Danesfield House Hotel And Spa

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know those grand country houses you see in period dramas? Danesfield House is basically that, except you can actually stay there – and honestly, it’s pretty spectacular. Perched on a hill overlooking the Thames near Marlow, this place has that whole Victorian manor thing down perfectly, complete with manicured gardens that seem to go on forever. I mean, the building itself dates back to the 1890s, and you can tell they’ve put serious effort into keeping that original character while making sure everything actually works (the WiFi’s decent, the heating’s reliable – you know, the stuff that matters).

What really gets me about this place is the location. You’re literally a five-minute drive from Marlow High Street, where you can grab coffee at that little place everyone raves about or pop into the Michelin-starred pubs (Marlow’s surprisingly good for food, actually). But here’s the thing – once you’re on the hotel grounds, you feel completely removed from everything. The spa’s carved into the hillside, which sounds gimmicky but works brilliantly. I spent way too much time in their infinity pool just staring out at the river valley. The treatment rooms are properly relaxing too, not those cramped spaces you sometimes get where you can hear everything happening next door.

The rooms vary quite a bit – some have those amazing river views, others look out over the gardens or the countryside beyond. If you can swing it, definitely go for a Thames-facing room because the sunsets are ridiculous (especially in autumn when all the trees turn). Fair warning though: this isn’t a budget stay. You’re paying for the setting and the service, which is generally excellent – that proper English hospitality without being stuffy about it. The restaurant’s solid, though honestly, with Marlow so close, you might want to venture out for dinner at least once. Oh, and parking’s included, which is actually a relief since finding a spot in Marlow itself can be a nightmare, especially on weekends when the Thames path gets busy with walkers and cyclists. It’s the kind of place that works whether you’re doing the full country house weekend thing or just need to properly switch off for a couple of days.