, though a full tasting option beckons for future indulgence. Highlights included a Japanese-inspired tuna with sesame, theatrically revealed beneath a delicate leaf motif; turbot and langoustine, wrapped in seaweed with a delicate creamy sauce; venison with pear, the meat rich, yielding, delicious; and chocolate and pistachio, crowned with an intricate gold leaf. In case you were wondering what all the leaf references are about, Àclèaf means oak leaf in Old English.
The wine pairing delivered several stars of its own, among them Tenimenti Grieco ‘200 Metri’ Rosso, Tintilia del Molise, showcasing the rare Tintilia Italian grape variety grown in high-altitude soils, and a beautifully aromatic Malagousia from Epanomi, Greece (Ktima Gerovassilliou). But special praise must be given to the supporting cast: a petal-strewn goats’ butter and brioche-like bread that deserved its own encore.
Breakfast the next morning was in the Spatisserie, an airy space with countryside views. A full English proved irresistible and was worth the calorie-splurge. Then it was back to the spa for the new Everglowing Face and Body Treatment: 60 or 90 minutes that started with a back exfoliation, then a back massage, a facial with Gua Sha massage, and general transcendence. I chose firm pressure and promptly lost any sense of time and space. It may be the best massage I’ve ever had. My face also looked uplifted with the aid of the Gua Sha tool.
I was advised to rehydrated afterwards: so I went to the lounge bar for a Cornish IPA, which may not have been quite what the therapist intended but it paired perfectly with cheese-and-ham crumpets by the fire.
Dinner was to be in the Mayflower brasserie, the hotel’s more casual offering. While my venison haunch (£39) was delicious, the prices felt a touch ambitious for the portion sizes. We finished with a cheese board, which we took out to a prime fireside seat in the Grand Hall, where we played Scrabble under the soft glow of Christmas lights. The moment bordered on cinematic.
Our final morning began with an early swim and a breakfast of smoked salmon and perfectly poached eggs before we reluctantly boarded our train back to London. Staff shared tales of summer stays, guests spilling onto the lawn, and walks on Dartmoor, but for all its seasonal versatility, Boringdon Hall feels particularly magical at Christmastime.
For the full festive fantasy, the hotel offers an all-inclusive Christmas Break and a New Year Masquerade Ball that sounds dreamy. Add Boringdon Hall to your letter to Santa now. It even comes wrapped in a bow.
The details
Prices: Everglowing Face & Body Treatment: 60 mins from £135 / 90 mins from £155
Àclèaf: £130, 4 courses
Christmas: 3-nights from £2,980 per couple
New Year break: 1 night from £719 per couple
Plymouth, Devon
