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The best moment at my first post-lockdown hotel stay was not at all what I expected

Chewton Glen Hampshire
Chewton Glen Hampshire

If you had asked me what I was looking forward to most about my first hotel stay in more than four months, there is no doubt I would have said something about the food. I’m the type of person who begins talking about dinner plans long before lunch is over; that has an ever growing wish list of restaurants to visit next on their phone; and considers a dream about missing breakfast an absolute nightmare. 

And so, on the first day that hotels in England were allowed to reopen, I made my way to country house hotel Chewton Glen on the fringes of the New Forest, happy in the knowledge that there were two restaurants within walking distance of my room. The Kitchen is the more casual option of the two, with a menu headed up by celebrity chef James Martin, while the Dining Room is a classy, white tablecloth affair.

Sure enough, hearing the words “service please” for the first time since March was enough to make my heart go all aflutter. In The Kitchen, a whole wood-roasted corn on the cob, first dunked in butter and then slathered in chipotle mayo, stole the show. But there was also beautiful plump mussels swimming in a garlic sauce and fried buttermilk chicken topped with slices of fiery green chilies. James Martin could be seen in the open kitchen and filled the place with his cheery demeanour.

At dinner in The Dining Room, guests were more dressed up but the atmosphere less lively. Still, I felt happy contentment tucking into a decadent Thai lobster curry with sweet coconut rice, and an odd twist of satisfaction from sliding my spoon into a Valrhona chocolate fondant, as its rich insides spilled across the plate and muddled with the nutty pistachio ice cream.

Lizzie Chewton Glen
Lizzie Chewton Glen

So yes, simply put, the food lived up to my lofty expectations, which were higher than normal given how long I had waited for a meal cooked by someone other than myself or my family – but in the end it just couldn’t compete with one other experience. An outdoor spin class.

My skin prickles with embarrassment for admitting that, like some sort of altruistic, athleisure-wearing Californian (I was born and raised in California, so I am familiar with the stereotype). Can 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise with a group of strangers really be better than feasting on fabulous food? Somehow it was.

The fact is I’ve spent lockdown honing my cooking skills, taking it in turns with my mum and step-dad to try new recipes. The results have, for the most part, been brilliant. (Just don’t ask about the concrete balls of gnocchi and the ensuing argument.)

Of course, eating out in a good restaurant is better on every count, from the food to the service, even with the face masks and QR codes. But it doesn’t feel a complete world away from my lockdown bubble, and the feeling can hardly compare with the endorphins whizzing through my veins the next day, standing red faced and sweaty in the sunshine.

Spin class at Chewton Glen
Spin class at Chewton Glen

Pedaling my legs as fast as they could go on a spin bike in the grounds of the hotel transported me a million miles further. I’ve tried working out at home, but it’s difficult to feel motivated by yourself and the Zoom experience really isn’t all it’s hyped up to be.

I also imagine it’s the closest I’ll get to dancing in a bar this year – with loud feel-good music blasting through the trees and the knowledge that four others and I were moving in unison with instructor Martin Miller. He’d shout out to ask how we were feeling, and the replies would come back as a series of whoops, even when we felt like all we wanted to do was stop. My heart was racing throughout, from hill climbs in the seated position to racing ahead standing up. It was the hardest I had pushed myself in a long while.

Above all, there was an intense feeling of connection among us – despite knowing we all remained at a two-metre distance – which, when it comes down to it, is what I’ve missed most during lockdown.

Have you visited a hotel since the lockdown restrictions eased? Share your experience in the comments section below.