When we visited The Grove back in 2017, it was enchanting. This second visit was a bit odd but I would probably put that down to the pandemic. It definitely wasn’t on full form as a lot of the facilities were closed. Nonetheless, there are some stunning parts to it that’s for sure (see below).

Despite the Sequoia spa having won an award or two, comparatively to other spas it isn’t the greatest; it’s not bad but it’s certainly not uber luxurious either which you might hope from a spa. It lacked attention to detail, didn’t really transport you anywhere miraculous nor made you feel you were somewhere special…or maybe that’s just what I look for!

This time round they only had the one restaurant open but before we also managed to eat The Potting Shed and The Stables, both of which were closed. The dinner at The Glasshouse was amazing (and with halal meat!) whereas the afternoon tea in the Lounges was very average, borderline disappointing, although the beautiful decor and musician playing a live harp made it pleasurable.

If you’re into interior design and artistic decor like I am, you can actually find the Picasso inspired cushions in the below pictures from The Conran shop here.

It’s a nice getaway for a short weekend and worth a visit, but the inconsistencies makes it shy of a must-visit. But as usual, there is beauty waiting to be discovered everywhere…..