Rowhill Grange Hotel & Utopia Spa

A long, private driveway winds up a gentle slope flanked by thicket and grassland which melds into attractive gardens and ends at the four-pearl Rowhill Grange Hotel & Utopia Spa. Built in 1868 as a summer retreat for a wealthy family, this manor house-style property has maintained much of its original 19th-century charm. The property is surrounded by particularly pleasant and peaceful grounds with manicured lawns, pretty flowers, and sculpted shrubbery while the Clockhouse annex is a pretty marriage of clapboard facade and thatched roof. Inside the main building, interiors are a contemporary take on traditional styling in cool grays with floral motifs and plenty of original fixtures. The hotel is largely aimed at couples looking for a quiet spa break while also being very popular with wedding parties. The peaceful location and plush interiors achieve the property's goals as a luxurious retreat, though prices are perhaps unexpectedly a bit high. 

This hotel is located just outside the village of Hextable in the Sevenoaks district of Kent. While there's little to appeal to tourists in the surrounding area beyond countryside and fields, its position within close reach of the M25 motorway means easy access from the Dartford Tunnel, London, and beyond. There's very little in the way of public transport nearby, so driving is certainly recommended and it's just 40 minutes' drive from Gatwick Airport while central London takes under an hour. 

This hotel has 38 rooms, all of which are finished in a tasteful blend of plush contemporary styling with English manor house decor and antique-style furnishings. Beds are made particularly comfy with deep sprung mattresses and Egyptian sheets, while standard amenities include free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and electric kettles. Although there are no minibars, upper-tier rooms may include Nespresso machines (we spotted them in the Luxury Room and Master Suite we visited). Bathrooms are spotlessly clean with mostly modern bathware (some also have polished Victorian-style tubs), bathrobes and slippers, and high-end Temple Spa toiletries. Lack of air-conditioning in the rooms can mean that they overheat during the summer months (despite fans being available). Some rooms have shower/tub combos while others have soaking tubs with separate walk-in showers; a separate tub completes the peaceful retreat feel. 

The hotel's bright and modern RG's Restaurant serves set and a la carte lunch and dinner menus in a conservatory overlooking the garden -- though dining is certainly on the pricey side. The less formal Elements Bar & Lounge is also open for brunch and afternoon tea while there's plenty of terrace seating for alfresco eating. The hotel's Roman-inspired Utopia Spa is spread over two floors and features a decent-length swimming pool and hot tub and hydrotherapy pool room complete with classical ruins and statues. There's even a waterfall that cascades from an ancient temple-like columned facade -- though the men's changing rooms are in need of a makeover. A wide range of massage and beauty treatments are available in one of 19 treatment rooms as well as a gym, fitness studio, and hair salon. The hotel also caters to wedding parties, and includes a bandstand for ceremonies and a separate building for banqueting. Wi-Fi is free throughout.