BERKSHIRE

WHAT? Cliveden House & Spa WHERE? Taplow, Berkshire HOW MUCH? Rooms from £445 per night; clivedenhouse.co.uk WHO? Charlie Lambros, Fashion Director WHY THIS SPA? Because if it’s good enough for Vogue shoots featuring the likes of Kate Moss, it’s good enough for the rest and best of us. Originally built in 1666 by the Duke of Buckinghamshire as a gift to his mistress, Cliveden still has the service and glamour to make every guest feel like a royal – and nowhere less so than in the spa. The pool area boasts an understated neutral colour scheme with stone pillars surrounding the water and floor-length linen curtains separating poolside beds. The spa rooms, too, with their heated hydrotherapy massage beds (yep, you’ll want to live here), are five-star through and through. GO FOR THE… It’s a toughie to choose between the Sarah Chapman Skinesis Luxury Bespoke Facial and the Luxury Manicure. (I know, I know, it’s a hard life.) The former is possibly the most relaxing treatment I’ve ever had and goes way beyond the usual repetitive application of skincare products; whereas the latter serves as a reminder that, done properly, a hand massage, cuticle grooming and a slick of colour – a signature Cliveden polish in this case – can be just as sumptuous as a full-body treatment. SPECIAL MENTION Head to the hotel’s restaurant, under the watchful eye of head chef André Garrett, and order the truffle risotto. A far cry from the mediocre truffle flavour that encrusts chips in gastropubs across the UK, this rice dish had the most delicious pungent smell and flavour, I’m drooling again just thinking about it.