Malmesbury - Whatley Manor
Winter 2008/2009
Frank's view 
Swiss bliss (almost)
‘Two men, one year and 99,000 Cotswold stones’.
The wall along the drive to the gates of Whatley Manor said it all.
This is not a run down English Country House Hotel, whose survival depends upon middle class weddings and middle management conferences.
Whatley Manor oozes money, but not necessarily style.
As Camel and companion were led on a guided tour of the hotel, the level of investment was blatantly apparent, as was the Alpine taste.
Whatley Manor was acquired in 2000 by Alix Landolt and her son, Christian, Swiss heirs to the Sandoz Pharmaceutical fortune. Two and a half years, and clearly many millions of pounds later, Whatley Manor re opened as an extraordinary luxury hotel.
The exterior is a traditional Cotswold house, but inside is a plush ski chalet, although Les Mazots, the informal dining room, is more of a ski slope diner. Trellis partitions and lots of highly polished wood – all that’s missing is lederhosen and a rendition of Edelweiss.
Wood is a dominant material at Whatley Manor with almost all walls covered with wood panels. The windows are draped with expensive floral fabrics, a fondue of outlandish prints, where few interior designers would ever dare venture.
A vast drawing room, two bars and two restaurants, are the facilities one would expect to find in a hotel with 100 rooms, but Whatley Manor has only 23 rooms. Even when the hotel is full there is enough space for each of the 46 guests to sit at a bar, dine in a restaurant and lounge in the drawing room, all at the same time. During our visit, a mere 9 rooms were occupied but we only saw a few of the other residents, and even then, momentarily.
‘The Dining Room’ at Whatley Manor has just been awarded its second Michelin star, under Chef de cuisine, Martin Burge. The Dining Room attracts a great deal of non-resident diners, particularly corporate entertainment parties. The food throughout the hotel is excellent with, fortunately, no trace of Raclette.
Possibly the largest single investment in the reincarnation of Whatley Manor is the Spa where the treatments peak with a 3 hour ‘VIP Suite’ pampering for two at £520. The indoor swimming pool sweeps beneath the outside glass wall to offer a dip in the open air. There was still snow on the ground during our visit. Steam was billowing from the pool as it fought against the elements to maintain a hot tub temperature.
At 12 acres, the hotel’s land is relatively small, but the gardens have been thoughtfully cultivated. Apparently more than 800 trees were planted by the Landolts including two 8 metre high Cedar of Lebanon and 80 Scottish lime trees. The gardens consist of a number of ‘rooms’, with interesting places to walk, sit and even enjoy a drink.
I find it hard to believe that Whatley Manor enjoys anything close to commercial success, even when running at full occupancy, but there again, the Swiss owners apparently put luxury before profit. Well luxury almost everywhere, except in the bathrooms.
The fittings in our suite were as cheap and nasty as I’ve seen anywhere, even in a student bedsit.
The corner shower cubicle was so flimsy, I pulled the Perspex screen across, cautiously fearing that the whole unit would crash to its original ‘Homebase’, self-assembly pack.
The plastic ‘stainless steel effect’ lever contraption, for releasing the water plug in the bath, persisted in leaping from its mounting into the bubbles, like an naughty child’s toy.
As the Camel’s companion meandered from bed to bath on the first morning, two gardeners, propped on ladders whilst trimming climbing bushes, peered through the bathroom window, perhaps also wishing to join the bath party.
This would all have been very claustrophobic. The bath was so short, all, but a dwarf’s legs would either dangle over the end or act as a chin rest.
Two further gripes.
I was not amused to be woken at 5.20am when the bedroom radiator started up with an almighty crash, bang and wallop.
Unwelcome sounds also came from above with every step, stomp and tip toe across the floor upstairs, powerfully amplified through the ceiling.
Clearly plumbing and soundproofing were not on the renovation agenda.
Nevertheless, Whatley Manor is impressive. The extreme Swiss styling, in the context of Cotswold England, is bizarre and creates a schizophrenia, which is intensified by the largely Central European staff, (all of whom are charming).
Go to Whatley Manor.
The ratio of staff to guests is unusually high, especially for the UK. The level of service is very good. In the grand scheme of British country house hotels, Whatley Manor offers good value for money and first class cuisine.
Whatley Manor
Easton Grey
Malmesbury
Wiltshire
SN16 0RB
+44 1666 822888
http://www.whatleymanor.com/
Whatley's 'Ski Slope' diner (Mazot Restaurant)
The wall along the drive to the gates of Whatley Manor said it all.
This is not a run down English Country House Hotel, whose survival depends upon middle class weddings and middle management conferences.
Whatley Manor oozes money, but not necessarily style.
As Camel and companion were led on a guided tour of the hotel, the level of investment was blatantly apparent, as was the Alpine taste.
Whatley Manor was acquired in 2000 by Alix Landolt and her son, Christian, Swiss heirs to the Sandoz Pharmaceutical fortune. Two and a half years, and clearly many millions of pounds later, Whatley Manor re opened as an extraordinary luxury hotel.
The exterior is a traditional Cotswold house, but inside is a plush ski chalet, although Les Mazots, the informal dining room, is more of a ski slope diner. Trellis partitions and lots of highly polished wood – all that’s missing is lederhosen and a rendition of Edelweiss.
Wood is a dominant material at Whatley Manor with almost all walls covered with wood panels. The windows are draped with expensive floral fabrics, a fondue of outlandish prints, where few interior designers would ever dare venture.
A vast drawing room, two bars and two restaurants, are the facilities one would expect to find in a hotel with 100 rooms, but Whatley Manor has only 23 rooms. Even when the hotel is full there is enough space for each of the 46 guests to sit at a bar, dine in a restaurant and lounge in the drawing room, all at the same time. During our visit, a mere 9 rooms were occupied but we only saw a few of the other residents, and even then, momentarily.
‘The Dining Room’ at Whatley Manor has just been awarded its second Michelin star, under Chef de cuisine, Martin Burge. The Dining Room attracts a great deal of non-resident diners, particularly corporate entertainment parties. The food throughout the hotel is excellent with, fortunately, no trace of Raclette.
Possibly the largest single investment in the reincarnation of Whatley Manor is the Spa where the treatments peak with a 3 hour ‘VIP Suite’ pampering for two at £520. The indoor swimming pool sweeps beneath the outside glass wall to offer a dip in the open air. There was still snow on the ground during our visit. Steam was billowing from the pool as it fought against the elements to maintain a hot tub temperature.
At 12 acres, the hotel’s land is relatively small, but the gardens have been thoughtfully cultivated. Apparently more than 800 trees were planted by the Landolts including two 8 metre high Cedar of Lebanon and 80 Scottish lime trees. The gardens consist of a number of ‘rooms’, with interesting places to walk, sit and even enjoy a drink.
I find it hard to believe that Whatley Manor enjoys anything close to commercial success, even when running at full occupancy, but there again, the Swiss owners apparently put luxury before profit. Well luxury almost everywhere, except in the bathrooms.
The fittings in our suite were as cheap and nasty as I’ve seen anywhere, even in a student bedsit.
The corner shower cubicle was so flimsy, I pulled the Perspex screen across, cautiously fearing that the whole unit would crash to its original ‘Homebase’, self-assembly pack.
The plastic ‘stainless steel effect’ lever contraption, for releasing the water plug in the bath, persisted in leaping from its mounting into the bubbles, like an naughty child’s toy.
As the Camel’s companion meandered from bed to bath on the first morning, two gardeners, propped on ladders whilst trimming climbing bushes, peered through the bathroom window, perhaps also wishing to join the bath party.
This would all have been very claustrophobic. The bath was so short, all, but a dwarf’s legs would either dangle over the end or act as a chin rest.
Two further gripes.
I was not amused to be woken at 5.20am when the bedroom radiator started up with an almighty crash, bang and wallop.
Unwelcome sounds also came from above with every step, stomp and tip toe across the floor upstairs, powerfully amplified through the ceiling.
Clearly plumbing and soundproofing were not on the renovation agenda.
Nevertheless, Whatley Manor is impressive. The extreme Swiss styling, in the context of Cotswold England, is bizarre and creates a schizophrenia, which is intensified by the largely Central European staff, (all of whom are charming).
Go to Whatley Manor.
The ratio of staff to guests is unusually high, especially for the UK. The level of service is very good. In the grand scheme of British country house hotels, Whatley Manor offers good value for money and first class cuisine.
Whatley Manor
Easton Grey
Malmesbury
Wiltshire
SN16 0RB
+44 1666 822888
http://www.whatleymanor.com/
Whatley's 'Ski Slope' diner (Mazot Restaurant)
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
