Long established as one of Hertfordshire’s most family-friendly hotels (it cannily bills itself as the capital’s country retreat), the Grove sits amid 300 acres of parkland that used to belong to the Earl of Clarendon. Its 215 stylish, breezy rooms and suites are housed in the 18th-century manor house and the (less characterful) West Wing, added in 2003, but it’s the nonstop activities guests really come for: outdoor trails (and bikes with which to explore them), fun activities for babies to teens, and a programme that includes everything from yoga retreats to walks with birds of prey led by smiley staff. Then there’s the endless, TikTok-famous buffet in the Glasshouse. If you’re a parent of a child under 12, this is the most fun you and they can have within the M25.
Overall score 9/10
Main photo: The Grove
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Rooms and suites
Score 8/10
All rooms are cosy and modern; upscale options include the mansion rooms, with their fireplaces, white walls, parquet floors, blousy linen sofas and clawfoot tubs — plus, thrillingly for younger guests, high-tech Japanese toilets. Green and burgundy cashmere throws and autumnal-coloured velvet cushions and headboards add colour and texture. In the mansion rooms, the minibars are complimentary and the Grove has partnered with Hackney Gelato to deliver scoops of the good stuff direct to rooms for free. Most importantly, age-appropriate toys and bathroom amenities come as standard, which is a lovely, personal touch appreciated by parents.
Food and drink
Score 9/10
The sprawling Glasshouse is the Grove’s main restaurant, and has become renowned on social media for its gargantuan buffet that spans everything from fresh sushi and sashimi to Indian, Chinese, a carvery, cured meats and cheeses, and mini desserts — plus the chocolate fountain. You’ll need to work up an appetite in the grounds before eating here, but it’s easy to stay fuelled for another course with its excellent choice of English wine, including sparkling Hambledon, or with an espresso martini from a five-strong menu (I’d recommend the salted caramel version).
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Other dining options include the Stables — a quieter gastropub in the former stables, serving classics such as steaks and fish flavoured with sage and rosemary grown on site, plus sides such as the truffle mash — and Madhu’s, an upscale Indian. Casual sandwiches and sushi are available in the lounges, which overlook the formal gardens and where weekend entertainment comes in the form of a piano player and harpist.
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What else is there?
Score 10/10
Too much to list — you’ll need at least two nights to see and do it all. For younger children, there’s the Ofsted-registered kids’ club, Anouska’s, which offers three-hour childcare slots (£45), and a playground with climbing frame and swings. The children’s pool is open throughout the day, complete with floats; the Potting Shed inside the walled garden has arts and crafts plus arcade games; bikes for all ages and other activities including laser clay pigeon shooting and archery are available in Asher’s Woodland Trails. Introduced in autumn 2023 were the Mini Landies, automatic toy Land Rovers for kids aged three to eight, that are nothing short of a smash hit (£40 for 30 minutes). For older kids, the Grid inside the walled garden, which takes over the tennis courts in winter, combines axe throwing, games mimicking The Cube, table tennis and an escape room. In summer, it turns into the tennis courts, and it’s next door to Ralph’s Beach, an outdoor heated pool.
And breathe. Which is what adults will be doing at the Sequoia Spa, which has separate women’s and men’s heat areas, plus an indoor adult-only spa pool and treatment rooms for massages and facials using Bamford ingredients. It’s popular for groups on spa days, and attracts local residents as members, which means the whole place isn’t as pin-drop quiet of other luxury hotel spas.
The 300-acre grounds host a formal garden, a championship 18-hole golf course, the Grand Union Canal, plus myriad events spaces that host ad hoc programming such as a yoga retreat on my visit.
Where is it?
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Score 8/10
The Grove takes great pride in its 18 miles from central London claim – and fair play, it couldn’t feel less like the capital if it tried. It’s a ten-minute drive from Watford Junction station and just off the M25 (you can just hear the roar of it from the hotel), and thanks to this easy-breezy access to London, it’s full of frighteningly unfrazzled middle-class young families.
Cathy Adams was a guest of the Grove
Price room-only doubles from £370
Restaurant mains from £19
Family-friendly Y
Dog-friendly Y
Accessible Y
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