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 How, I long to get out of London, away from the stress of City life, you just want to scream and head to the country, that is precisely what I did, back in May this year. It is five years since I wrote about my favourite country retreat Chewton Glen, the number one country-style hotel winner in the world, for a hotel under 100 guests. Over the years the hotel has won all the top awards in the world, including awards for the spa. I have grown older, travelled the world and met many famous people, but the time was right for me to pack my bags and return and spend a couple of days enjoying the new Chewton Glen spa and hotel, I had heard a great deal about.
This was my first visit to the new spa, I will talk about in the following article, people in the Press, customers and the market in general have all spoken about the development. The customer service of Chewton Glen, is a part of the hotels DNA, it is quality with the extra star, if any hotel in the world I have visited deserves the seven stars, Chewton Glen does. It is privately owned by Martin and Brigitte Skan, who I might add are hands-on directors, they greet, meet and talk to guests, all the staff know you by your name, they remember who you are, they know the drink you like, what cakes you want on a afternoon, whether you are a new guest or frequent visitor, the staff are asked to remember the little things that leave a lasting impression. Many of the staff have been there for years, is it not a fleeting job for them, it is a career and part of something more, it is vision which has stretched over forty years, the hotel does change with markets needs, but still keeps it's unmistakable presence. Francois Rossi has been at the hotel for over thirty-eight years, he has worked in the bar and is a part of the fixtures and fittings, you might say, he sums-up the loyalty of staff to the hotel, he is like a good wine, he has matured with age.
"Perceptions can often be different
on a second visit, not at Chewton Glen,
they just get better"
Chewton Glen dates back to 1732, it has had a chequered history, and there are watercolour paintings and photographs dating back to 1857, you approach the hotel down a splendid curve of a driveway, you feel you are entering a British mansion from the Victorian period.
At this stage you are probably asking where is Chewton Glen, the hotel is located in the New Forest, about one half hours from Central London, it use to be in the county of ancient Wessex, which is now a part of Hampshire, one of the most affluent areas, it can be reached easily by road, rail and air, with the M3 and M27 motorways nearby, and the expanding airports of Bournemouth and Southampton close by, a good train service from Waterloo in London to New Milton. The coast is nearby and a great walk is down to Barton-on-Sea or Highcliffe beaches, through the wonderful woodland ground, if you are energtic there is a golf course and you can try the traditional British pastime of Croquet, nearby is the Isle of Wight and for a beach resort Bournemouth. The New Forest offers great opportunities to enjoy the natural surroundings from sailing on the Solent, fishing, helicopter flights along the coastline, together with cycling, walking or even horseback riding in the Forest.
“I would like to say a special thanks to Angela Day the Public Relations Manager of Chewton Glen for time and contribution and vision to the article”
James Knight.
© SPA MANAGEMENT JOURNAL - MARCH 2006
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