Mallory Court is the epitome of an English country house hotel - in every sense of the word.
The 43 bedroom manor house hotel sits in 10 acres of gardens and grounds on the edge of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire.
A Relais and Châteaux hotel, and part of the Eden Hotel Collection, it richly deserves the many awards that have been bestowed upon it.
Mallory Court provides an excellent base to explore Shakespeare's England, that takes in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Kenilworth and Royal Leamington Spa and a range of rural villages and attractions.
Awards galore are all so well deserved
Visiting Mallory Court some years ago we enjoyed a tremendous couple of days and, since then, I have been singing the praises of this quintessential English country house hotel.
But therein lay the dilemma.
When the chance to return arose we jumped at it but, as the trip approached, I began to wonder if Mallory Court could possibly meet the enhanced expectations my lauding had placed upon it.
I am happy to report my fears were totally unjustified.
An absolute favourite
Mallory Court remains one of my absolute favourite hotels – anywhere.
It earns this status for the property's fabrics and furnishings, the compact but so attractive gardens and the truly exceptional standard of service.
In addition to my own plaudits for the place, Mallory Court has garnered a plethora of nationally recognised awards.
It possesses three AA red stars for the levels of comfort and hospitality, three AA Rosettes for its main dining room and two AA Rosettes for the Brasserie restaurant.
A couple of years ago it won the Small hotel Group of the Year category in the AA Hospitality Awards.
Devotion to detail
The honours do not come by chance but because of the devotion to the guest experience and attention to detail from all those involved with Mallory Court.
It comes as no surprise to learn that every new employee is invited to be an overnight guest at the hotel.
Not just as a reward but because each new recruit will then appreciate everything that has to come together, seamlessly, to create the ultimate guest experience.
For example, the first thing I noticed on arrival, apart from the warm and efficient welcome was the displays of fresh flowers throughout the reception and lounge areas.
In creating that first impression it added that perfect finishing touch.
With a stay at Mallory Court, I would urge spending as much time as possible in the hotel.
Lock in time to relax in the wonderfully sumptuous lounge areas after breakfast with a paper, when arriving back late afternoon, or for a glass of complimentary sparkling before dinner.
The bedrooms at Mallory Court are delightfully comfortable and all come with views over the grounds and herb garden.
Particularly welcome is the CD player, with a selection of relaxing music.
Dining at Mallory Court will be a highlight of the stay, be it in the main dining room or in the Brasserie (as Ann explains below).
We left Mallory Court the first time vowing to return as, I suspect, along with so many of its other guests.
On leaving this second time the word that came to mind was ditto.
Delicious dishes exquisitely served
Our dining experience at Mallory Court started in the cosy, yet elegant Lounge with a selection of exquisite canapés writes Ann Mealor
Tiny, pink, perfectly formed beetroot meringues, melt on the tongue light but heavyweights in the flavour stakes.
The pickled apple with prune puree set cleanly on a ceramic spoon was a delight as were the warm and crispy croquette balls and the fluffy cheese puffs filled with melted gruyere and truffle.
It was the start to the evening I was hoping for and I was looking forward to the main event in the oak panelled, Mallory Court Dining Room.
The 3 AA Rosette restaurant is traditional in style and beautifully furnished with large, comfortable chairs and rich fabrics.
It is grand, yet has a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. It feels special.Eating here is an occasion.
I always welcome an Amuse Bouche – it's like a pre-starter, a little treat from the chef.
We were presented with a leek and potato cream with smoked haddock and seaweed topped with puffed rice.It was a tasty combination of flavours and textures.
We enjoyed this airy mousse with homemade bread and whipped beef butter, something I have never tried before, but liked.
We perused the menu at our leisure and both decided on the pea voloute, goats curd, sourdough croutons and a swirl of onion oil.
The voloute was light and complimented the rich goats curd and oil.It was a gorgeous bright green soup, nestled in the centre of a pristine white bowl.
For mains we chose the stone bass with cauliflower, buttermilk crumb and seaweed butter sauce.The bass was soft and flakey with a crisp, salted skin.
Surprisingly, there were three different types of cauliflower on the plate: pickled, roast and puree.
All were delicious, but the crunchy, pickled cauliflower really tingled my tastebuds.
Perfect presentation
The meal was perfectly presented on black plate, which showed off to its best, the fish, vegetables and piquant seaweed sauce.
Dessert was a slice of chocolate mousse with a caramel ganache topping served with a milk sorbet and button sized pools of passion fruit puree.
Not only was this a suitably luxurious mix, but it also made for a colourful picture on the plate.
We finished our evening as we started, relaxing in the lounge with coffee and dish of moorish petit fours.
Head Chef, Paul Evans uses as many ingredients as possible from Mallory Court's extensive kitchen garden and has a team of local suppliers providing the freshest meat, fish and other produce.
This all helps him to create an exciting and rewarding dining experience for his guests.
Breakfast at Mallory
Breakfast in the Dining Room, with views across the gardens, is suitably relaxed.
There is a selection of hot dishes from including omelettes, porridge, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and, of course, the Full English.
Any special requests are quickly met.
Fresh fruit, yoghurts, cereals and homemade pastries are also on offer.
Service at breakfast and dinner is exemplary at Mallory Court.
Helpful, courteous and unobtrusive, as you would expect from a hotel of this calibre.
What Mallory Court offers
The bedrooms
Mallory Court has 20 bedrooms in the manor house itself, with 11 Knight's Suite rooms and 12 new superior rooms within the Orchard House.
While these offer a slightly different ambience they all feature aromatherapy toiletries from ESPA's luxury range and all the facilities one would expect including complimentary Wi-Fi, bathrobes, and turndown service.
The Dining Room
The Dining Room at Mallory Court is an oak panelled restaurant, with views from its terrace over the gardens and the countryside beyond.
Menus change daily according to the pick of the produce available.
The Brasserie
The Brasserie has a more laid back atmosphere and a relaxed style of the menu that includes European food and traditional British classics.
It has an art deco inspired interior, walled gardens for al fresco dining, a cocktail bar and upstairs areas for private dining.
Fork to fork
Mallory Court uses the organically grown, seasonal produce in its own kitchen gardens, with dishes using micro herbs, baby vegetables and vegetable flowers that are extremely expensive to buy.
Afternoon tea
Mallory Court specialises in English afternoon tea, a tradition that was introduced in 1840 after the Seventh Duchess of Bedford typically became peckish at four o'clock in the afternoon.
The Duchess felt that the time between their formal lunch and dinner was rather too long.
Mallory Court serves cream teas and full afternoon teas, including a glass of fizz.
The spa
Elan Spa at Mallory Court is one of the finest in Warwickshire and offers a wide range of state of the art facilities and treatments.