A Countryside Getaway to Berkshire at Hurley House Hotel

Are you looking for a foodie weekend getaway, that isn’t too far away from London? Then you should consider staying for a couple of nights at Hurley House in Berkshire. 

 Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis will know how fond Gary and I are of our little trips to the countryside, even better yet when they are coupled with good food. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I say that we thoroughly enjoyed our recent stay at Hurley House Hotel, a chic boutique hotel just outside of the outrageously picturesque riverside village Henley on Thames which recently underwent a huge refurbishment. 

We popped along for a one-night stay, which luckily included both breakfast and dinner.   I love when a new venue seems to tick all the boxes: delicious food, excellent location, exquisite interior and that is exactly what our experience was on this recent trip. There was no need to even leave the premises that evening – blissful! 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

Hurly House Hotel is a complete newcomer and only opened fairly recently in August 2016. The premises of the hotel originally housed a rundown 18th-century pub (which before the owner of Hurley House took it on as a project) had stood empty for two years.   To say the hotel’s undergone a bit of a refurbishment is an understatement. The Red Lyon was bulldozed in 2016 to make way for the new hotel, which cost an eye-watering £6 million to build.  You’re not going to find a rich history at Hurley House Hotel, but there’s plenty of character in the bar and restaurant areas. If it is history however you seek, then there is plenty of history in the neighbouring town Hurley, which is home to England’s oldest inn and the ruins of a 11th-century priory.  I usually love crumbling wrecks. But in this case, my head’s been turned by this building’s modern rustic loveliness. The new beautiful cobbled building blends in neatly with its surroundings and was designed by Spratley Studio Architects.   The hotel is also a labour of love for its owner, former founder and chairman of a financial empire, who decided to close up shop and depart on the new venture that is hospitality.  

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LOCATION OF HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

Only a mere 45 minutes’ drive from central London, Hurley House is the perfect countryside escape for a luxury staycation outside of the city.  As already stated, Hurley House is located a couple of minutes’ drive from the romantic historic village that is Hurley. Although you would easily be forgiving for thinking that the hotel is situated in the middle of nowhere, as it is surrounded by green fields (and a golf course). I personally enjoyed this feeling of remoteness.  The Thames Path, near the hotel, provides the opportunity for lots of great countryside walks. An hour-long stroll along the Thames (pack your wellies) will take you to Marlow if you head East and to Henley if you go West. Both towns are definitely worth a visit if you are staying at Hurley House longer than one night.   The beautiful Chiltern Area of Outstanding Beauty lies to the North of the hotel.  Furthermore, Ascot Racecourse, Stonor Park, Windsor Castle and the gastronomic haven that is Bray, are all within easy reach. And the village Turville, famous for being featured on the British TV show The Vicar of Dibley is also close by. 

STYLE OF HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL

As much as I like the look of the building itself, the interior of Hurley House is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It is the epitome of boutique country chic, with rustic wood burning stoves, rich leather sofas flagstone floors and mismatched furniture. That combined with a warm colour scheme creates a cosy atmosphere that is perfect for those chilly autumn nights, when all you want to do is cocoon yourself in several blankets. Interior Designer Summer Williams is responsible for this exquisite look of the interior spaces, and the owner of Hurley House has clearly spared no expense. Every detail seems to have been thought through minutiously.

THE BAR

As you enter through the front door you are welcomed by an array of comfortable seating arrangements. This is the pub. The space also features a stylish granite bar, lots of exposed brick and a mix of industrial and art deco style lighting. What struck me most though was the huge wooden chandelier at the entryway. At the front of the building, a large dining table has been set slightly apart, divide from the rest of the space room by a grand chimney. This I believe would be a great space for an intimate family gathering. If you are in need of a function room Hurley House can offer a private dining room for 14.

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THE RESTAURANT

As you continue through the space, making your way to the reception at the back of the building, you will pass Hurley’s House restaurant. This distinguishes itself in style somewhat from the rest of the hotel, with thick dark wood panelling studded tan leather chairs and watercolour paintings of vegetables. Back to back booths for two ran along one wall and created a more personal dining experience. Overall the décor of the restaurant feels rich and sumptuous, with a bit of a hint of a posh gentleman’s club. There is also a floor-to-ceiling display of wine in the adjacent corridor because nothing screams luxury more than a wall of fine wine. In fact, Hurley House has a selection of over 130 bottles which have been personally selected from independent vineyards from France, Greece, Argentina and Lebanon. The wine bottles range in price from £20 to £280, so there is something there for everybody’s taste as well as budget

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THE GARDEN

Hurley House boasts an enviable outdoor space that is perfect for alfresco dining in the summer months. It features plenty of seating (enough for any outdoor event) and an outside bar area. There is even a pizza oven! Unfortunately for most of our stay, the English weather did what it does best – rain. However the sun briefly peaked out from behind the clouds and of course, we made the most of it by taking a gander around the property. To my delight, the smell of fresh bread hung heavily in the air, as the chef was preparing lunch for later in the day. 

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ATMOSPHERE AT HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

The staff at Hurley House Hotel is young and enthusiastic. Their age, however, doesn’t keep service from running smoothly.   From our first arrival to our dinner service and then breakfast service the next morning, I simply cannot fault the staff’s attention to detail, which was indeed highly appreciated.  I would say that the overall atmosphere is kept informal and friendly, which is perhaps somewhat surprising in a restaurant of this calibre.    Finally, I would like to mention Hurley House’s unique dress-code: black jeans with a dark green and black checkered shirt. I loved it. Not only was a very pleasant on the eye it also added a nice informal, laid-back touch. 

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ROOMS AT HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

In total Hurley House has 10 boutique bedrooms, split over two levels and tucked away at the back of the property. I would say this is quite a small number of rooms for a hotel rather than a B&B. And I would also argue that this is one of the things that is so great about the place. It retains that sense of exclusivity. Each bedroom comes with a gorgeous-suite bathroom and some even have a terrace.   Comfort and luxury are paramount to Hurley House Hotel and our room showed this clearly. 

THE BEDROOM 

As soon as I enter our room, I could tell that the hotel had only recently been built – the furniture was brand new and there weren’t yet any obvious signs of use. I also immediately noticed that the owner had spared no expense. From the solid wood furniture to the Lefroy Brooks bathroom fittings, everything was clearly of the highest quality.  The corner room was very spacious and benefitted from its double aspect views. It contained a huge bed (that dominated the room) as well a dressing table, large wooden draws and a cubby hole to prepare our teas, coffees and access the minibar.   Speaking of the minibar, this had been filled with an extensive selection of goodies including branded M&M’s, a bottle of wine and several chocolate bars,  as well as a Dualit machine to make tea or coffee.  Lighting had also been carefully considered, and the room contained a mix of contemporary brass chandeliers and refined lamps.  The décor of the rooms continues the homely and rural theme, remaining just about on the right side of twee, with wooden floors, exposed beams, plump leather armchairs and plenty of cushions, blankets and throws. You will even find old milk bottles and clothbound Penguin classics dotted around the room. The colour palette has been kept relatively neutral with lots of grey and beige tones mixed in with the white. The bottom half of the walls are clad in wood panels, painted a soft grey, an idea I might just borrow once we acquire our own home.   Our bed was gigantic and the Hypnos mattress made it especially squishy and comfortable. It was also fitted with a range of pillows and deliciously luxurious 1000 thread monogrammed linen. 

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THE BATHROOM 

Follow the polished wooden floors out into the hallway and you’ll be greeted with the bathroom. Here the dark grey of the slate floor and the silver fittings dominate the colour palette. Nonetheless, with underfloor heating, the room felt cosy and homely.  Our bathroom was generously sized with a very large walk-in power shower plus a huge free-standing sink with a big mirror surrounded by glimmering lights. Definitely ample space for two!  Everything at Hurley House has been beautifully branded and thus the fluffy 800 GSM towels from Soak & Sleep have also been embroidered with the letter M. Other luxury touches include a hairdryer and to my delight Floris toiletries (the Queen’s appointed perfumer). 

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FOOD AT HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

If you are staying at Hurley House Hotel, I would highly recommend that you book a table in the restaurant for dinner. In fact, I would say that one of the biggest draws of the place is the exquisite food devised and prepared by Michael Chapman, a former student of Marcus Wareing and former head chef of Michelin-Starred The Royal Oak at Paley Street.  His dishes never feature anything but top quality ingredients. These are generally locally sourced from Berkshire’s producers and farmers. The lamb comes from Wiltshire, the tomatoes are grown on the Isle of Wight and the seafood is brought in every day from Brixham boats. This of course also means, that the menus vary wonderfully with the seasons  Michael generally relies on tried-and-tested pairings (chicken and sweetcorn; butternut and sage; scallops and celeriac), but with flavours that pack a punch. Whilst the portions air on the smaller side, each dish is guaranteed to delight your palette. Indeed I am still daydreaming of that steak over a month later! 

DINNER AT HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

It actually took us a little while to decide what to order. There were so many interesting and delicious things on the menu. We finally agreed to share the steak platter, rather unusual for us. In my mind, there is nothing better than warm bread. So whilst we were waiting for my starter, we tucked into a selection of into a selection of warm olive, walnut and pumpkin and linseed bread. The Bread at Hurley House is freshly baked and comes in a cute cloth bag. Better yet it is served with aerated butter which has a delightful texture, not dissimilar to whipped cream.

When my starter was served, I was agog by its beauty. The dish honestly looked like a piece of artwork.  Fresh, summery and colourful, it perfectly reflected the season. My choice had fallen upon the sweetcorn agnolotti filled with Scottish girolle, scattered with parmesan and served with sweet peas and summer truffle. The gentle flavours of this starter were very well balanced. To my surprise, the mushroom filling was on the sweet side, but this actually perfectly complimented the delicate texture of the sweetcorn agnolotti. The highlight of the dish, however, was the foamy truffle sauce that generously covered the entire dish.

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As mentioned above, Gary and I ordered the dish of the day, an aged chateaubriand steak for two. This was served on a board together with crispy chips, wilted spinach, buttery beans and a selection of sauces that included a delicious thick jus and a mustardy béchamel. As always, the veggies were all mine, and this time I could not have been any happier. The steak was so tender and moist, that it literally melted in our mouths. We were really pleased with our choice and I still daydream about this dish.

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I could easily have devoured all the desserts but we settled on just two: bitter chocolate Jaffa cake served with orange ice cream for Gary and the mango jelly, vanilla pannacotta and passionfruit curd for me. Both were excellent in taste and gorgeously presented. Deserts at Hurley House are actually by the pastry chef and you can watch her work her magic at the glass panelled section of the kitchen. Gary assured me that his cake was very rich and that the orange ice cream really livened the dish up, but wouldn’t let me have a taste. I, on the other hand, loved the variety of textures of my dessert.

As if we hadn’t already eaten enough, we were then presented with a plate of little delights, which included Michael Chapman’s take on a Ferrero Rocher, Passion Fruit Marshmallow and several dark chocolate and salted caramel pralines, to finish off our meal.

BREAKFAST  AT HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

One of my favourite things about these little weekend getaways is being served a hot breakfast in the morning. To me, this is the ultimate luxury, without any effort being required from my part. Hurley House offers both a selection of British Breakfast dishes from a menu and a continental breakfast buffet. So, there is something there for all tastes. The buffet contained just the right amount of croissants, Danish pastries, fruit and cereals. But it also included smoothies that change on a daily basis, fruit compotes and a selection of delicious fresh juices.

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The hot menu contained some very interesting alternative dishes such as sliced avocado with chilli and lime on toasted sourdough and baked Norfolk brown hens egg with chorizo, spring onions and plum tomato. Nonetheless, I opted for one of my ultimate favourite breakfast dishes: Eggs Florentine. And I am happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed by my choice. To start off with the portion was very generously sized with not one but two muffins. These were piled high with runny eggs, juicy spinach, flaky salmon and a creamy hollandaise sauce.

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Gary went with his usual choice, a stack of buttermilk pancakes, and was just as happy. The pancakes were nice and fluffy and came in the American style with crispy bacon and plenty of maple syrup. Small portions being a pet peeve of mine, I was glad to see that Hurley House did not skimp on the syrup.

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WHY VISIT HURLEY HOUSE HOTEL 

Our overnight stay and food and drink at Hurley House Hotel were provided on a complimentary basis in exchange for an honest review on my blog. All opinions expressed here are my own