Like so many of the landmark institutions and locations in the countryside that surrounds London, there is a fascinating story concerning Kings and Queens attached to the legendary Royal Ascot racecourse. One early morning in 1711, Queen Anne was out riding just beyond the boundaries of Windsor Castle when she happened upon a vast area of open heath. She looked on at it admiringly and remarked that it looked ‘ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch’. Little did she know that her chance finding would set a sequence of events in place to create the most famous horse racing course the world has ever seen.
Three centuries later, Royal Ascot Racecourse remains a key venue for racing all year round. The high society associations with the Flat Racing season of the summer and the Royal Ascot event in June are incredibly well known, but the National Hunt season from October to March also provides fixtures throughout the winter months. As a result, the town of Ascot and its nearby locations are often home to global visitors right across the calendar year, looking for the right accommodation and hospitality to match the level of prestige and elegance of the course itself.
Here is a collection of the very best among them, for hotels in Ascot.
Coworth Park
Coworth Park Hotel is set in the grounds of a secluded and almost secretive estate that holds around 240 acres of wildflower meadows and landscaped gardens. It is almost impossible for guests here to fathom that a rural idyll such as this is just 45 minutes from London and only 20 minutes from the global hub of Heathrow Airport. It was originally built in 1776 in the Georgian style, changing hands multiple times throughout the centuries, until an extensive refurbishment in 2008 transformed it into a luxury resort and spa.
Its original personality and identity remain anchored throughout, with the overall design language of high ceilings of ornate design and sash windows, providing a pleasing period atmosphere. Contemporary interiors handled by the specialist studio Fox Linton bring a subtle yet elevated blend of soft colours and robust materials that make for an authentic and striking aesthetic here too.
Coworth Park is now carefully maintained and developed as part of the exclusive hospitality portfolio of The Dorchester Collection and the service is as impressive as one would therefore imagine. A combination of rooms in the main mansion and converted stables and cottage suites are available with an on-site eco spa built sympathetically within this fantastic natural landscape. With two Michelin-recognised restaurants led by the exquisitely talented guiding hand of chef Adam Smith, Coworth Hotel has to be a front runner in the race for the finest hotel in Ascot.
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Royal Berkshire Hotel
The red brick mansion that is home to Royal Berkshire Hotel was built in 1705 with a design that represented the integration of early Georgian and late Baroque sensibilities. 15 acres of country house style grounds that surround the main building offer a more compact and cosier atmosphere than one might expect, with walled gardens and a sense of real privacy. It became a hotel in 1971 after a long and storied history that included ownership by some truly elite names, including the family of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole.
A total of 66 rooms, each individually designed, blend modern amenities with the classic architectural character of the building’s bones to ensure that it remains faithful to its original design scheme. One of the most striking elements of this is the common areas of the drawing rooms and lounges that exude elegance to make Royal Berkshire a big attraction for weddings and large celebratory events.
The hotel restaurant, Fork, is a triumph of locally sourced ingredients applied to a contemporary menu of simple dishes done superbly well. Bavette steak with triple-cooked chips and vine tomatoes and grilled chicken with fondant potato, pea puree and poached spring onion jus, are a good representation of what can be expected for dinner. And of course, the quintessential country house hotel element of afternoon tea is a delight best served looking out onto the gardens.
Also Read: Luxury Hotels in Berkshire
Fairmont Windsor Park
The site of the Fairmont Windsor Park hotel was once a key part of the Windsor Great Park royal estate used by the resident monarchs for hunting and recreation. The grand buildings here went through several regenerations until 2018, when the old Savil Court Hotel on site was completely demolished and the Fairmont Windsor Park was created as a symbol of 21st-century country house hospitality for the UK.
Its exterior has all of the classic architectural symmetry to pay homage to nearby Georgian and Regency mansions in the area. However, inside, there are cutting-edge interior facilities to make it an appropriate luxury location for the modern age too. The London-based studio Goddard Littlefair took care of interior design using oak panelling with marble floors and subtle bronze accents that generate a calm and sophisticated energy.
This is a 5-star hotel experience with 251 guest rooms and suites that use the space afforded in innovative ways with a nod to the location’s heritage. The Eaves rooms with their circular windows and distinctive features are certainly the pick of the bunch, with more space and overall luxury. With an on-site Spa and Wellness facility that includes a thermal suite and cryotherapy chamber, the Fairmont Windsor Park demonstrates how a new hotel can succeed in an age-old setting when every detail is considered and executed in the right way. At just six miles north of Ascot, this is a 15-minute car journey well worth taking.
It is often said that the environment and surroundings of a hotel are the biggest influence in shaping its style and character. As these examples clearly show, the timeless rural charm and era-defining history of Ascot has become the foundation for excellent hospitality facilities to be developed upon. For visitors who want to spend a while here, or those who are just passing through for a day at the races, the odds are that any of this collection will have exactly what they are looking for.
