Coworth Park hotel in Ascot is the type of indulgent escape you may remember from your child-free days. But it’s also incredibly family-friendly, as Siobhan Grogan recently discovered with her kids in tow.
Summer day, Coworth Park hotel, Ascot
Booking a hotel with children doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your own creature comforts. Part of the prestigious Dorchester Collection, Coworth Park hotel is a glamorous Georgian manor house you could happily hunker down in for an adults-only weekend break. Yet you’ll be just as warmly welcomed if you turn up with demanding toddlers, as the hotel offers everything a family needs to relax and have fun together. Although, if you want to take time off parenting for a little, it offers childcare too.
Family horse riding, Coworth Park, Ascot
Royals recommend Coworth Park hotel
With huge 240-acre grounds to explore, a ramble round Coworth Park hotel should tire out the most energetic kids. There are endless secret spots and unexpected corners to play hide-and-seek, including a wildflower meadow and a sunken garden, as well as a lime grove. The hotel even has its own helipad so keep your eyes peeled for visiting celebrities. In fact, Prince Harry stayed here the night before his wedding and both he and Prince William have competed on Coworth Park’s polo field.
View of tranquil gardens, Coworth Park, Ascot
Older children won’t get bored either. There are free bikes for exploring, croquet sets for family battles and stables to hand if you fancy horse riding. Windsor Great Park’s Virginia Water is also within strolling distance, with its tranquil lake, woodland trails and ornamental waterfall. Or, better still, LEGOLAND® and Thorpe Park are both within 15 minutes’ drive for slightly less tranquil rollercoaster time.
Decadent bath with a view, Coworth Park
Lux and contemporary is the design theme at bedtime
Rooms in the main Mansion House are surprisingly modern and seriously swish, in shades of tasteful taupe with crisp white linens, warm oak accents and white marble bathrooms. Some bedrooms even have open fireplaces or four poster beds. However, I can personally recommend the Shepherd Suite, not least for its freestanding copper bath which is made for wallowing.
North Lodge family cottage, Coworth Park
Families might also like the separate, but chic, converted stable block built around a communal garden. Book a deluxe, ground floor room here and you also get an outdoor seating area so you can enjoy a pre-dinner drink watching the children race around the lawns. Alternatively, if you really want privacy or are travelling with another family, you could choose one of Coworth Park hotel’s three-bedroom cottages. There are two of these in the grounds, each with their own kitchens and private gardens.
The Barn Restaurant, Coworth Park
You can only eat well at Coworth Park hotel
It’s impossible to have a bad meal at Coworth Park hotel. With its relaxed atmosphere, The Barn is perfect for family dining, plus it has views over the estate and a kids’ menu chock-full of favourites including mini-burgers, chicken goujons and cheesy garlic bread. Parents aren’t an afterthought though and my salt-aged beef fillet with Caesar salad was cooked to melt-in-the-mouth perfection.
Woven by Adam Smith © Mark Bolton
If you’d rather dine in peace, reception will arrange a qualified babysitter so you can try exquisite, seasonal dishes in the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Woven by Adam Smith.
It’s also worth booking the wildly popular afternoon tea, served in Coworth’s elegant drawing room. Expect to feast on perfect pastries and freshly baked scones. There’s champagne for grown-ups, and kids get their very own spread including chicken mayo sandwiches and jam roly-poly. As an added bonus, tea is completely free for under-fives.
The Spa at Coworth Park © James Bedford
The wonderful kids club gives parents a spa break
The Coworth Park hotel spa welcomes kids for designated family swimming sessions, complete with underwater music. Although if you’re craving a relaxing massage or just want to sip a cocktail in peace, Coworth Park Kids is the answer to your frazzled parent prayers.
One of seven fun playrooms, Coworth Park Kids club
More than a mere kids’ club, Coworth Park Kids is an entire house reserved just for children with no fewer than seven playrooms and areas devoted to baking, building, reading and getting messy with arts and crafts. There’s even a teen den for watching movies, playing pool and air hockey or hitting the Xbox and PS4. Special activities each day include face painting, jewellery making, treasure hunts and ceramic painting. And during school holidays Coworth Park organises complimentary family events like archery, falconry and even horse-drawn carriage rides. Guaranteed happy faces all round, then.
Plan a break at Coworth Park hotel
How to get there
Coworth Park hotel, Ascot, Berkshire
The hotel is 45 minutes drive west of London or 49 minutes by train from Waterloo Station. Both Sunningdale and Virginia Water stations in Ascot are less than three miles from the hotel.
Where to stay
Rooms and suites at Coworth Park hotel start from £455 per night.