HOTEL REVIEW: Belton Woods really is something special

With the coronavirus pandemic causing so much worry and confusion about foreign travel, ‘staycations’ have become the holiday of choice for more people than ever.

And why not? We live in a beautiful country, with expansive beaches, gorgeous lakes, rolling countryside and bustling cities to match anything a holiday abroad can offer.

But did you know there’s a place of style, splendour and quality right on your doorstep?... and with the most helpful and friendly staff I have ever encountered.

Belton Woods is best known as an iconic golf and spa hotel, but it’s also a wonderful place for a couples’ break as my wife Josi and I found out when we were invited to stay over for a couple of nights last month.

With the hotel just 40 miles down the road from our home, it was so lovely to be checking in just over an hour after setting off.

And with Belton Woods, you get the wow factor from the start. Approaching by car down the long drive, you realise you’re visiting somewhere special and when you check in, you find out that really is the case. Set in 475 acres of gorgeous countryside, Belton Woods is ideal for a romantic getaway, a fun weekend with friends or a family adventure.

The hotel has two PGA Championship-approved golf courses, as well as tennis, squash, archery and croquet. Or you can relax in the spa, a tranquil haven with a heated swimming pool, wide range of treatments and gym.

Our suite was beautiful and we were soon sitting out on our own private balcony, sipping wine and enjoying the afternoon sun.

On our first evening we enjoyed a wonderful three-course meal in the hotel’s Stanton’s Brasserie.

For starters Josi had a fishcake she described as gorgeous and I had a really cute and very tasty bowl of miniature fish and chips.

She then enjoyed a steak while I went for my old favourite – a posh burger – before she had a chocolate fudge dessert and I had an amazing Eton Mess.

I must mention the breakfasts too. There’s no queuing at breakfast buffets while the remnants of COVID -19 linger on, so that means a menu service with a choice of various dishes – we went for the full English both days and it was amazing.

We also enjoyed walking around the many wooded areas, visiting nearby Grantham on our second night for a meal and having a full body massage at the hotel spa (see below).

Belton Woods general manager Nick Jefford said: “We are celebrating the return from lockdown by offering spectacular quality, supreme service and unrepeatable value.

“We absolutely know that although our guests rightly expect us to provide a clean and safe environment, they don’t wish to be constrained at every step. We are being both safe, clean and utterly responsible for both staff and guests, but above all we are offering a fun experience for everyone.”

The hotel team have also devised a series of high quality and keenly priced offers under The Great British Breakaway banner that was in the planning for three months.

Offers include two-night bed and breakfast from £75.75 per guest and two-night family breaks from £211.50 per room, including breakfast and a packed lunch for the whole family.

And there’s two-night couples’ breaks from just £166.50, including a bottle of wine in the room.

In light of COVID-19, the hotel is also running a new cleaning regime, with hotel-wide cleaning of the highest standard, independently audited by industry specialists.

• When offered our stay at Belton Woods, full body massages were also arranged for Josi and I. I’d had sports massages before for various running injuries down the years, but never a spa experience – wow! I have to say this was one of the most soothing and comforting experiences I’ve ever had. At times I nearly fell asleep as I drifted away and let the masseur do her work. It left both of us feeling relaxed and happy for the rest of the day and I would definitely recommend visitors to Belton Woods to book one of these treatments.