Wake Up Here: Montagu Arms Hotel, Beaulieu, Hampshire

Introducing you to the Montagu Arms hotel in Beaulieu in the New Forest

Sometimes you just need some serious R&R and the only way to achieve this is to escape to the countryside. After seeing the countryside cool aesthetics of the Montagu Arms combined with its unbeatable location in the heart of the New Forest, when Music Editor Emma Harrison was offered an opportunity to become a ‘Country Girl’ for a night (Primal Scream fans will get the lyrical Easter Egg!) her answer was an unequivocal yes!

If you are looking for an elegant yet rustic retreat somewhere exquisitely beautiful, the Montagu Arms should be high on your list for the ultimate stylish staycay that is teeming with quintessential English charm.

The Montagu Arms hotel makes for a stylish staycay!

A perfect combination of style, wellness and delicious food awaits at this luxury hotel in the New Forest which is one of the best places in the country to immerse yourself in nature, enhance wellness and to get grounded (think of all those trees where you can try forest bathing!)

Situated on a country road close to the quaint village High Street and the Beaulieu River, the Montagu Arms is a charming and grand hotel that has an imposing entrance with two stone dogs that flank it and lead on to a dark oak-panelled hall. The dining room is also fairly dark, but still has a roomy feel.

The hotel also has a charming garden which is a real oasis and leads through to some of the rooms which are not part of the original architecture. The courtyard bedrooms, set in the original chauffeur garages around a pretty courtyard garden are a delight and are large, airy and are the epitome of countryside chic!

We stayed in ‘Quince’, a fresh and cute room which will make you never want to leave. Thoughtful touches like homemade sloe gin, a Nespresso machine, games and White Company toiletries all make you feel like you are staying in someone’s (sumptuous) home as opposed to just a hotel.

Decorated in soothing hues of sage green and pretty floral textured touches, the room has a king-sized bed, a spacious living room area complete with not just one but two TVs, a sound system and lots of storage which really makes it a home from home.

The bathroom is a triumph and has his and her sinks, a large free-standing bath and a rainfall shower. As hotel bathrooms go, this definitely ticks all the right boxes!

There are also two outdoor areas that you can enjoy with a cup of coffee or something stronger which flanks both sides of the room.

When it comes to the food, the menu is filled with delicately-balanced dishes chock-full of seasonal ingredients many of which have been sourced from the hotel’s garden.

You can enjoy a three course dinner menu for £55. Dishes include trout, a heirloom tomato salad and a wild garlic veloute for a starter which you can follow with a tender beef sirloin teamed with a potato terrine and sprouting broccoli.

Other dishes you can opt for include John Dory from Cornwall which is teemed with artichoke and pink fir potato or a saddle of lamb. The dishes are traditional English fine dining but with a relaxed and rustic feel.

After all that food (and maybe a drink or two from the hotel’s extensive wine list!) you can walk it all off in the stunning walkways of the New Forest.

The New Forest is truly a special place where you can hike, horse ride, cycle or simply saunter around miles and miles of glorious countryside. But, you might just find sharing your trailways with some friends which includes ponies, donkeys and more. There’s even a deer sanctuary closeby which is certainly worth a visit.

If getting grounded is the name of the game, head on over to nearby Burley and visit the intriguing ‘A Coven of Witches’ where you can buy crystals, sage, tarot cards and books on spirituality. You can even have a tarot reading too if you are looking to get some direction and clarification on certain life decisions.

The Montagu Arms hotel doesn’t have a pool or spa facilities, but guests can enjoy the spa facilities at their sister hotel – the 18th century Careys Manor Hotel & Spa which is just a 12 minute drive away, to experience its relaxing Thai-inspired SenSpa which combines water therapy, sensory experience and Thai tradition combine to renew and refresh the mind and body.

Relax on the underwater benches in the invigorating yet relaxing hydrotherapy pool complete with tension-easing water jets.

From the crystal steam room to the herbal sauna, the spa offers age-old traditions across 18 treatment rooms to help you unwind from the stresses of life.

There’s also a huge swimming pool and two relaxing areas where you can decompress with a cup of herbal tea. You can get your circulation going with crushed ice in the Ice room, enjoy an aromatic sauna in the herbal sauna or even retreat to the crystal steam room where an oversized amethyst will reawaken and refresh your energy levels.