Escape to the serene Rutland Hall Hotel & Spa for a countryside getaway like no other. With sweeping views of the beautiful Rutland Water, the resort is set in 70 acres of breath-taking landscaped hillside, and offers a range of amenities, including on-site activities, a leisure club, indulgent spa treatments and a stylish dining experience.
We were there to discover and experience it all, we love a luxury country retreat and love to introduce these hidden gems to you.
Rutland itself is wedged between Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire and is the smallest historic county in England. With chocolate box country villages, thatched roofs, stunning countryside, fascinating history and historic buildings with a timeless charm, there was a lot to pack into our two night stay.
Let’s start with the accommodation and surroundings
Rutland Hall Hotel is actually a resort, not just a hotel, with rooms, lodges, apartments and cottages to choose from, all within its 70 acres of grounds and mature parkland. This gives you the option of a hotel stay experience or flexible living with self-catering options. We stayed in a stunning room with a private balcony looking over Rutland Water. We noticed that the self-catering options were really busy, and it wasn’t yet the school holidays!
There is a real family appeal, we could see why it was bustling. You can take a dip in the swimming pool, enjoy a game of crazy golf, visit the gym, cycle the grounds and surrounding country lanes, indulge in a spot of fly fishing, bird watching, horse riding or water sports. Get the picture?
Self Catering Cottages and the Leisure Pool
There are endless things to do for all the family in and around Rutland Hall Hotel. But we were there for a romantic couple stay and we were to discover it’s perfect for that too.
There are a few luxury rooms within the 19th century Rutland Hall, this is a house full of timeless charm and character, perfect if you enjoy authentic, beautiful period buildings, complete with creaking floors for full authenticity.
Our Room and the view
Our own room was separate from the main house, more modern, stylish and roomy, with a lovely balcony with sweeping views of Rutland Water. This was the perfect spot to enjoy morning coffee and a glass of wine after dinner, just listening to the sounds of the countryside and watching the hundreds of Swifts flying and nesting.
Dining Options
If you are staying in one of the self-catering lodges, cottages or apartments, you have your own cooking facilities, with the option to eat for an additional cost in Blossoms Bar and Restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch, snacks, afternoon tea and dinner. You can eat inside the large, open plan restaurant (we loved the booths), or outside on the covered terrace for a more Mediterranean vibe.
As we had a hotel room, our stay included breakfast and dinner in the restaurant. Breakfast is buffet style, and one of the best we have experienced. Lots of choice and all items were refreshed continuously. We set ourselves up for each day ahead with a selection of fresh fruit and yogurt, followed by a full English breakfast for hubby and poached eggs on sourdough toast with bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes for me.
This saw us through the day until it was time for dinner, when it has to be said that we ate the most delicious Braised Steak and Ale Pie and Sticky BBQ Pork Ribs! Very generous portions and absolutely perfect.
Pet Friendly
With space to play, beautiful grounds to explore and long countryside walks, Rutland Hall Hotel is the perfect retreat for your four-legged friends. Canine companions are welcome within the hotel grounds, on the outside terrace and within selected accommodation.
What we did
Walking the grounds and parkland of Rutland Hall may be as far as you want to venture and let’s face it, there are enough activities on-site to keep you occupied. But we wanted to see what else is in the area so on day one, we put the walking boots on and walked around beautiful Rutland Water, stopping to take in gorgeous scenery, people boating and fishing and the abundance of wildlife.
Walking a full circuit, which takes in the Hambleton Peninsula, will see you cover 24 miles, 16 if avoiding Hambleton. It’s a fabulous walk with many trails to follow so you can take in as much or as little as you feel like.
We visited Hambleton, a beautiful village with thatched cottages, a museum, a village green, a country pub and a gorgeous very old church. Rutland cannot fail to impress. There are over 50 pretty villages to explore, all of which are well kept, charming and unspoilt.
Oakham School was another place we wanted to see, founded in 1584 by Archdeacon Robert Johnson, it is in the heart of Oakham, the county town of Rutland. The buildings today provide a beautiful and historic backdrop to the town. Even a drive by brings a few ‘wows’!
While there, make time to visit Oakham Castle. The splendid Great Hall of Oakham Castle is one of the finest Norman Halls in England and is best known for its collection of enormous commemorative Horseshoes donated by members of the Royal Family and Peers of the Realm. It is also decorated with a range of 12th century sculptures. The grounds of the Castle make a lovely walk too.
Rutland is a great area to visit and Rutland Hall Hotel makes the perfect country retreat and base to explore from. You can find out more, view all offers and check availability at www.rutlandhall.co.uk.
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Some images supplied, others taken on the review visit.
