Tag Archives: Dorchester Collection

Coworth Park, Ascot. Indulge!

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When London seems to be your second home… I’ve enjoyed a few cross the pond visits in the last three months, perhaps I should ponder a flat next year and be a part-time local!

The best ending to any London sojourn is a night or two in a country property, which I have included on almost every visit!  If we design your travel or you read my posts, you know I have a few ‘must do’ Travel Mantras. Reed Hastings once told The Hollywood Reporter about my Istanbul mantra: one must take a yacht up the Bosporus following a long flight. It’s essential to have fresh air, avoid the constant traffic snarl and view the brilliant mosque filled Istanbul skyline from the water. Dock at your hotel and life is perfect!

One of my London Travel Mantra’s: if you visit London, you must depart the city a night or two before your flight and relax in the countryside – there are multiple forested five-star manor home choices! Coworth Park, a Dorchester Collection property, is an excellent choice for many reasons!  I’ve sent clients with young children before an early Heathrow transfer and have insisted a client with a 7-hour layover, pop over to Coworth Park for massage appointment and enjoy a delightful spa lunch.

Coworth Park in Ascot, is barely 20 minutes from Heathrow. A Dorchester Collection country house gem, situated in a picturesque parkland, the luxurious property sits on the borders of Windsor Great Park; the hotel is high-end style without stuffiness. Choose to stay in the Mansion House or if you prefer more seclusion and you have kiddos with you, stay in the converted Stables & Cottages. The Mansion rooms and suites are a bit more spacious, but the entire property oozes sophisticated British country charm.

My recent brief London visit was to attend the black-tie wedding of one of my dearest clients. Multiple days of celebrating interspersed with timed museum visits! And yes, the Schiaparelli and Frida Kahlo exhibits are fabulous! Timed tickets and the Jump Black Cab app make for efficient getting about town, if you don’t have our VV Best Driver, Colin reserved!

You can only imagine the amazing wedding reception, 300 guests dancing until the midnight hour – my fatigued legs and metal knee barely hobbled back to The Savoy, the wedding party hotel! Sunday morning, packed and headed to my Coworth Park suite – driver at 10 am to Ascot, was the grand finale to the wedding weekend! Planning as a three act play – which is how we design every Journey!

A new darling friend from the wedding party told me the stunning meadow was still in full bloom at Coworth, in July? She has her polo lessons here on Saturday mornings! She was not exaggerating, an acre of rolling meadow, a full lawn of wildflowers! Greeting your arrival, the meadow is a memorable sight to behold –it’s filled with vibrant flowers in spring and summer. During winter months, a blanket of snow covers the grounds. This is the perfect ending to a busy city Journey, immerse yourself in the pastoral tranquility of the 240-acre estate!

Leisurely lunch on the Rose Terrace and I was ready to mosey over to the luxury Spa, an architectural wonder. Partially submerged in The Spa’s landscape, its upper floor takes in breathtaking views of the surrounding English parkland. This sense of the natural environment continues through to the interior design, every area of The Spa is flooded with natural light, crisp contemporary architecture, art and sculptures throughout.

Built over two floors, the upper floor has eight treatment rooms, a manicure/pedicure salon, relaxation room and a lovely dining area called The Spatisserie which serves light meals, afternoon tea, wine and champagne.

On the lower level, there is a heated indoor swimming pool with underwater music, a relaxation area around the swimming pool and a sun terrace with luxurious loungers, an aromatic steam room. The Spa’s gym has natural light and tree top views, and the Technogym equipment has integrated televisions.

DINING: Restaurant Coworth Parks’ Best of British menu offers the finest locally sourced seasonal ingredients. If it’s comfort food you crave, sample The Barn’s menu in utter rustic charm where diners are more than welcome to keep their muddy boots on.

Benjamin gave me his British travel mantra – dine on Fish & Chips and have a pint…the fish & chips were perfectly prepared, lightly battered flaky tender white fish, there is nothing like it outside of the UK. Champagne was already poured, so I missed the pint, next time! Spring and summer dining, you may wish to be seated on a lovely terrace.

Take part in quintessentially English activities such as tennis, croquet, horse riding or take polo lessons with the Guards Polo Club on one of Coworth Park’s two professional polo fields. Ascot Park is not far, so if the ponies thrill you, there are additional reasons to visit!

Cure your city exhaustion at Coworth Park or If you have a long layover, Coworth Park is an elixir – escape the canned air, take a short jaunt to Coworth Park, work out, enjoy a massage and a spa lunch…and head back to your flight refreshed.

Travel has become so uncivilized. Coworth Park exudes civility and comfort and country sophistication!

Highly Recommend!

Hotel Principe di Savoia Milano, Iconic Elegance

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For nearly a century, the neoclassical Gem has been the benchmark for all of Milan. Allure abounds as you arrive through the enormous black and gold revolving doors which cannot be locked – during Covid, staff remained in place as the revolving doors are a cultural institution! You know you have arrived as you twirl through the elegant entryway!

Despite its size, it feels like a boutique property. The height of glamour and a Milanese symbol of sheer excellence, the newly refurbished foyer, feels like a petite salon. If you check in early, take a cozy seat in Il Salotto. The heart and soul of the hotel. The recently renovated lounge is an elegant well-lit salon, relax and watch the world go by. Or for a quick meet up with friends, feel Milan live and breathe around you. Help is at your beck and call. All day dining and of course, afternoon tea.  A rotating gallery of artisan photographers transforms the walls. Artisan photographer Max Cardelli transforms Il Salotto into a thought-provoking viewing gallery for a brand-new series of complex portraits. Do try the exclusive Principe tea blend. Five-star luxury from the first moment! I love the gorgeous custom Murano glass chandeliers, designed by one of the oldest glass firms in the world. If only this salon was around the corner from me, I would be perched here often! 

Wellness: Welcome to a world of tranquility. With one of the most incredible views across Milan, this is the penthouse way to work out and relax. Think of the spa as your oasis of relaxation. I spent an afternoon here, savoring a long restful body treatment, an osmotic Bliss massage in the tranquil cocoon of the spa, followed by a little sit for the sublime sunset. This is an experience to remember. After you’ve enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing spa ritual, take a seat on Club 10’s lovely terrace to see Milan smoldering into sunset.

The suites are opulent; I’ve shared the marvelous Penthouse must do winter escape! Two favorites besides the OTT penthouse… a Principe terrace suite, opulence with a private terrace! Piazza della Republica view, lots of natural light and unmistakable Italian charm. A neoclassical soul is woven through this beautiful room, with heavy tasseled curtains, rich wood paneling and hand-painted frescoes depicting historic Milan.

My personal favorite, particularly chosen for my stay by my dear Rep… a Principe Suite, as rosy as can be. in a noble location, this masterpiece corner suite with a massive bedroom and living room, my own little Milanese apartment! My sumptuous Principe Suite is a rose-colored reflection of the rich colors of La Scala, a tribute to Maria Callas who stayed here when she performed at the famed Opera House, where else do you find history combined with modern day luxury?! Principe di Savoia, Milan! It will be hard to leave the sumptuous hotel rooms  — from the thick, plush carpeting to the pillow-like beds, the ornately designed spaces are a haven. Jewel-tone hues run rampant in all 257 rooms and 44 suites, tastefully decorated in soft, snuggly velvet and rich damask fabrics, antique wood and polished marble furniture pieces and original 19th-century oil paintings.

The Principe’s close proximity to La Scala, the world’s most fêted opera house, has undoubtedly helped lure legends of the stage through its doors; Maria Callas, the most lauded diva of her time, chose to hold court here, while Ray Charles had exacting requirements for a particular dessert from home that could only be met by the hotel’s chefs. Milan was Frank Sinatra’s kind of town, and his affection for it was matched only by his fondness for the Principe’s famously lavish Presidential Suite. — Since the Roaring Twenties, movers, shakers and cognoscenti of film, music and fashion have stayed at Milan’s oldest and most famous hotel.

The Hotel Principe di Savoia – is part of the exclusive Dorchester Collection.

Highly Recommend!