Hampton Manor makes the 100 Top British Hotels

“The Sunday Times puts a ring on it”

The Sunday Times have officially put a ring on it; that is, they've named Hampton Manor one of the 100 Top British Hotels. We've been daubed the 'foodie hideaway', 'an unpretentious temple to cutting-edge cuisine' and (conveniently for the upcoming season) 'a little cracker'!

“It has taken 10 years of creativity and imagination to bring our 45 acre estate back to life. The building was disused and tired but full of potential when we acquired it.  Seeing it now full of guests enjoying world class hospitality is hugely rewarding.  Reaching the Sunday Times top 100 really topped off a decade of hard work from our family and team” James Hill, Managing Director-Hampton Manor.

ARTICLE: TIMES TOP 100 BEST PLACES TO STAY

Hampton Manor

This foodie hideaway, on an estate once owned by the 19th-century Tory Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, is a little cracker, with a 45-acre buffer zone of landscaped gardens.

It is a temple to cutting-edge cuisine that slices through the pretensions often associated with the Michelin-starred dining experience. The grandeur of the lobby’s original stonework and sweeping staircase has been warmed up with floral mid-century rocking chairs, gunmetal grey velvet oak-framed furniture and a marble-topped scorched-oak tasting table. Every afternoon, it transforms into an epicurean space where guests can sample small-batch gins, organic wines and experimental cocktails. It’s a convivial spot, designed to let guests get to know the team and each other. There’s no pressure to be sociable, though, so you can tuck yourself away in the hush-quiet library, the light and floral Parlour or Fred’s Bar, which has an impressive selection of gins.

The fun starts in earnest when you move through to Peel’s restaurant, which has held a Michelin star since 2016 and offers a relaxing blend of luxe and laid-back. The former is supplied by original oak panels and dainty hand-painted Fromental wallpaper in cigar browns, autumnal greens and pops of bright pink; the latter by waiters dressed in chinos and natty waistcoats, and with a sense of humour. Dishes are grounded in the hotel’s Victorian roots and kitchen gardens, but have a thoroughly modern spin. “Longhorn beef, garden carrots, black garlic” and “Blueberry, nutmeg, lemon verbena” are terse descriptions, but they open up on the plate, creating wonderful, balanced flavours. If the weather plays nicely, take your postprandial brandy out to the terrace’s fire pits.

The 15 bedrooms are inspired by William Morris, the champion of handcrafted art in a time of industrialisation. Some have black lacquered furniture, velour fabrics, Morris’s wallpapers and moody silk drapes. Book Lord Mowbray for something lighter: it has jolly geometric fabrics. All the rooms have thoughtful foodie touches, including grinders and fresh coffee beans for a superior caffeine hit.

Cosy Doubles from £175, B&B; Four-course tasting menu from £75;

www.hamptonmanor.com
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hampton-manor-west-midlands-best-british-hotels-6xk7nctlc

https://corporatelicensing.co.uk/awards/2018/st-best-places-to-stay-2018