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T R A V E L
ESCAPE Routes
Go luxe in the
New Forest
As soon as you get out of the car, crunch
up the gravel and smell the scent of
firewood, you know Lime Wood is going
to be a country retreat to remember.
Newly opened in November near
Lyndhurst, it comes from the co-founder
of Hotel du Vin and chairman of the
Soho House group Robin Hutson,
interior designer David Collins and
Michelin-starred chef Alex Aitken (quite
the dream team). It’s also managed by
Justin Pinchbeck – formerly of London
boutique hotel, The Zetter.
And you can tell you’re in the hands
of experts. With a choice of 29
rooms either in the main house
or charmingly scattered
throughout the grounds, Lime
Wood is like your own private
village. Stylist stayed in Pavilion
1 – the best suite (or rather
cottage) at the hotel, an
impressive two-storey
outbuilding with ash wooden
floors, black domed roof and
chandelier. Outside there’s a US-style
mailbox for the morning paper and Do
Not Disturb milk bottle, while inside
there are two of everything; bathrooms,
iPod docks and fireplaces which the
staff light for you. But the pièce de
résistance is the stand-alone bath in
the window bay, up-lit and overlooking
the New Forest.
Why it’s hot What sets Lime Wood
apart is the small touches; a Scrabble
box beside the fire; a series of bespoke
lamps creating shadows; the pencil
beside the bed crafted from a twig,
and a ‘room pantry’ complete with
giant Buttons and sherbert fountains.
In the main hotel the quirk factor
continues, with a boot room stacked
with Hunter wellies, which Stylist
THE OAK PANELLED
BILLIARDS ROOM: NOT
A PORK SCRATCHING IN SIGHT
AT LIME WOOD, EVERY
ROOM OFFERS INTERIOR
DESIGN INSPIRATION
LIME WOOD: A STUNNING
REGENCY COUNTRY HOUSE ON
THE EDGE OF THE NEW FOREST
eagerly pulled on to walk through
forest trails – accessed from a Secret
Garden-style back gate yards from the
hotel. Spa lovers should also pay
attention; treatment rooms, pools and
a hammam will open this summer.
Eating and drinking After a fireside
Bellini in the bar, Stylist feasted on
mushroom risotto and prawn on pork
belly in The Dining Room by Alex Aitken,
rounding off with five cheeses and five
white wines. Spectacular. For a lazy
Sunday lunch, The Scullery, a countryhouse
kitchen with plate-lined walls and
open fire, has everything from beans on
toast to lobster and chips.
Photo opportunity Stand-out design
elements like the retracting glass roof
in the courtyard give interiors
inspiration at every turn.
Purse-friendly alternative Boutique
hotel hotelterravina.co.uk near
Lyndhurst offers doubles from £135.
Rooms start at £225, or book a Late Lime
Wood offer – £180 per room per night or
£300 per suite per night, until 21 March,
subject to availability; limewoodhotel.co.uk
HAVE�BIKINI��WILL�TRAVEL
HOLIDAY HUNTER
LUXURY: IT’S IN THE BAG
Book a spa package at Coworth
Park hotel in Ascot and you’ll
receive a limited edition Anya
Hindmarch bag
filled with mini
spa products,
a bottle of
champagne
plus a free
treatment
(£250 per
person;
coworth
park.com).
GRAB AN ANYA
HINDMARCH BAG
PACKED WITH GOODIES
NO-HASSLE TRAVEL
No.1 Group has launched a new
journey planner service to help
your holiday get off to the best
possible start. No1traveller.com
will organise everything you’ll
need before you leave the UK,
from a chauffeur-driven Merc to
pick you up, access to airport
club lounges, and they’ll even
check in for you. All you have to
do is turn up looking fabulous
(from £76, no1traveller.com).
SUMMER IN PORTUGAL
Luxury hotel The Yeatman is
opening in Oporto in Portugal this
June with a croquet lawn, port
decanter-shaped swimming pool
and wine tasting and cookery
courses. Double rooms cost from
£235 per night but they’re offering
15% off in June and July (minimum
two nights’ stay; the yeatman.com).
TAKE A TOUR TO SEE
TIGERS IN THEIR
INDIAN HABITAT
YEAR OF THE TIGER
In honour of 2010 being year
of the tiger, Travel Mood
Adventures is offering a Land
Of The Tiger tour to see the
animal in its Indian habitat, in
three national parks (from £1,099,
travel moodadventures.com).
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