3 Luxury Staycations For Instant Stress Reduction

I am obsessed with a solo trip to a luxury hotel. I love the entire experience—the chic check-in desk, the considered materials, the big soft bed. And since our beloved Oakley Court was closed for a while, I’ve been staying in a few other spots for my rest and relaxation.

I use my hotel time to write, create my strategies and roadmaps, or just to clear my head. 

All three of the hotels below have my checklist:

⚫️ Big Bathtubs

⚫️ A Spa

⚫️ A Top Restaurant

⚫️ Places to Read and Write

⚫️ Ability to walk the grounds and be in nature.

Heckfield Place

So I’m cheating a little because I’ve not yet stayed at Heckfield Place but I came on a forest walk, lunch and spa treatment for Collagerie/Varley and I was just blown away. This is a next level luxury utopia.

Heckfield Place is not just a hotel; it’s a world you step into, where everything feels considered, slow, and deeply restorative. It’s set on 400 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside, and from the moment you arrive, you can feel the sense of calm settle in. We got an exclusive tour of some ancient trees that they had on site.

The interiors, designed by Ben Thompson, have a softness to them—hand-plastered walls, organic textures, and furnishings that feel like they belong there rather than being placed for effect. It’s luxurious, but in a way that feels natural rather than overdone.

For those lucky enough to stay, mornings are spent in the Moon Bar, curled up in a chair with a coffee, letting ideas flow. And then there’s the Bothy Spa, which is not your typical hotel wellness space. Treatments here feel almost medicinal, rooted in herbalism and biodynamic principles.

Instead of just a massage, you leave feeling recalibrated. I had a sauna medicine treatment which involved scent and herbs from the Wildsmith range - their own brand of skin and bath products. Also - the best dressing gown I’ve ever worn in my life.

And then, the food. The menu, created by Skye Gyngell, is a love letter to seasonality. But what truly lives in my mind, rent-free? The treacle tart. Hands down the best I’ve ever tasted—perfectly golden, slightly salty, sweet without being cloying. If you go to Heckfield and don’t order it, you’re doing it wrong.

Evenings here are for deep stone bathtubs, a glass of wine in hand, staring out onto the dark countryside. It’s the kind of place where the pace of life slows just enough for you to catch up with yourself.

Cowley Manor

Located in Gloucestershire, Cowley Manor is owned by the innovative Experimental Group and is where English countryside grandeur meets bold, modern design.

The original house is all history—stone façades, sweeping staircases, sprawling lawns—but step inside, and Dorothée Meilichzon’s interiors bring a completely different energy.

It’s colorful, playful, and rich in texture and I am obsessed with it. The smoothness of the stone on the reception table makes me think there are no hard edges anywhere.

The C-Side Spa is a dream, with both indoor and outdoor pools, organic treatments, and a sense of serenity that feels built into the space. The bathtubs here? Deep enough to disappear into, which is always my priority.

But the real highlight? The food. My friend Jackson Boxer curates the menu at Malt, and every meal is a perfect balance of familiar and surprising. He has a way of making ingredients feel exciting again—nothing overcomplicated, just exceptionally good food that makes you want to savor every bite.

Beyond the food, what makes Cowley so special is the gardens. Inspired by the English landscape movement, they feel wild but intentional. 

Walking through them in the early morning, before anyone else is awake, is my favorite part of staying here. It’s one of those rare places where luxury isn’t just about the interiors—it’s about how the whole setting makes you feel.

Saltmoore

Situated near Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast, Saltmoore is the creation of Montana Brown, who I had no idea was on “Love Island,” because I’ve only ever known her as a total babe and entrepreneur and her fiancé Mark O’Connor, an investment director.

Saltmoore is the kind of place you go to disappear into stillness. Set on 85 acres of rolling Yorkshire countryside, it’s all misty mornings, vast skies, and quiet that feels restorative rather than empty.

The interiors, designed by Sapin Studios, take inspiration from the sea and the moors, blending soft blues, washed linens, and stone textures. It’s chic, but in a way that never feels forced—like the hotel was always meant to look this way. Freestanding bathtubs are placed right by the windows, so you can soak while looking out over the hills.

At the heart of this retreat lies The Sanctuary at Saltmoore, a spa that seamlessly blends serene surroundings with state-of-the-art facilities. Guests can unwind in the heated indoor pool overlooking landscaped gardens, detoxify in the Himalayan-salt sauna and steam room, or invigorate their senses in the cryotherapy chamber and ice bath.

The spa’s treatment menu features holistic therapies using award-winning Wildsmith products, known for their natural and effective formulations. For those seeking advanced skincare solutions, high-tech facials by celebrity-favorite Dr. Barbara Sturm are also available. After a day of pampering, visitors can refuel at the on-site wellness café, which offers nutritious dishes crafted under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks. 

Food at Saltmoore is simple in the best way—local, seasonal, and cooked with care. Chef Adam Maddock focuses on letting the ingredients shine, and every dish feels perfectly suited to the surroundings. The natural wine list is impeccable, and it’s dangerously easy to settle in by the fire and lose a few hours here.

What makes Saltmoore unique is its sense of place. It’s not just a hotel dropped into the countryside—it feels like it belongs to the land. Time moves slower, ideas come easier, and there’s a kind of quiet magic that makes it impossible to leave without feeling changed.

These hotels aren’t just places to stay; they are places to think, dream, and create. Each one has its own personality, but all share a commitment to beauty, comfort, and a connection to nature. I’m so lucky to get to experience them!

If you need a weekend to reset, reflect, or just indulge in really good food and really deep bathtubs, these are the places to go.