Louma Country Hotel

I feel slightly guilty admitting this, but these days it takes quite a lot for a hotel room to impress me. I’ve become that person who notices the density of pillows before I’ve even properly put my bag down, tests bedding softness within seconds, and subtly assesses whether the complimentary water situation is generous enough. Perhaps it’s a by-product of becoming someone who could start to prefer staying in their own custom-made bed.

I still remember reviewing a six-star suite during my Condé Nast days. I left thinking rather dramatically: well, that’s it then. No hotel room will ever beat this. Once you’ve stayed somewhere operating at that level, your internal benchmark resets itself. Over time you begin to understand the invisible ingredients that elevate a stay from 'nice' to 'I don’t want to leave'. So, I try to keep expectations neutral. It leaves room for surprise. Louma Country Hotel was one of those surprises.

The journey from Waterloo to Axminster was easy, and London gradually faded into the background. Louma is tucked into a stunning stretch of Dorset, overlooking the Jurassic Coast. It is one of those places that speaks for itself: the location, the interiors, the energy of the surrounding nature. There was an understated confidence to it all. A team of people was there to greet Mr Smith and I, check us in, and give us such a warm, personalised welcome. It felt homely from the minute we arrived.

Clearly this wasn’t just a standard hotel stay. It felt more like being absorbed into someone’s family home. There was a sense of bespoke care and yet without any fuss. Everything felt flexible, encouraging you to really design your own version of what you want time off to be. We were welcome to tweak menus, request preferences, shift schedules — nothing felt like an inconvenience.

It is, in essence, a retreat disguised as a hotel. The full-board element felt unique, removing all transactional friction: no signing, no settling, no faffing with credit cards, no interruptions to your state of relaxation.

Lunch was served buffet-style in a warm, open-plan space beside a fire, with incredible views of Dorset’s rolling hills and vineyards, the sea shimmering in the far distance. We had soup, moussaka, fresh salads, focaccia, mocktails and coffee — it removed the burden of decision-making in the most satisfying way. There were plenty of quiet corners and sofa-laden spaces designed for escaping into a book or simply staring out at the landscape as the light shifts across the fields. It reminded me how rarely we allow ourselves to simply sit and observe nature without feeling the need to do something productive.

There were hidden corners outside, too. Mr Smith and I loved sitting and observing dragonflies hovering over lily pads on a bench beside a lively natural pond. The only soundtrack was birdsong, the gentle movement of reeds in the breeze and the occasional splash from the water. It felt wonderfully still. In fact, Louma has around 100 acres of stunning countryside and vineyards, so you can go for leisurely walks whenever you feel like it. Tall trees line many of the paths, wildflowers soften the edges of the meadows and butterflies seem to appear wherever the sun breaks through. Every route reveals another beautiful viewpoint, making it impossible not to slow your pace.

One of the things I loved most was how connected you feel to the landscape throughout your stay. Even indoors, enormous windows constantly draw your attention back outside. The weather almost becomes part of the experience, whether that's mist rolling gently across the hills first thing in the morning or golden evening light catching the surrounding fields. It encourages you to notice the small things.

In the UK, sparkling turquoise swimming pools are a bit of a rarity, but there are giant indoor and outdoor pools at Louma, which was a real highlight. Swimming while looking out over the surrounding countryside made the experience feel surprisingly immersive, almost as though nature remained part of the spa itself. There was also a lovely sauna and cold-bucket plunge. (If you take an early morning sauna, it’s in the perfect location to catch the soft glow of an orange-hued sunrise.) I had an Indian head massage in a shepherd’s hut tucked quietly within the grounds, and the peaceful surroundings made the treatment feel even more restorative.

On one of the evenings, Mr Smith and I found ourselves in a large living space that we had entirely to ourselves — drinks and nibbles within reach, a chessboard and magazines in front of us. My husband watched a World Cup match while I read a juicy book. It was one of those wonderfully simple evenings that somehow ends up becoming a favourite memory.

What makes Louma distinctive is its dual offering: a rural escape that opens out to sea views. One morning walk took us through foggy fields, over old wooden stiles, past curious cows and down into Charmouth, where we breathed in the salty sea air as dogs ran freely across the beach. Walking from peaceful farmland to the Jurassic Coast in the space of an hour felt incredibly special. The coastline has a rugged beauty that contrasts beautifully with the softness of the surrounding countryside, and arriving at the sea after winding through green fields made the landscape feel even more dramatic.

I felt lucky to celebrate my birthday at Louma, surrounded by friendly faces, beautiful natural spaces and a place that has clearly had so much love and care poured into it. More than anything, it reminded me how restorative nature can be when you're given the time to properly appreciate it. Between the woodland walks, green hills and dramatic coastline, Louma offers a rare opportunity to genuinely switch off. I can't wait to see how it evolves — and I already know I'll be back soon.