Pennyhill Park Review: Inside the Relaxation Bubble at One of England’s Five-Star Hotels
Pennyhill Park is the kind of spa hotel you go to when you want to step out of your life for a moment and actually succeed.
My husband and I stayed for one winter night at Pennyhill Park, spending just over £800 on accommodation, food, drinks and spa time. This Pennyhill Park review is written primarily for couples considering a luxury mini-moon or pre-wedding escape, and for burnt-out professionals who need a proper reset.
But as a luxury wedding marketer, I also experience hotels like this through a guest-experience lens. This review is part of my wider collection of luxury hotel & wedding venue reviews, written for couples and wedding professionals who care deeply about guest experience. (This is exactly the type of guest journey I help wedding professionals design through brand strategy and positioning, because luxury lives in distinct brand positioning, not just how things look.)
Because the way a place makes people feel over 24–48 hours, is exactly what determines whether it works not just as a hotel, but as a wedding venue where guests feel genuinely looked after.
Blog Article Contents:
Who Pennyhill Park Is Really For
Best Time to Visit Pennyhill Park
The Rooms & Atmosphere
The Spa Experience
Dining & Service
Pennyhill Park as a Wedding Venue
Is Pennyhill Park Worth It?
Who Pennyhill Park Is Really For
Pennyhill Park suits people who want REAL relaxation, in what feels like a British stately-home dream.
This is reflected in the type of guests it attracts and the way it operates. During the Rugby World Cup, the England Rugby Team used Pennyhill Park as their training base.
The same logic applies to the many high-profile guests who have stayed here over the years. Including;
Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Lewis Hamilton and Russell Crowe
If you’re looking for a lively hotel, a social scene or a place that feels performative, this isn’t it.
If you’re looking for somewhere that allows your nervous system to genuinely soften, Pennyhill Park is very good at that.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Pennyhill Park?
I visited in winter, and timing matters more here than you might expect.
Why Winter Works
Winter suits Pennyhill Park beautifully. Sitting in heated outdoor pools while the air is cold is genuinely special, and the fires, low light and festive details add to the cocooning feel. It’s an ideal season for switching off. And the incredibly Christmas decor OBVIOUSLY.
The One Winter Caveat
Because guests can use the spa until 2pm on check-out day, late mornings can feel busy. You have:
• guests finishing their stay
• plus guests just arriving
In winter, when outdoor lounging is limited, this can make indoor spa lounge areas feel noticeably more crowded.
How to avoid this:
Early mornings and evenings are where the magic is. Or, if crowds bother you, a warmer month allows the outdoor areas to absorb the volume more naturally.
Arrival & First Impressions
Arrival sets the tone immediately.
The entrance opens into a space that feels grand but still very cosy. Checkerboard floors, chandeliers, corners to put your wellies, and stone archways softened by fires, countryside textures and seasonal styling.
You instinctively slow down, which is the first sign you’re entering what I’d describe as the relaxation bubble.
Pennyhill Park Rooms: Comfort, Atmosphere & Details
We stayed in one of the Primrose Rooms, which cost £570 with (a very tasty) breakfast and spa access on both days. It perfectly reflected Pennyhill Park’s broader personality, traditional, slightly old-world, and intentionally comforting rather than contemporary or minimal.
The room featured a large, dark wood four-poster bed, generous proportions, and a very spacious bathroom. The décor leans classic rather than modern, rich browns, heavier furniture, and a sense that the room is designed to feel grounded and cocooning, not light or airy.
What immediately stood out, though, was the atmosphere on arrival.
Instead of silence, which is often what you get when you walk into a hotel room, there was soft, chilled radio music already playing. It’s a tiny detail, but it completely changes how the room feels. Rather than “entering a space”, you feel like you’re stepping into a mood.
That sense of transition is something Pennyhill Park does very well.
The Walk to the Room (Unexpectedly Important)
Our room was quite a walk from reception, but rather than feeling inconvenient, it added to the experience.
The route winds through parts of the building that feel almost castle-like, exposed beams, stone floors, red patterned rugs, and black iron lanterns casting warm light. It felt old-world in the best way, like moving deeper into somewhere quietly historic.
From a wedding guest perspective, this matters more than you might think. Guests don’t just remember their room, they remember how it felt getting there.
Thoughtful Details That I noticed in the room
The Primrose Room was full of small, considered touches:
• a genuinely comfortable bed
• Molton Brown toiletries
• TeaPigs tea (always a good sign)
• an in-room iPad for information and checkout
• a working doorbell — an actual bell that rings, charming rather than gimmicky
• and a small teddy deer named Donut, placed on the bed and used as the “Do Not Disturb” sign when hung on the door
These details are playful without tipping into novelty. They soften the formality of the space and make it feel warm and human.
There’s also a subtle consistency across the property, for example, TVs discreetly placed in the bar, something I’ve noticed across all of the Exclusive Collection hotels. It’s a reminder that while the setting is traditional, the experience is still designed around modern comfort.
Quirky Details I noticed throughout the whole hotel
If you’re like me, I love a hotel (or any place for that matter) that has lots of unexpected rooms and quirky details which make it feel truly different and special. And Pennyhill Park had plenty of these.
• subtle nods to English rugby
• woodland walkways that feel intentionally hidden
• chess boards and book tables placed to invite lingering
• playful signage on everyday things
• a charming illustrated “Do Not Disturb” deer rather than a standard tag
These details aren’t flashy, but they create a feeling of care and warmth, the sense that someone has thought about how the English woodland, storybook influence runs through the smallest details, creating warmth and personality rather than polish for polish’s sake. It’s what keeps Pennyhill Park feeling distinctly British and distinctly luxurious.
That’s what makes the stay feel personal rather than generic.
Pennyhill Park Spa Review: What to Know Before You Go
At 45,000 square feet with 21 treatment rooms, the spa is vast. It’s also where Pennyhill Park’s relaxation bubble fully forms, if you use it well.
One thing I need to say very clearly: this is the hottest spa I’ve ever been to.
Normally, spas promise warmth and deliver disappointment. There’s always one pool that’s slightly chilly, a corridor that makes you shiver, or a “relaxation area” where you’re clutching your robe for dear life.
Pennyhill Park does none of that.
Everywhere is warm. Not politely warm. Properly, unapologetically hot.
Even the huge main pool, the kind that’s usually tepid at best was genuinely hot. The outdoor pools were blissfully steamy in winter air.
The indoor areas never dropped temperature.
At one point, the receptionist actually made a point of mentioning it, which tells you this isn’t accidental, it’s intentional.
I genuinely considered asking what their heating bill must look like.
If you’re someone who hates being cold (me), or you want that full-body, nervous-system-melting spa experience where you never once tense up from a temperature shock, Pennyhill Park absolutely commits.
This is not a spa that flirts with warmth. It follows through.
Book the Right Package
If you want spa access earlier than 3pm on arrival day, you must book a spa break or treatment, not just bed and breakfast. I booked B&B initially, and by the time I tried to add treatments, everything was fully booked.
If spa time matters to you, book it from the outset.
Think Carefully About Dinner Timing
We booked dinner at 8:30pm, because of the later spa access time as stated above, which worked well because it removed any sense of rushing.
However, next time we’d do this differently.
The ideal flow:
• Dinner around 4–5pm
• Return to the spa afterwards as it’s open until 9pm.
In the evening, especially once it’s dark, the spa becomes incredibly quiet. We looked out in the evening and saw the big outdoor hot tubs looked almost private. This was because everyone had the same idea of dinner at the standard time, but I think this is a great hack if you like a bit of privacy and alone time.
One Night vs Two
Even one night here feels like a full mental reset. Pennyhill Park does a very good job of compressing relaxation into a short stay.
Two nights would deepen the experience, but for couples with limited time, one night genuinely feels like an escape.
Dining and Afternoon Tea at PennyHill Park Hotel
Food can be where hotels lose me. Too clever, too fiddly, too much explaining. This wasn’t that.
When we arrived, we went straight to the bar. There was a pianist playing, the kind of soundtrack that makes you sit back rather than check your phone.
It felt like somewhere you could disappear for an entire afternoon without meaning to.
We shared a club sandwich that was a little dry, then a crumble that absolutely redeemed it, proper comfort pudding, with real clotted cream and vanilla ice cream, the kind that tastes nostalgic in the best way.
Dinner was where it really clicked. Not because of anything showy, but because of the service.
Our waitress was genuinely lovely - warm, switched on, and just brilliant at her job.
Twice I went to order something thinking I knew what it was, and twice she gently stopped me and explained it wasn’t what it sounded like. Honestly, without her, I would’ve ordered completely the wrong thing and been quietly disappointed. Instead, I ended up exactly where I wanted to be.
The food felt indulgent without being intimidating.
Hot bread rolls arrived with this unreal butter and we absolutely ate too many.
A marmite crumpet with sauerkraut and salted beef that sounded odd but worked so well.
Handmade truffle pasta with roasted kale that felt rich but not heavy.
We left full, happy, and not rummaging for snacks later - which, for us, is the real test.
And the Pennyhill Park afternoon tea
The next day we had afternoon tea, and it leaned fully into British whimsy.
Beautiful cups and saucers, a little moment of theatre at the start with dry ice, a gingerbread ice-cream palate cleanser halfway through, and endless refills of Christmas tea.
Everything tasted good, nothing felt rushed.
They even compensated for the whole experience after a spa hiccup (please see below), which felt genuinely generous rather than a token gesture to get us to be quiet.
Service & Recovery: A Note on Discretion
Most of the staff were warm, intuitive and attentive.
There was one uncomfortable moment where, after we had checked out and paid, two members of reception staff approached us in the outdoor spa, in front of about 20 other guests, mistakenly accusing us of not having paid. It was clumsy, embarrassing and NOT something you expect to happen in a 5-star resort.
It briefly burst the bubble.
What mattered was what happened next. The manager addressed it quickly, apologised sincerely and compensated us with complimentary afternoon tea we had booked.
The experience was restored.
Luxury isn’t defined by never getting it wrong.
It’s defined by how thoughtfully things are put right.
What Pennyhill Park Is Like From a Wedding Guest Experience Perspective
If you’re considering Pennyhill Park as a wedding venue, guest experience is one of its strongest assets.
Arrival & Ease
Parking is simple, check-in is smooth, and the setting immediately feels calm rather than chaotic, a huge plus for guests arriving after travel.
Downtime Between Wedding Moments
This is where Pennyhill Park really excels. Guests aren’t confined to their rooms between events. There are fires, lounges, grounds and the spa, which creates a sense of a full weekend experience rather than just a single day.
Evenings & Atmosphere
The hotel is very quiet at night. It’s tucked away and peaceful, which is ideal for guests who value rest — but it’s worth noting that this isn’t a party-until-late venue.
Service Style
The service style is discreet, polite and largely intuitive. The way the earlier incident was handled suggests a management team that understands recovery and guest care, which is crucial for multi-day celebrations.
Pennyhill Park works beautifully for weddings where the priority is comfort, calm and guest wellbeing. It may not suit couples looking for a high-energy, nightlife-driven atmosphere.
Pennyhill Park vs South Lodge
I’ve also stayed at South Lodge, Pennyhill Park’s sister hotel.
While both are excellent, I personally prefer Pennyhill Park because:
• it’s larger
• it offers more amenities
• the spa feels more expansive and immersive
South Lodge may appeal to those who prefer something more contained, but for a full sense of escape, Pennyhill Park edged it for me.
Is Pennyhill Park Worth It?
Pennyhill Park is worth the cost if:
You prefer classic luxury to modern minimalism
You LOVE outdoor heated pools (like me)
You HATE the cold, I don’t think ‘cold’ is even in their vocabulary.
You want ALL the spa amenities
It may not be worth it if:
• you want a lively or social hotel
• you prefer small, intimate spas
Considering Pennyhill Park hotel for Your Wedding or Escape?
For couples planning a wedding weekend, Pennyhill Park feels like slipping into a British stately-home dream.
Think woodland paths, fires glowing in the corners, outdoor pools that stay unapologetically hot no matter the weather, and an atmosphere that makes guests soften almost instantly. It’s the kind of place where time stretches and nervous systems finally unclench.
If you’re a wedding professional, this hotel is a masterclass in how luxury is felt, not just styled.
If you want to apply these same principles to your own brand, so clients choose you before they compare prices, start here:
