Shortly before we got married last year we decided that going
on a honeymoon straight away was not for us. We were set to move house shortly
after we were married and since we wanted a more active honeymoon we knew a
short relaxed minimoon was the perfect compromise especially after such a busy
build up to the wedding.
I’ve got to be honest, I knew exactly where I wanted us to
stay. I had attended The Wedding Edit, an annual event hosted by Love
Bridal Boutique. The lovely staff from the The Gilpin Hotel
and Lakehouse were there
showcasing their idyllic retreat and I fell in love.
They offer a number of set Magical
Escapes packages and after much deliberation we went for the for the Platinum Package which was a room at the wonderful
Lakehouse, approximately a mile and a half down the road from the main Gilpin
Hotel and we absolutely loved it.
So when it came to deciding where we wanted to stay for our
first wedding anniversary, there was no competition, we wanted to experience
The Gilpin once again. In 2016, The Gilpin Hotel and Lakehouse introduced 5
luxurious spa lodges to their portfolio of rooms and if I am honest ever since
we had left the lakehouse I had been stalking them out! So we went ahead and
booked a 2 night Ultimate Magical Escape.
We
arrived at The Gilpin Hotel on a wet and windy day on our anniversary date very
thankful that the weather had been kinder one year earlier. I remembered the
high level of service from the previous year and it was lovely to still arrive to a welcome committee which was ready
and waiting to whisk us under an umbrella and check us in quickly. I have to
point out that the service here is incredible and before arriving I had already
complimented the guest experience I received over the phone whilst booking.
Thankfully the rain clouds parted as we arrived to our own
private spa lodge, we were in the beautiful Veroda. Each cedar-clad spa lodge
is decorated differently and I was so glad we got this beauty of a lodge, it
even provided me with some inspiration for the interior design for my own home!
Upon entering it was a complete WOW moment and even though I had researched the
lodges and seen the pictures I still was not prepared for this beautiful place.
We arrived to a stunning living area with a huge king size
bed built up with soft furnishings leading to a huge bathroom with his and hers
sink plus a gorgeous free standing oval stone bath. From then on it starts to
get really special and it becomes clear why the spa lodges are called just
that. Within the bathroom area is a giant steam room with rain maker shower
which leads to a very private patio area with loungers, outdoor sauna,
hydrotherapy hot tub all surrounded by a walled garden.
We were so touched to find a couple of extra treats, one of
which was from my Mum who had called ahead and organised a bottle of prosecco
to be waiting on arrival!
The package we chose was packed full of food experiences and
the first was the Michelin starred Hrishi for a Seven Course tasting menu.
This was a quick walk over from the spa lodges to the main hotel and
begins with pre-dinner cocktails and canapés. We had experienced the
restaurant the year before but this time it was just that little bit better,
the food was outstanding and the staff were accommodating allowing us time to
relax between courses and guiding us through appropriate wine choices.
On the second night we ate at the amazing Spice restaurant, I
love this place, it is a tapas style restaurant which is very chilled and it
was lovely to sit back with a drink in hand and watch the chefs cooks in front
of us.
Breakfast at The Gilpin is next level, you can choose
something really light with beautiful pastries and a fresh pot of coffee or you
can go all out (the menu has starters/mains/extras) with creamy porridge, a
full English breakfast or you can even go for pancakes which were a popular
choice on one morning since it was Shrove Tuesday.
My favourite part of the trip? The spa lodge experience! We
began with a bespoke couples’ 30-minute aromatherapy massage in the stunning
open-plan lounge which was seamlessly turned into a treatment room. Next we
delved into our basket of Jetty Spa products which came with a guide of how to
use each and when to use them. We used the Passion Fruit Body Mask (for the
steam room), Bamboo Body Polish (for the rainmaker shower), Chamomile Facial
Spritz (for the outdoor sauna and thot tub), and finished with the Vitamin
E Face Cream and Sweet Orange Body Oil. The whole journey was bliss and was
topped off by the most incredible cream tea. This extra experience allowed us
to utilise the room to its full potential and I would recommend doing this.
There is
something effortless about the way The Gilpin works, meals and activities are
booked in advance and there is no need for you to worry that anything
isn’t going to go to plan. For those of us who like to be in control and needs
perfection this is the place for you.
We had an amazing time yet again and we were so sad to leave.
I would recommend the Gilpin Hotel and Lakehouse to anyone looking for the
perfect retreat with incredible staff, perfect food and impeccable rooms. I
have to admit that the rooms and packages are not the cheapest but if you want
to treat yourself to a stay somewhere special then this place should be on your
list.
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