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Hampton-in-Arden, United Kingdom

Hampton Manor

Price per night from$780.02

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (GBP561.90), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Hampton Manor Photos

Style

Table manor

Setting

A statesman’s seat

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Once owned by Sir Robert Peel, Hampton Manor used to host the cream of British society, but today it’s better known for its acclaimed restaurant and distinctly unstuffy atmosphere. It was Sir Robert’s son Frederick who transformed the house into the gothic showpiece it is today, complete with an ornate clock tower, walled garden and grand rooms fit for lavish entertaining. These historic features are now back to their best, but owners James and Fjona have also breathed new life into the 45-acre estate, sweeping away stiffness in favour of a more familial atmosphere. The individually designed rooms are now bright and welcoming, with period features mingled with bold colours and striking patterns. Michelin-starred restaurant Peel’s is cut from similar cloth, serving delectable British cuisine in a grand yet casual dining room, which also plays host to gin, wine and whisky tastings held around a communal table.

Smith Extra

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A personalised cocktail each at the Maker’s Table, followed by cream tea

Facilities

Photos Hampton Manor facilities

Need to know

Rooms

17, including four suites.

Check–Out

11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

Prices

Double rooms from £590.00, including tax at 5 per cent.

More details

Rates include a gourmet breakfast with cooked and Continental options, served in the oak-panelled dining room of Peel’s restaurant.

Also

Each room is stocked with little extras like fresh cookies, coffee beans and a hand grinder, and Fjona’s guide to the local area.

Hotel closed

The hotel is closed from 24 to 26 December each year.

At the hotel

Sprawling grounds, free WiFi throughout, laundry. In rooms: flatscreen TV; Audio Pro Bluetooth speaker; minibar; tea and coffee kit; 100 Acres bath products.

Our favourite rooms

We’re particularly taken by the feature rooms, which are all completely different in style – which one you book will be entirely a matter of taste. The deep, dark tones and bold patterns in Henrietta Maria suggest a wild garden beneath a star-studded sky; if a bright, organic palette is more your thing, book De Montfort, full of leafy greens and earthy neutrals.

Spa

There are two treatment rooms tucked away in the woodland, which are part of the esteemed Hampton Clinic run by Dr Lorraine Hill, who spent 20 years as a GP before specialising in skin treatments. She and her team offer aromatherapy massages, reflexology treatments, manicures and high-tech hydrafacials (one of the clinic’s specialties), which combine spa techniques with advanced medical technology.

Packing tips

Don’t weigh down your bag with reading material – you’ll find a selection of books in your room.

Also

All public areas except the first floor are wheelchair accessible, and there’s an adapted room on the ground floor.

Children

Over-12s are welcome, but the hotel’s not particularly geared towards children.

Sustainability efforts

The hotel recycles glass and plastic, and organic waste is used for compost. Peel’s restaurant prides itself on using local produce, and the hotel have hired an organic gardener to plant a vegetable garden for future seasons.

Food and Drink

Photos Hampton Manor food and drink

Top Table

Go for one of the L-shaped sofas in the corners of the room.

Dress Code

Country casual – there’s no need to dress up here.

Hotel restaurant

Peel’s is at the heart of the hotel, having put Hampton Manor on the foodie’s map. Its success has a lot to do with local chef Rob Palmer, who grew up practically on the doorstep, landing the head chef role in 2015. By October the next year, the restaurant had it's first Michelin star – not bad for a chef who had only just turned 28. His four- and eight-course tasting menus are served in a refined dining room with stained glass windows, oak panelling and a decorative ceiling, but the warm service and relaxed dress code keeps things down-to-earth. For the best experience, book the Tasting Room, a private table for four to eight guests that looks straight into the kitchen. Excellent vegetarian and pescatarain menus are also available.

Hotel bar

Fred’s Bar may look modest – the owners themselves refer to it as a ‘cosy nook off the lobby’ – but it’s a case of quality over quantity. The cocktail list was created by Frenchman Loïc Crétel, the hotel’s resident forager and master mixologist – he’s also a dab hand in the kitchen, which helps to explain his mastery of flavour. Loïc took inspiration for his drinks from the life and works of William Morris, whose designs and ideas crop up throughout the hotel. If it’s mid-afternoon, try the Icelandic Sagas, which pays homage to Morris’ Nordic love affair with lapsang souchong vodka, almond sugar syrup and Fernet Branca. If you’re after an aperitif, try the Roots of Mountains, a medley of Hendrick’s Orbium gin, Goral vodka and Loïc’s homemade nettle and sweet Jurançon cordial; a drop of eucalyptus adds a refreshing botanical finish. Drinks are also served in the spacious parlour, which looks into the gardens.

Last orders

Breakfast is served in Peel’s from 7am to 10am; dinner is from 6pm to 9pm. The restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday evenings.

Room service

A reduced menu is available as room service, mostly comfort food like charcuterie plates, fish and chips and smoked salmon. Sweet treats like the seasonal crumble and warm brownies will satisfy any sugar cravings.

Location

Photos Hampton Manor location
Address
Hampton Manor
Shadowbrook Ln, Hampton in Arden,
Solihull
B920EN
United Kingdom

The hotel is on a 45-acre estate in Hampton-in-Arden, a woody borough of Solihull.

Planes

Birmingham International is just five miles away, putting the airport within a 10-minute drive.

Trains

Hampton-in-Arden is the closest station, around five minutes’ drive from the hotel. Hop on a direct train from London Euston, or go via Birmingham New Street if you’re coming from the north.

Automobiles

With the airport and train station within easy reach, you won’t need a car – but you'll want one if you’re planning day trips into the countryside or nearby towns. There’s free parking outside the hotel.

Worth getting out of bed for

Alongside the restaurant, the 45-acre estate is one of the hotel’s biggest attractions, ensuring there’s enough space to find a spot to call your own, whether it’s beneath one of the stately pine trees or in the walled garden. Generally, an atmosphere of leisure reigns supreme – book in for some mid-morning pampering at the Hampton Clinic, then settle in for afternoon tea in the parlour, which features single-batch teas from Lalani & Co. In the evenings from Tuesday to Sunday, gin, whisky and sparkling wine tastings are held at the Maker’s Table. There are only eight seats for each session, so be sure to reserve in advance. If, on the other hand, you’re feeling adventurous, there’s a booklet in each room full of staff recommendations, including some of Birmingham's best bars, restaurants and street-food spots. To the south of the hotel is Packwood House, a Grade I-listed manor that was refurnished in the Tudor style by Graham Baron Ash, a socialite and inveterate antiques collector who spent more than two decades modifying the house. For an adrenaline rush, book a session at the Land Rover Experience Solihull, where there’s over 14 miles of terrain to play with – the same land that the engineers use when developing new models. If you’re in the mood for an amble, try the towpath that passes by the Knowle Locks on the Grand Union Canal. And, if you get thirsty, the King's Arms pub makes a fine stopping point before you come back the other way. Hampton Manor is also a short hop from Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, where the bard was born and spent much of his adult life. Alongside both his family homes, you can visit Anne Hathaway's cottage (Shakespeare’s wife, not the actress) and the Jacobean cottage that belonged to their daughter, Susanna. All the buildings are now managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who let you pick and choose which buildings you’d like to visit.

Local restaurants

If you’re in Hampton-in-Arden, stop in at Sandwiches at No.6, a sarnie specialist that also serves excellent pastries, cakes and coffee. In Knowle, don’t miss the Bread Collection, run by Frenchman Giles and his team of Gallic pastry chefs. Their speciality loaves are baked fresh using flour sourced from France and the Cotswolds, and the almond croissants are some of the best in the business. Back in Hampton-in-Arden, the Beeches Bar & Grill is a good spot for a casual, gastropub-style dinner. The menu is full of country classics like pan-fried sea bass and pork tenderloin wrapped in pancetta, but one of their most popular dishes is the fried chicken, served American style with skinny fries and corn-on-the-cob.

Reviews

Photos Hampton Manor reviews
Olivia Triggs

Anonymous review

By Olivia Triggs, Creative counsel

When you’re looking for a relaxing break with an air of refined old-school luxury, perhaps the West Midlands – specifically, right under the flightpath of Birmingham Airport – isn’t the first spot that would come to mind. But then, like us, maybe that’s because you’re not familiar with Hampton Manor, or the area surrounding it. At least, not yet.

Located just outside of Solihull, near the village of Hampton-in-Arden, luxury hotel Hampton Manor is set almost literally in the heart of England (indeed, the village of Meriden, just down the road, was long thought to be the geographical centre of the country).

When we arrived, we weren’t sure what to expect, but our first sight of the building and its grounds caused quite an impression. At one time it was the estate of Sir Robert Peel, who was twice prime minister in the 1830s and 1840s, and is regarded as the founder of modern policing. 

The building has clearly been carefully restored, and we could immediately see its attraction for the afternoon-tea-seeking, special-occasion crowd. It would obviously make an ideal setting for a wedding. But, really, the main reason to go is to experience the food. This is largely a Michelin-starred restaurant with a hotel attached. We liked the idea of turning up, eating delicious food and then having nothing further to do for the night but head up the grand staircase to our bed. 

We pretty much stuck by our original intention on the night of our arrival. That is, a glass of very good red and a simple cheese platter. All brought to us where we’d settled into the big sofa in front of the fire in their snug room. We reckon we were lucky to bagsy the sofa as it must be a prime spot on a winter evening. But the main event – what we were really there for – occurred the next day: Saturday evening’s tasting menu. Head chef Rob Palmer is a local who has been there almost from the start, earning quite the reputation alongside a Michelin star and a fourth AA rosette. And deservedly so – he’s good. Very good. 

We knew we were in for something very special before we even got into the restaurant area. We were sipping our initial glass of fizz when some truly mind-blowing canapés arrived with the drinks. That set the bar high. Needless to say, the experience hurdled over that bar with ease, starting with the service – it had been fairly average in the bar the night before, but this was an entirely different level – superb. 

We decided to go for the vegetarian option, which can often be more of a challenge for any chef. Not that we needed to worry on that score. I believe there were seven courses in total, including the lovely amuse-bouche treats in between. It’s difficult to do each course justice with just words on a page. But let’s give it a go. We started with a potato soup. We know, that sounds bland, right. Potatoes in a soup. You’d think there’s no way that’s going to be exciting – but, you’d be wrong. That was followed with a beetroot, pear and ash dish, a goat’s cheese delight, and a cubed potato and red cabbage in bread sauce, before we headed onto dessert, consisting of a gooseberry dish, cherries in chocolate and a final selection of petits fours. We finished feeling very satisfied, sated but not over-full. And it’s not often you can say that after seven courses, especially if all left with plates clean. 

The following morning – sadly our last – we took at a more leisurely pace, starting with an extravagantly long, relaxed breakfast. The Sunday papers and delicious poached eggs. And there was much more available. Though we opted for a simple second coffee, trying to eke out our time in this marvellous environment for as long as possible. But eventually our eking could be eked no further and we had no choice but to begin packing our car before heading off on our trip back to London. But rarely have we felt better fed and more well rested as we hurtled past Banbury down the M40. 

Already our time at Hampton Manor all feels a bit like a dream hazily remembered. But it’s somewhere we definitely plan to return to, just as soon as we find the time and space to do so.

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