Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxford Review

Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons can be found nestled in the beautiful countryside of rural Oxfordshire. The brainchild of Raymond Blanc, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons recently celebrated its 30th birthday. Considering we’d left it that long, we thought it was time to take a look, and find out if it really does live up to its impeccable reputation. And we’re please to report that it certainly did.

Honestly speaking, this hotel is in a league of its own. Our experience could only be described as incredible, from the moment out feet stepped inside. This hotel sets the standard of hospitality, with 32 individually styled guest rooms and suites. As soon as we entered, we were greeted with a real sense of welcome from every member of staff, who were all genuinely passionate about their job. Not only was that fundamental in making our experience what it was, but it was also incredibly refreshing. This is evidently an outstanding place to work.

“The ultimate rural retreat.”

Upon arrival, we were shown to our room. We experienced one of the three garden suites names L’Orangerie. Unfortunate, due to the typical British weather, we were unable to fully enjoy our private garden during our visit, however, this did mean that we were able to make the most of our suite.

You enter L’Orangerie through traditional French doors, and it is akin to walking into an elegant French chateau. Part of this could be down to the subtle French music setting the scene through the suite’s Bose sound system.

The suite is made up of a separate lounge and bedroom area, with the bathroom on a raised level off of the bedroom. The bathroom is a room of its own, with a raised traditional French bath, which I was only too happy to enjoy. A beautiful four-poster bed is the focal point of the bedroom, with curtained drapes. A ceiling mounted plasma inside the bed lowers at the touch of a button, bringing a welcomed modern luxury in the midst of this traditionally French setting. The suite itself has an air of class, but without being unnecessarily flash or pretentious.

The hotel is set amongst some stunning landscaped gardens, so if the weather were fine for your visit, I’m sure you would enjoy a long post-breakfast stroll. The gardens include a number of wonderful ponds, as well as impressive statues throughout. There is also a Japanese garden with a lakeside relaxation temple.

Having been awarded two Michelin stars just a year after opening, the hotel still retains those accolades - so you have to be sure to check out the stunning restaurant for dinner during your stay. Perhaps you might also like to dine for lunch al fresco, to make the most of the beautiful grounds.

We really cannot recommend Le Manoir highly enough as the ultimate rural retreat. This is the kind of stay where all your troubles float out of the window the moment you step inside, and our time there was some of our favourite we have ever spent away. We simply cannot wait to return.