By Shane Champion
In need of some serious R&R my wife and I were invited to spend the night at Rowhill Grange Hotel with the promise of some relaxing treatments in the Utopia Spa.
Labelled as ‘Kent’s hidden secret’, the hotel provides luxury manor house accommodation in the Kent countryside, indulgent spa treatments, fine dining and fresh, country air - the perfect mix for a romantic escape near London.
Upon arrival we were shown to our spacious en-suite room where our luggage was deposited, while we took a look around. The hotel is set in 15 acres of private grounds with rolling lawns, manicured gardens and even a small lake with a family of ducks and black swans.
Having completed our tour it was time to check out the spa. The stunning interior is reminiscent of a Roman bathhouse complete with stone columns.
It has an indoor swimming pool, Japanese therapy pool with underwater massage beds and a soothing waterfall along with a sauna, steam room and gymnasium. Two words I could use to describe the facilities - sheer indulgence!
We were both booked in for a relaxing full body massage. These were, without doubt, the finest massages we have ever been afforded.
The treatment rooms were relaxation in themselves with soothing lighting and music to help you forget about the pressures of the outside world.
All this and we still had dinner to look forward to in Truffles, the hotel’s 3AA Rosette restaurant. This was nothing short of spectacular.
Dinner in the evening was an event. Relaxing in the lounge with a pre-dinner drink we perused the lavish menu before entering the beautifully appointed restaurant.
I opted for the seared Shetland scallops with a pork cheek carpaccio and smoked bacon foam to start. My wife chose the Brixham crab croquette with micro roquette, water melon and cumin mayonnaise. Both were a delight to the taste buds.
For mains I chose the organic slow roasted pork belly served with creamed cabbage and caramelised apple puree. My wife selected the rump of new season Salt Marsh lamb with wilted lettuce, pea puree, mint and parsley foam.
Our empty plates served testament to the quality and presentation of the food. Now I knew why the restaurant had been awarded three AA rosette status.
Next was the dessert, which was a true work of art. My peanut butter brittle with caramelised banana and chocolate soil was a delight whilst my wife had the rhubarb souffle with thick custard ice cream.
All three courses were washed down with the aid of a bottle of reasonably priced Argentinian Malbec. Dinner over we retreated back to the bar for a nightcap.
After a lavish breakfast the following morning it was time to sadly leave but vowing to return in the not too distant future.
If you decide on a weekend away in Kent then give Rowhill Grange a look. You’ll feel like you’ve had a week away.
Rowhill Grange Hotel & Utopia Spa, Wilmington, Kent DA2 7QH
Tel: 01322 615136
alexanderhotels.co.uk/rowhill