Golf and Spa Breaks

[Bratty]

I've played at Celtic Manor, only the Montgomerie course.. and have watched tournaments on the 2010 course including day 1 of the Ryder Cup and got totally drenched

It's well within the distance... I'm not sure about the spa facilities, but the courses and hotel just lack... hmmmn, something.. the excitement factor? Happy to be proved wrong though.

The spa is pretty good, but I know what you mean about the hotel. It lacked soul, I felt.

 

[sunshine]

Not The Grove. The course is fantastic, the hotel is shockingly bad. I won't go into details, but I promise you, it's the worse hotel experience I've had in the UK. The spa is average too.

I think you need to go into details!

My Mrs thought the spa was top notch, it’s very luxurious (and expensive). Hotel and glasshouse restaurant were pretty good too (and expensive!). The golf course is always in fantastic condition (and er expensive).

 

[Bratty]

The golf course is fantastic, without doubt. No complaints about it or the staff at the clubhouse and proshop.

The spa was not tidy, the waiting room is depressing as hell and quite small, the facilities are good but very, very busy. Not a patch on The Gainsborough spa, which is special, or Stoke Park and absolutely nothing like the Conrad Algrave at all (our favourite spa).

We arrived to a heaving lobby and kids running everywhere. We spotted 4 tables that had been pushed together in the bar restaurant which were dirty but vacant. After 10 minutes waiting to check in, we headed to the bar and saw the tables still weren't cleared (nor the floor!). We asked if we could sit there once cleared and split and were told of course, but to wait at the bar and order there. Which we tried to do but the barman seemed more interested in talking about his pending holiday to us than getting our drinks or taking the food order.
After another 15 minutes and me asking once more, the table was finally ready and we got lunch.

Heading to the room, the decor in the corridors is hideous, with weird perspex side tables stuffed with feathers, or flowers, or pine cones, or any old *** they could stuff in them.

The room itself was perfectly nice and comfy, and couldn't fault that.
Dinner was included, which was just as well, because £20 for fish and chips in what is essentially the spike bar restaurant takes the piss. Especially as they brought out ketchup and mayonnaise in their squeeze bottles!! 5 star hotel!! I'm not asking for silver salvers, but bloody hell!

Breakfast, we enter the other restaurant, and are seated in an area next to two families and small children, even though there were plenty of tables further away. We asked to move, but again, most 5 star hotels I've stayed at don't seat a couple near families, especially when it's a buffet and so waiter "sections" aren't a thing.

It claims to be a "relaxed 5 star", but relaxed doesn't mean I should have to put up with any of that that for the amount I was paying!

The only good bit about The Grove Hotel experience was the lounge area that's a little like a library. A real escape from the masses and lovely and quiet. Tea, coffee and sandwiches were very pleasant there. The grounds are nice to walk around too.
It's a 4 star hotel, charging 5 star plus prices.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

South Lodge for hotel and spa.

Apparently guests get preferential rates at Mannings Heath, I've never tested that, whenever I've stayed at the hotel it's been so good I've not wanted to play golf

 

[IanM]

Sadly I’ve always come away from The Grove thinking, really liked the course, but Crikey, the prices are stupid.

 

[sunshine]

The golf course is fantastic, without doubt. No complaints about it or the staff at the clubhouse and proshop.

The spa was not tidy, the waiting room is depressing as hell and quite small, the facilities are good but very, very busy. Not a patch on The Gainsborough spa, which is special, or Stoke Park and absolutely nothing like the Conrad Algrave at all (our favourite spa).

We arrived to a heaving lobby and kids running everywhere. We spotted 4 tables that had been pushed together in the bar restaurant which were dirty but vacant. After 10 minutes waiting to check in, we headed to the bar and saw the tables still weren't cleared (nor the floor!). We asked if we could sit there once cleared and split and were told of course, but to wait at the bar and order there. Which we tried to do but the barman seemed more interested in talking about his pending holiday to us than getting our drinks or taking the food order.
After another 15 minutes and me asking once more, the table was finally ready and we got lunch.

Heading to the room, the decor in the corridors is hideous, with weird perspex side tables stuffed with feathers, or flowers, or pine cones, or any old *** they could stuff in them.

The room itself was perfectly nice and comfy, and couldn't fault that.
Dinner was included, which was just as well, because £20 for fish and chips in what is essentially the spike bar restaurant takes the piss. Especially as they brought out ketchup and mayonnaise in their squeeze bottles!! 5 star hotel!! I'm not asking for silver salvers, but bloody hell!

Breakfast, we enter the other restaurant, and are seated in an area next to two families and small children, even though there were plenty of tables further away. We asked to move, but again, most 5 star hotels I've stayed at don't seat a couple near families, especially when it's a buffet and so waiter "sections" aren't a thing.

It claims to be a "relaxed 5 star", but relaxed doesn't mean I should have to put up with any of that that for the amount I was paying!

The only good bit about The Grove Hotel experience was the lounge area that's a little like a library. A real escape from the masses and lovely and quiet. Tea, coffee and sandwiches were very pleasant there. The grounds are nice to walk around too.
It's a 4 star hotel, charging 5 star plus prices.

That's poor - when you fork out premium prices for somewhere like the Grove you expect perfection. This sounds more like butlins!

To be fair, my experiences of the Grove hotel and spa were excellent. Much quieter, attentive staff, etc.

At the Grove, I think it's the little added touches that make a difference to the cost. Things like a neat little pyramid of balls next to each bay on the practice ground. Someone has to keep topping up those pyramids so they need more staff and have to charge more for it. I couldn't give a toss about the pyramids or the fancy flower arrangement in the corridors, it's all wasted on me.

 

[winty57]

Goodwood is worth looking at, Hotel with spa and 2 courses, Downs and Park with Chichester on the doorstep and only 11/2 hours from Reading

 

[Blakey]

not sure how easy it is to get on the course, but Beaverbrook is excellent by all accounts.

https://www.beaverbrook.co.uk/

 

[Bratty]

Goodwood is worth looking at, Hotel with spa and 2 courses, Downs and Park with Chichester on the doorstep and only 11/2 hours from Reading

I'm going there Sunday/Monday... ill check it out and report back.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You could try Nailcote Hall. A very interesting par 3 course on site (home to the British par 3 champs) and has a spa. Very close to places like the Forest of Arden and The Belfry. I'm sure there are other perhaps less well known courses as well locally. A great hotel and the owner Rick Cressman really does look after his guests. https://www.nailcotehall.co.uk/leisure

Out of interest where in Reading are you and where do you play

 

[Aussie Swinger]

Have a look at Whittlebury Hall. It’s right next to Silverstone GP circuit. Fantastic facilty, great hotel and spa, 3 loops of 9 holes and quality spa options. Was not ridiculously expensive last time I went either. Bonus of easy to get to from your postcode..

 

[HarperDunn]

My husband and I have been to several golf hotels in the UK. Here are the ones we liked best: Rudding Park Hotel, The Mere Golf Resort and Spa, and Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa. If you want to play golf and get quality spa treatments, I recommend you choose from the last two hotels I mentioned. My husband and I usually go on holiday to take a complete break from our working lives, to relax and enjoy each other. I adore spa treatments. I try to go to the spa at least once a month. But now I only use OnSite Med Spa services because they deliver them home.

 

[Marshy77]

Carden Park

 

[Hacky]

Bowood in Wiltshire...
Or Manor House Castle Combe.

Little over an hour from Reading and a world away

Manor House is a lovely hotel and course, sadly it doesn’t have a spa to keep the other half amused (though sitting around one of the nice open fires with a drink in hand is a good substitute)