Luxury Staycation at Cliveden House
It has been over 2 weeks since our romantic and luxury staycation at Cliveden House and we are still not over it. There are some places you go to that blow your mind away and Cliveden House is one of those places. Rooted in so much British history, it is one for your bucket list especially if UK travels is your thing. The opulence, the art, gardens, rooms and just everything else absolutely give you life.
Where do I even start with writing about that staycation? Not a lot of things leave me speechless. The fact that I investigate everything and everywhere before we even get there gives me a certain expectation. So I was prepared; or thought I was prepared for Cliveden house. Let me just say, it blew my mind and surpassed my expectations. It was full on luxury, relaxing and fun.
Cliveden House: Brief History
Cliveden House was originally built in 1666 by the 2nd Duke of Buckinghamshire and was a gift to his mistress. It is a 5 star hotel located in Taplow, Berkshire and is one of UK’s most romantic and luxurious hotels. It has kept its old feel and maintains an untouchable glamour about it.
Cliveden House was later owned by Waldorf and Nancy Astor; Nancy who would go on to be the 1st female MP. However, I cannot go on without mentioning the scandalous Profumo Affair which catapulted Cliveden House to even more popularity.
More importantly, Cliveden House is where Meghan Markle stayed the night before her wedding to Prince Harry. I tell you, a very interesting, luxury hotel.
So what exactly did we get up to during our luxury Staycation at Cliveden House?
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1. Afternoon Tea
We could not have stayed in a historic British building such as Cliveden House without having Afternoon Tea. Since, the classic afternoon tea is a British tradition, we had to fulfill this one. However, we did it differently, with a little romantic twist. Since we have had countless afternoon teas in the most stunning dining rooms, we wanted something different. So when Pauline from Guest Services suggested we have it by the water as a picnic, the excitement was real!
They packed us our afternoon tea in a Cliveden picnic basket and the driver drove us in the Cliveden bus to the waterside. It was cute, romantic and just perfect.
2. Explore the Long Garden
The Long Garden is one of the most popular gardens in Cliveden House. The evening we chose to explore it, we had it to ourselves for a whole hour. We realised it was a little different to the pictures from the previous years. This was all due to the pandemic and the gardeners being out of work over the summer. It was still a stunning garden nevertheless but would have been lush to see it with the flowers in full bloom. The Long Garden is a romantic green space that brings a sophisticated charm to the house.
3. Drinks in the Bar
Our luxury staycation at Cliveden house meant that some parts were exclusive to us, as guests. Just by the magical reception, is the bar, which doubles as a casual library. It was for guests who were staying over and had a very grown up vibe to it. We only had drinks there once but it was one of my favourite rooms in the house. The bar menu was fun as well – from burgers to pasta, there was something for everyone.
4. Rent a Boat
Cliveden House is known for its boating sport, notably its flotilla. It has 2 main boats – The Suzy Ann and The Belmont. Both are beautiful, historic and classic boats. The Suzy Ann is more traditional and classic while the Belmont has a more boujee, Hamptons vibe to it. We rented the Suzy Ann for 2 hours and sailed the Thames with our lovely skipper, Georgia. It was one of the highlights of our entire trip and highly recommended!
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5. Dinner at Astor Grill
For a more relaxed vibe in Cliveden House, Astor Grill is the restaurant to visit. It has indoor seating and an alfresco terrace attached to it as well. What is even more exciting is that for a few weeks in summer, they had a Veuve Cliquot stand just on the side of the terrace. We missed it by a week, which I was gutted about however; our best meals were in the Astor Grill. I had a salad, which I have desperately tried to recreate at home, FAIL!
6. For the best Cliveden views, the back garden is spectacular
This was by far my best view of the Cliveden property. It was open to the public between 10am and 5pm. So as a stay over guest, we got to wander around before everyone else arrived. However my favourite time was in the evenings! Once visitors left, Mr E and I would just walk around the quiet and peaceful garden. I was sure I was Maria (Sound of Music) pottering around and singing my ballads – thankfully there was nobody around to side eye me!
It is one of the most popular spots for a picnic as it is a vast space of greenery and beauty.
7. A wander around the property
Or should I say a hike? Because honestly this is what it felt like when Mr E woke up one morning and decided to explore. I was not prepared for this but it ended up being so much fun. We had just finished breakfast and it was the morning of check out. Our hike started at the back garden and led us all the way to the river. The Cliveden property seems endless with interesting areas dotted all around. If you love your pictures; like me, you will find a lot of spots with the most perfect backdrops. I suppose if you are going to pay all that money for a luxury staycation at Cliveden House, might as well visit every inch of the property.
8. Hot Tub and Pool Date
The spa leads to the most gorgeous outdoor pool area; inclusive of hot tubs as well. It was a relaxing part of the property and we spent our first morning there just by the pool. We spent most of our time in the hot tub and for the first 2 hours or so; we had the entire area to ourselves. This was one thing we noticed with Cliveden House. It did not matter that the property was at full capacity, we felt like we were the only ones there. Romantic ehn? That is low-key what Cliveden is all about.
9. Fancy dining in the Cliveden Dining room
The Cliveden Dining room is the formal dining space in Cliveden House. I say fancy dining but tbh; we had breakfast in the dining room instead. We were supposed to dine there but we decided to order room service instead. The Cliveden Dining room is also where afternoon tea is served from Monday to Saturday. We also noticed that most people have their dressed up date nights there as well. When I was looking through my pictures, I realised it was actually my favourite room in Cliveden House. It was very boujee and English and just perfectly decorated, loved it!.
For dinner, the menu is very British and reservation is open to non-guests of the hotel as well.
10. Stay over in one of their iconic rooms
What is a luxury staycation at Cliveden House without an overnight stay? Now this would be the ideal thing to do, wouldn’t it?! I have written all about our most magical stay at the Warrender room. There are so many more fantastic rooms and if you feel like splashing cash, try the Spring Cottage. Staying in one of the rooms gives you unlimited access to every corner of the property. This I would say is the biggest perk for me. The room was different from any other room we had ever stayed in and very much a delight.
Final thoughts: Luxury staycation at Cliveden House.
It is no doubt that Cliveden House is super pricey; however, it is luxury at its finest. For the money you pay, you literally get every single penny in your experience! I remember telling my friends that I had never seen anything like it before. I mean, Mr and E have been to some cute hotels but “this one pass me” as my fellow Nigerians would say LOL
The staff at Cliveden House was the most wonderful ever. I suspect they are paid especially to be that nice because the service was exceptional. An overnight stay is enough to enjoy most of what Cliveden has to offer but staying 2 nights is perfect. Would I go back to Cliveden House? Hell YES! However I’ll need to save for sometime to afford this again haha! I might check out its sister hotel, Chewton Glen & Spa in Hampshire.
Bisous, ‘Bugo x
