Last Updated on March 10, 2025
An Easy Escape to the Country at The Langley
The problem with going away is that it involves just that…going away. Sometimes you need a break, craving a little luxury in a rural retreat where your every whim is catered for. But if the thought of travelling any distance at all makes the prospect distinctly unappealing then imagine a Grade 2 listed 18th-century country house hotel close to The M25 in Buckinghamshire, just over an hour’s drive from the centre of London, with its own helicopter pad, close to Pinewood Studios and a 10-minute drive from the Elizabeth Line. A place set in 150 acres of elegant Capability Brown landscaped gardens with bespoke 5-star service and one of the ‘most luxurious spas in the country’. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you need to learn more about The Langley Hotel.
The Langley, a Marriot Luxury Collection hotel, is on the site of what was originally a 17th-century hunting lodge built for the 3rd Duke of Marlborough whose descendants include Winston Churchill and Lady Diana Spencer. Later rebuilt as a Palladian-style mansion with a gorgeous circular fountain out front, the building was renovated in 2012 and opened as a hotel in 2020.
The hotel, with prize-winning interior design by Dennis Irvine Studio, has been finished to a very high specification. The building has many original historic features such as the fireplace, a pair of Italian Renaissance bronze doors and mosaic flooring all in the entrance hall. There is also the striking grand staircase with its glass cupola and in a more modern addition there are cleverly integrated lifts that don’t interfere with the historic fabric of the house.
The Drawing Room at The Langley is a place for relaxing and casual dining. Open from 11 am to 11 pm it’s the place to get fish and chips or a burger. With its striking central chandelier, it also has plenty of history as it’s where Queen Victoria used to sit on a throne chair. But my favourite space is the Churchill Bar. Originally the house’s library, it’s a dark and masculine place to go for cigars and cognac and to look at the striking portrait of Winston with a cigar that adorns the wall.
The grounds are elegantly laid out and there’s an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, outdoor chess and draught sets as well as two charmingly named goats, Nutmeg and Cinnamon.
There are 17 en-suite bedrooms alongside a further 21 bedroom suites in the nearby Grade II listed historic clockhouse. But I stayed in the stylish Seymour Suite with its feature porthole window giving a glorious view of the grounds.
A large and very comfy bed with top-quality linen and pillows ensured a good night’s sleep. The suite had everything you might need; a sofa, a flatscreen TV with Sky, a minibar, a Nespresso machine, a hairdryer and an ironing board.
The marble bathroom was super-luxurious; stocked with posh Noble Isle toiletries, there was a huge walk-in shower and the underfloor heating was a wonderful surprise for this time of year.
Dinner was in the high-ceilinged and airy Cedar restaurant with its dreamy woodland wallpaper, art deco mirrored lampshades, pots of dried grasses, dark wooden parquet floors and long wooden-shuttered windows with French doors opening out onto the terrace.
The menu is primarily Italian and while making our choices we enjoy some homemade bread with delicious salted and truffle butters. A homely bowl of leek and potato soup is perfect for a cold winter’s evening and is elevated by slivers of crispy leeks that give the dish an added texture.
Tender full-flavoured slow-cooked octopus comes with the sweetness of a cherry tomato and Taggiasche olive sauce with croutons adding some crunch.
With our meal, we drink a bottle of Folli e Benato Gavi di Gavi with its white pear and lime notes.
Silky, fresh Tagliolini pasta is drenched in a luxurious rich butter and black truffle sauce – wonderful!
Tagliatelle all’Astice was a standout dish. Fresh tender lobster, cooked in a brandy and Datterini tomato sauce is pepped up by garlic and slivers of chilli then mixed with the al dente pasta. A side dish of crisp mixed leaf salad leaves comes lightly dressed.
And then desserts. A classic Tiramisù was rich and creamy and an elegant Chocolate mousse was not over-sweetened, with a hint of bitterness from the chocolate and some welcome acidity from a Mirabelle plum sorbet. Service is friendly and attentive with a touch of Italian formality. After a great dinner, a properly made black Americano and Petit Fours it was time for bed.
We were back in the Cedar restaurant for breakfast with a plentiful supply of hot drinks, juices and top-quality Viennoiserie. There is a choice between a continental breakfast with cereals, cheeses, and smoked fish or a cooked countryside breakfast.
There is of course a tempting looking Full English /Vegetarian English, Avocado or Calabrese on toast and a variety of egg dishes. But we chose a fresh, clean bowl of Bircher Muesli and a delicious Avocado on toast topped with poached eggs.
We needed a good breakfast to set us up for a visit to the extraordinary spa. Situated under a car park it is one of the largest underground spas in Europe and offers treatments including aromatherapy massages, facials, and spa day experiences. With two Relaxation Lounges, a Nail Bar, 24 hour gym, Sauna and Steam Room, a large pool and a Vitality Pool (hot tub) it’s easy to get lost! We had signed up for a couple of treatments.
The Langley Shea massage was a slow languorous massage performed with a medium pressure using my choice of orange blossom oil blended with Shea butter. Claire massaged away my worries and sorted out my lower back. The Pure Indulgence treatment is a soothing facial also using Orange Blossom that my colleague said ‘enriched my skin, leaving it with a healthy glow, and was perfectly complemented by an ultra-relaxing 30-minute back massage.
The Langley also has a bijou Wine Cellar, perfect for private dining, a Teaching Kitchen if you need to brush up on your pasta-making technique, a private Cinema Room, The Winter Garden event space that can take up to 200 – perfect for weddings or corporate events, and a smaller event space called the Boot Room.
The Langley is wonderful as a retreat for couples in addition to being perfect for a family break with the local Buckinghamshire countryside offering plenty of scope for outings. But at this time of year, the focus is on Christmas with the estate magically becoming a ‘festive wonderland’ with a majestic Lebanon Cedar tree being the festive centrepiece.
There are festive afternoon teas by the fire, lavish Christmas feasts, a three-course menu featuring a 28-day dry-aged beef fillet carpaccio, The Langley honey-roasted turkey breast, and desserts such as a cranberry and orange chocolate soufflé. Kids can take part in gingerbread house decorating, Christmas movie nights, and enjoy a magical visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Day, what could be more exciting?
We had a fabulously luxurious stay at The Langley. It is a special place where memories can be made. and I loved the way Its history is embedded in the whole estate, and with so many activities you’ll never be bored.
The Langley, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Buckinghamshire
Avenue Drive,
Uxbridge Road,
Iver,
England,
United Kingdom,
SL3 6DU
Leave a Reply