Mallory Court
Leamington Spa,
Warwickshire
by Sarah Shuckburgh
This is a wonderfully comfortable country house hotel,
surrounded by peaceful Cotswold countryside, but only
minutes from the M40, and close to Warwick Castle, Stow on
the Wold and Stratford upon Avon. The main part of the hotel
is a Lutyens-style manor house, built in 1914, with mullion
windows, inglenook fireplaces and bedrooms of assorted
shapes and sizes, some with the original art deco bathroom
fittings. In 1995 eight bedrooms were added, linked to the
old house by a glass-sided corridor and a gushing water
garden. April 2004 will see the opening of another annexe
with conference and function rooms and a further 11
bedrooms. I hope the intimate atmosphere of the hotel will
survive this latest extension.
Only 24 British hotels are members of the Relais & Chateaux,
and Mallory Court was one of the first to impress the French
judges with the necessary '5 Cs' - courtesy, charm,
character, calm and cuisine. The restaurant, under chef
Simon Haigh, has a Michelin star, and our meal in the
oak-panelled dining room was superb. Breakfast, brought to
our room, included yogurt with fresh berries, and delicious
home-made croissants and pains au chocolat.
Everywhere there are personal touches to make one feel
pampered. In winter, log fires are lit in every sitting
room, and in summer, doors open on to ten acres of gardens
(tended by three full-time gardeners) with a paved terrace,
formal rose garden, croquet lawn, lily pond, tennis courts,
outdoor swimming pool and a working kitchen garden.
Bedrooms - named after local places of interest - are huge
and luxurious. Water comes thundering out of bath taps, huge
fluffy towels are warmed on blistering towel rails, and the
cotton sheets are embroidered, white on white. Jeremy Mort
(who with the late Allan Holland bought the derelict Mallory
Court in 1976, and ran it as a hotel for 20 years) still
lives next door, and continues to decorate the bedrooms and
add his personal touches, with flowers, objets d'art and
knick-knacks. By the hifi systems in each bedroom, guests
find CDs selected from Mr Mort's huge personal collection,
and they can also borrow videos to watch in their bedrooms.
First published by Travel Intelligence Ltd
©SarahShuckburgh |
