Bridgerton-inspired escapes: Diamonds of the season
As the third series of Netflix’s Regency-romp Bridgerton graces our screens, make like the Ton and plan a Bridgerton-inspired escape at one of these elegant hotels, fit for a Duke and Duchess
Words by Henrietta Easton
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
You can’t get much closer to the Bridgerton action than at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, whose exterior featured in many scenes from the series. The Georgian arc of the Royal Crescent stood in for London, and the family Featherington’s house is actually the No.1 Royal Crescent museum, just along from the hotel, which is open to visitors and dressed much as it would have been in the 18th century.
For the ultimate Bridgerton-inspired stay, the five-star hotel’s stylish rooms manage to expertly combine Regency opulence (think four-poster beds and velvet sofas) with contemporary design touches. Many bedrooms boast floor-to-ceiling views over the crescent lawn, and some suites even have their own private living room – perfect for entertaining any suitors who have come to ask for your hand in marriage.
The on-site bar and restaurant, Montagu’s Mews, is a glamorous addition, inspired by former resident, Elizabeth Montagu, host of the Blue Stockings Society, writer, and advocate for women’s education. Dine on a menu of carefully curated seasonal modern British dishes and sip on inventive cocktails that would certainly meet the approval of the Bridgerton family.
Although a modern addition, we’re sure eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne would have loved to indulge in a massage and a dip in the relaxation pool in the hotel’s Spa & Bath House in between attending balls.
Over the summer months, the hotel offers a Bath on Screen stay to guests, which includes a two-night stay, breakfast, unlimited use of the spa, lunch one day, and a private Bridgerton/film locations tour.
Henry’s Townhouse, London
If the fictional world of the Bridgerton family is all a little too, well, fictional, for you, then Henry’s Townhouse in the heart of Marylebone is the real Georgian deal. Once lived in by Henry Austen, favourite brother of Jane Austen, this charming boutique hotel allows guests to step into the romantic world of 18th-century London.
Guests are warmly welcomed as though they’ve just stepped off a long and weary carriage journey, while Austen fans will love the many precious artefacts related to the author, including first-illustrated editions of her books, and the fact they are following in her famous footsteps.
Using the Austen family as the inspiration for its interiors (each bedroom is named after a family member) pastel colours, Georgian-style furnishings, and antique furniture are complemented by diverse artworks, including portraits of the Austen family, plus modern bathrooms, flatscreen TVs and coffee machines.
Although the hotel doesn’t serve dinner, aperitifs can be enjoyed each evening in the reception rooms, which have inviting names such as The Carriage Snug, Henry’s Drawing Room, and Jane’s Reading Room, where piles of beautiful books await your perusal and guests who would otherwise have been strangers sit and chat to each other like they’re catching up with old friends.
Each morning, a delicious home-cooked breakfast is served in the charming Monsieur Halavant’s Pantry, where guests sit altogether around the refectory table, feasting on fresh fruit, pastries, or a hearty full English, discussing plans for the day, much as the Austen family would have done 200 years ago.
Henry’s Townhouse is available on a room-by-room basis, or as an exclusive-hire venue for up to 12 guests.
Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
If you’re looking for a Bridgerton-inspired staycation but the hustle of the Ton is all a little too much for you, make like Jane Austen and escape to the peace and quiet of the countryside at Lucknam Park hotel in Wiltshire, a beautiful Palladian manor just a short drive from the Georgian delights of Bath.
Brimming with history, the grand house is reminiscent of Mr Bingley’s not-so-modest abode, Netherfield Park, in Pride and Prejudice. Set in an unspoiled 500-acre estate with perfectly manicured gardens, guests are welcomed to the hotel through an elegant leafy avenue, lined with 400 lime and beech trees, which was planted in 1827.
Once inside, the maximalist interiors will make your Bridgerton dreams come true – think brocade wallpaper, floral chintz, plenty of portraiture and antique furniture. There are 43 elegant bedrooms to choose from, many of which have four posters and fireplaces.
In the evening, you’ll want to dress up for cocktails in the magnificent drawing room, before sitting down for Michelin-starred dinner at the Restaurant Hywel Jones. For a more relaxed dining experience, the Walled Garden Restaurant is a serene and modern setting for a romantic dinner or long lunch.
There are also country sports on offer, including croquet, tennis, clay pigeon shooting, and horse riding – so you can channel your inner Kate Sharma or Anthony Bridgerton and ride off into the sunset together – as well as an award-winning spa.
Heckfield Place, Hampshire
For a Bridgerton-inspired stay in the heart of Austen country, this uber-stylish country bolthole, has the kind of grand exterior that would suit the lavish tastes of Lady Danbury, but step inside and the interiors are modern, quietly luxurious and have the wonderful feel of a very British farmhouse – much more Elizabeth Bennet, with her skirts three-inches deep in mud.
Built as a private country estate in the 18th century, and once home to politician Horace Walpole, the magnificently grand red-brick manor house is set in a 400-acre estate, with its very own Georgian pleasure grounds.
Try your hand at some very English pursuits, including badminton, tennis, croquet, fishing, and boating, and make time to stroll through the ridiculously perfect walled gardens, beside tranquil lakes and amid the 19th-century arboretum. In summer, head out for a relaxing picnic amongst the trees and a spot of wild swimming in the lake. There’s a spa and wellbeing centre, too.
Sustainability runs through the hotel’s restaurant offerings, headed up by chef Skye Gyngell, with produce grown on the hotel’s own biodynamic farm, which include the Green Michelin-starred Marle Restaurant, which focuses on seasonal ingredients picked straight from the farm, and the Hearth restaurant, where cooking is centred around an open fire.
The Lanesborough, London
London hotels don’t get much more elegant than The Lanesborough, a five-star haven in the heart of Knightsbridge, ideal for exploring all the Ton’s hotspots – the perfect setting for your Bridgerton-inspired London trip.
On the doorstep of Hyde Park, the elegantly-furnished rooms are inspired by the building’s 18th-century heritage, and feature opulent Regency-style beds, spectacular chandeliers, rich wood-panelling and old artworks, alongside 21st-century amenities like luxurious showers and on-demand movies.
With several bars and restaurants on site, there are lots of options when it comes to dining or enjoying a drink, from the elegant and classic setting of the Lanesborough Grill, to the more relaxed Garden Room, or the health-focused Club & Spa Restaurant.
The Lanesborough Spa was crowned Best London Spa at the Good Spa Awards last year and is so exclusive it even has its own spa butler; be sure to book in for one of the many treatments on offer.
The Lanesborough also offers a lavish Live Like a Bridgerton stay, where guests can act like nobility for the day and night, including enjoying a complimentary breakfast in bed served by your very own butler, and a Bridgerton-inspired afternoon tea, featuring cakes with delightful names like ‘Lady Whistledown’ and cocktails such as ‘Friends to Lovers.’
oetkercollection.com/hotels/the-lanesborough
This is from our Aug/Sept 2024 issue, available to buy here from 5 July.
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