The Retreat Hotel, Elcot Park

Overnight birthday break, the first without children since lockdown for us. Interesting building with warm comfortable decor. Seating areas varied and thoughtfully placed with side tables and much to appreciate. Reception staff friendly, welcoming and respectful. Wonderful to see gardeners walking through with fresh produce. Beautiful flowers in the gardens. Loved the maze and kitchen garden. Restaurant staff helped the spa staff with a pool cover issue- fantastic to see team working play out. Spa facilities were varied and ultimately relaxing. Planning on more couple therapy soon.

We stayed for three nights and had a lovely time overall. The hotel itself is beautiful, with a calm, relaxing atmosphere and wonderful staff who were friendly and welcoming throughout. Our room was spacious with a large balcony, though unfortunately it faced the car park and the balcony could have been cleaner (spider webs on chairs and windows). Inside, the room was spotless and very comfortable. The spa facilities were a highlight — both the indoor and outdoor pools were lovely, and the Himalayan sauna was a nice feature. However, for such a large hotel, the sauna was surprisingly small, and with only two hot tubs, we often had to wait. The steam room and floating pool were also out of order during our stay, which was disappointing given that we had chosen the hotel for its extensive spa facilities. Food was a mixed experience. On the positive side, the artichoke starter was outstanding, and the afternoon tea was excellent with a great selection of teas and tasty vegetarian options. On the other hand, the cauliflower steak was poor, and the hummus dish was so sour it was inedible. Coffee also tasted like machine coffee rather than barista quality. Breakfast was fine but limited in vegetarian options — I’d rate it average. Other nice touches included a live piano one evening, which created a lovely atmosphere (though a bit loud in the small room), and the staff’s careful attention to our note about allergies, ensuring we were in a dog-free room. Overall, I’d give the stay 3.5 out of 5. The hotel is gorgeous, the staff are wonderful, and we enjoyed ourselves, but a few details (cleanliness of balconies, spa facilities being closed, food consistency, and communication about restaurant opening days) stopped it from being a truly excellent experience. We would definitely return, but hope to see improvements in these areas.

⸻ We’ve just returned from our stay at the retreat hotel and we’re still glowing from the experience! My mum and sisters birthday’s have been made extra special for being at the Retreat. From the moment we arrived, we were absolutely blown away by the stunning beauty of the place. It truly felt like a hidden paradise. Every single staff member we encountered was warm, friendly, and went out of their way to make us feel welcome and cared for. Our rooms were spotless, beautifully prepared, and had everything we could possibly need to relax and unwind. The spa facilities were wonderfully relaxing—just perfect for all of us. It was the ideal way to switch off, recharge, and enjoy some well-deserved pampering. And the food—wow! Every meal at the restaurant was a treat. Fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented—we looked forward to every bite. Thank you for creating such a magical and memorable stay. We’re already dreaming of our next visit!

I mean, WOW! We came after a few days camping, so we we're ready for some R&R. The Retreat was perfect! We stayed in a lovely house called Beech in 'the Residencies', which couldn't have been more perfect for our family of 4. The Double bed was really comfy, we slept so well. The house was spotless (words my wife used, and if you know my wife, you'll know this is a big compliment!). The facilities are great. We love a sauna and ice bucket, which were brilliant, of a high standard, all working perfectly, the staff super efficient and really friendly, good eye contact etc. The grounds are ace, we played Croquet, giant Jenga and connect4 on the lawns. Food in the brasserie is well-positioned and well presented. Dinner on the terrace was lush! Overall, we loved Beech; it was lush. We thought the whole vibe was relaxed but efficient, the surroundings amazing. Please give it a crack, it's very good value when you consider what they're offering here, and it's so relaxing!

The room was one of the quietest we have ever stayed in, a huge relief as we are very light sleepers. A second chair would have been appreciated as would some basic instructions re the coffee machine. The latter was hardly rocket science, it just would have been reassuring to know that I wasn't about to wreck the thing. Instant coffee to go with the kettle would also have sufficed. The reception staff were extremely pleasant and helpful and we enjoyed our stay.

We booked 2 nights here as a couple and couldn't be happier! The hotel and grounds were beautiful. There were plenty of places to relax! We absolutely loved our daily swim with a view and the hot tubs and spa facilities were a real treat. Everything was spotlessly clean and the all the staff were so friendly and welcoming. There was a lot of variety at breakfast which was both cooked and continental style. Our room was nice and dark for sleeping and the shower was a nice rainfall shower. We enjoyed the piano on the Saturday night with our drinks at the bar. There is a nearby canal which is a nice walk and there are plenty of pubs nearby. We left feeling very relaxed and happy ❤️

We had a lovely, relaxing stay at hotel. Our room was beautiful and we found we were able to relax very easily. The beds were also very comfortable and having things like access to the pantry and the tipple in our room was a lovely touch. There are things that could be improved though. We stayed in Room 8 and noticed that near the shower door the grouting is black and needs some TLC, the room was clean - I think this is more of a maintenance issue. Both the hydrotherapy pool and outdoor pool need to be emptied and given a good scrub, but in particular the hydrotherapy pool that had a layer of black muck floating on the bubbles near the entrance to the pool on Monday morning. And finally we had an interesting experience in the 1772 Brasserie restaurant - first they couldn’t find our booking despite reception making it for us and then they seemed to forget we were there, taking 20 minutes before taking our drinks order, not giving us bread like the other tables around us and our food arriving before our drinks. That said, the duck salad was one of the best things I have ever eaten. I would come back just for the salad. Breakfast was also really good.

My wife and I enjoyed a lovely 2 night stay at the hotel last week and it could not have been any better. From the moment we walked through the door to be met with a smiley face and glass of wine to the time we left 2 days later, we enjoyed every moment. The room was amazing with views over the distant downs, the food in each of the two restaurants was very enjoyable and the spa and outside hot tubs were both excellent as was the outdoor heated pool. The service was top class throughout and wherever you were in the hotel and a special thanks to Joe in the restaurants for his service, conversation and knowledge of the menus. The hotel is located in beautiful grounds and you could (as we did) go on a lovely country walk. I found the whole experience very enjoyable and relaxing and will definitely return for another “treat”.

My husband and I spent the weekend here as a Valentine's gift to each other. The room and common areas were average, but the spa was fantastic and the restaurant was first class. We stayed on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis and the dinner was way beyond my expectations for an inclusive deal. I enjoyed a steak which I asked to be booked medium well and it was one of only a handful of times that I have received what I asked for - it was pink in the middle without being bloody and very tender. The grounds of the hotel are a lovely place to stroll and we went scrambling about trying to spot rabbits and partridges. I must admit that I didn't have huge expectations as this is a fairly pedestrian hotel chain, but what it may be lacking in terms of originality, the restaurant, spa and general surroundings make up for any shortcomings.