Favourite Hotels: The Newt in Somerset

This countryside gem is a 10/10

The Newt is true luxury without the fuss. Named one of the World’s 50 best hotels, it is easily accessible via GWR from Paddington Station in London.

I’m a lover of an occasional hotel splurge (some of my UK favorites are any of the Pig Hotels and Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh) and I had been wanting to get to Somerset and check out the Newt for a while now.

Last autumn, my mom was visiting and we treated ourselves to the Newt to kick off her trip. We booked one night (the Newt is spenny!) in the Farmyard. Guests can chose to stay in the Farmyard or the main building, Hadspen House, which dates back to the 17th century.

The Farmyard has it own pool and restaurant and the room amenities were impressive. The hotel makes a lot of its own products (preserves, mixers, cyder, gin) and our room featured a selection in the mini bar. The Farmyard’s Garner Bar also put out complementary ingredients and instructions daily for a little DIY cocktail hour which was a fun touch.

The main house is walkable from the Farmyard, but I had too much fun cruising around on the golf carts that are available for guests. There are a ton of ways to spend your time at the Newt - the hotel has a extensive list of activities to take part in while onsite.

The Newt’s Farmhouse

A little look at the room and huge tub

The pool and hot tub at the Farmhouse

The food was stellar. We tried the Farmyard Kitchen for lunch and breakfast and we made our way over to the Botanical Rooms restaurant for dinner. Everything we tried was unfussy, fresh and seasonal. The vegetables are grown onsite and many of the ingredients are locally sourced.

But without a doubt, the highlight for me had to be the hotel spa - we had an incredible pedicure and then tried out the facilities. The spa features an indoor-outdoor pool, sauna and salt infusion chamber. I floated out of there.

Indoor/outdoor pool at the spa at Hadspen House.

The bottom line: The level of service, grounds, food and amenities are truly some of the best I’ve ever experienced. A stay at the Newt is pricey no doubt, but our visit exceeded my expectations. For a special occasion I would definitely recommend the Newt. For us the hotel was the trip. We took full advantage of everything on offer and had an unforgettable time.