The Bel & The Dragon chain means enterprise.
Co-founded by Joel Cadbury (scion of the chocolate firm) and fellow Outdated Etonian Ollie Vigors — who each used to have a stake within the Groucho Membership — there at the moment are seven within the group, all inside an hour or so of London.
That is the newest, in Kingsclere, simply down the street from the place Clare Balding grew up at her father’s racing stables.
Pretty: The Bel & The Dragon resort in Kingsclere was a direct hit with the Inspector
It is on the principle avenue of this gorgeous Hampshire village and was once the Swan pub.
There are 9 rooms squeezed into varied nooks and crannies, all tastefully adorned with luxurious duvets and pillows, an absence of muddle and muted colors.
To this point, so predictable. However what units this place aside is that for those who’re staying right here you’re handled otherwise to everybody else.
For starters, there’s a big drawing room for residents, with comfortable sofas, a card desk, loads of books, espresso machine and help-yourself bottles of Sipsmith damson vodka — the distillery handily owned by Cadbury.
How straightforward it might be to show this into one other bed room and money in. Good on them for resisting.
Get out: It might be tempting to remain within the resort, however a stroll on Watership Down is advisable
Our room has furnishings from Loaf and nothing on the partitions besides three small botanical prints above the mattress.
There’s underfloor heating within the toilet and many Bramley merchandise.
Sure, the john makes an terrible racket, however it is a constructing courting again to 1513.
Extra annoying – however maybe equally unavoidable — is that noise from the bar wafts upstairs.
No complaints in any way with the meals: easy classics with a complicated twist.
The fats, crispy chips are irresistible.
And we like the best way the bar has its personal id and then you definitely transfer into the eating room, which meanders right here and there, with a number of open fires.
A stroll subsequent morning on Watership Down rounds every part off properly.
The luxury boys have performed good.
