Coworth Park was an almost-derelict, 18th century country house in the lush triangle between Virginia Water, Wentworth Country Club and Sunningdale. This is Royal Berkshire, rich in leafy estates, polo clubs, exclusive schools and the Queen's relatives. And yet, surprisingly, there's not
much in this stretch by way of serious luxury hotels or Michelin-quality restaurants. Good, yes, but for film stars, CEOs, heads of state and the like, it was a trip up the Thames to Cliveden. The people behind the Dorchester spotted this omission and, thanks to Coworth's parlous state, were able to initiate major building works to create something distinctive.I am, of course, not a movie star, a Fortune 500 boss or a politician. Just a corporate hack who occasionally hosts or attends events in places like this, lucky enough to get invited with a bunch of colleagues to a special opening week dinner and tour hosted by marketing communications agency Phoenix Partners. (Thank you, ladies, for a special treat.) As of its opening this week, Coworth is now a late Georgian gem surrounded by sprawling parkland and achingly picturesque outbuildings, yet with a completely new interior that's glamorous, elegant, high tech and most assuredly of the 21st century. If last night was any indication ... which, given my experience of the Dorchester mother ship, it will be ... this design combines with fantastic service and fine food to deliver the best in hospitality. There are 70 rooms between the mansion house, the stables annex (a self-contained group of buildings with its own restaurant, resembling a small village) and the three-bedroom dower house.
Regular readers of this blog will know I’m not a fan of much of modern “luxury” design, mostly because it all looks the same. Coworth has kept to the modern essentials of pale colours, nods to traditional furniture styles and quirky modern accents, but they’ve done it with elegance and sophistication. You’ll approach the neo-classical portico expecting Robert Adam or William Kent; instead you’ll find a magnificent open space with a floating, spiralling grand stair to one side and a sculpture of a tree, bare of leaves, in the centre of the room. The check-in staff is subtly positioned behind a sleek refrectory table to your left, behind which a massive modern interpretation of a Knole sofa stretches in front of an austerely beautiful fireplace. That tree is important, as is the delicate shade of green on the walls. Coworth is proud of its sustainable green credentials, and design throughout the mansion brings the outside in.
Lamp bases are silver sprays of bull rushes, sconces over wall lights sculptural interpretations of leaves. A series of framed, multi-dimensional paper cut outs of forests and stags was striking. Meeting and dining rooms have fascinating light fixtures cum sculptures on their ceilings, the most amazing of which being a giant, bronze crown of oak leaves and acorns that hangs above the dining room, echoing the oversized plaster leaves and nuts on the room’s walls. The elegant suite in the centre of the house is dominated by a four poster bed, the posts of which seem to be trees growing from floor to ceiling.
The other design element is equine. With polo fields surrounding and Ascot up the road, it’s no surprise that sculptures of horses dance across table tops and their noble forms race across paintings.
Before we had too much time to study the beauties of the design, it was time to go into dinner. The Dorchester folks have lured John Campbell, Michelin-starred chef of the Vineyard in Hampshire and regular TV star, to run food and drink. He dropped in before dinner to greet us and emphasise his philosophy, which is all about appropriate preparation of local ingredients (which a not-so-subtle slam of Heston Blumenthal and his chemical delights). Source the best, and let its excellence shine through. He’s introducing a “shire menu” here, with all ingredients sourced from no more than 20 miles away; I suspect we’ll be back to sample it. I’m not sure of the provenance of last night’s menu, but given the season it’s likely that it was all local.
The risotto of fresh peas and mint was perfectly al dente and delivered a concentrated burst of its vegetal flavours. The Gressingham duck breast that followed was gently cooked to a perfect medium rare, complemented by tiny diced apples and calvados. But the star of this course was the pinot noir from Gevrey-Chambertin (see 19.10.08 for the vineyard tour) that was so good I thanked heavens I wasn’t spending the night; I would have drunk far more than was wise. We wrapped with apple tarte tatin with sauternes grape ice cream, again served with a wine that almost stole the show. In this case, a little red number with a powerful bouquet like raspberry sorbet.
This was all delivered with abundant and attentive service. And while the food and decor are both stunning, this is where the hotel will really differentiate itself if they keep it up. Cheerful staff anticipated our every need. Glasses were always full, coats whisked away, generous umbrellas provided to shelter you through the rain from car to house and back again. Open just three days, they’ve already mastered that wonderful art of being invisible when not needed, and at your elbow just before you think you want something. The icing on the cake? The valet brought me back to my car, keeping the raindrops at bay, and said “good night, Miss Ferrara, I hope you’ve had a pleasant evening and that we see you again soon.”
The real sign of luxury isn’t truffles, foie gras or gold leaf. It’s natural, unaffected service that recognises you as an individual and makes you feel like a superstar ... even if you’re just a marketing hack out for a rare treat.
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