This is Bath -- Solihull is probably not the first place that springs to mind when booking a quiet weekend getaway – but it should be. I was whisked away to Forest of Arden, a Marriott hotel and country club just outside of Solihull, with my boyfriend, Lindsey. We arrived on a damp, dark Friday evening after a couple of hours drive on more than one motorway. Reception staff were cheery and friendly. They directed us to our second floor, king-size bedroom overlooking the golf course – fantastic. The room was a good size with an armchair, desk, large television, built-in wardrobe, bedside tables and selection of lamps. And, of course, the bed. It was the comfiest bed I have ever had the privilege of sleeping in. Marriott hotels boast about their beds with Egyptian cotton bedding, down mattress topper and duvets. It's something I would certainly show off about – I wanted to never get out. We had dinner at the onsite AA Rosette-awarded restaurant, Oaks Bar and Grill. Incredibly (almost overbearingly) friendly staff showed us to our table and brought over fresh bread rolls and water before taking our orders. For a starter I went for peppered pigeon breast with baby leaf, hazelnuts and quail egg. It was presented beautifully on the plate and the pigeon breast was cooked well but under seasoned. The combination of flavours and textures worked well. Lindsey had seared scallops with pea puree, pea shoots and chorizo vinaigrette. Again, the food had been laid out delicately on the plate and he said it was delicious. For our main course we both chose pork belly with pulled pork hash, sautéed kale, shallot confit and crackling. The hash was fantastic and the shallot confit bursting with flavour. Unfortunately, again, the plate was under seasoned. Each main course had a suggested wine listed on the menu. We had Kleine Zalve, a chenin blanc, which complemented the pork dinner well. For dessert I had a portion of gloriously stodgy sticky chocolate pudding while Lindsey went for the lighter option of iced lemon parfait. The next day we went down for the breakfast buffet. Despite it being a buffet, the food is of a good standard. There is an egg station where a grumpy chef will cook you a delicious omelette with your choice of ingredients or a fried egg. After breakfast we went to the onsite Cedarwood Spa. I opted for a whole body massage while Lindsey had a back massage. We were greeted by friendly staff and filled in forms about how we would like our massages. We were then led to our separate treatment rooms. The rooms were small and intimate, and they smelled lovely. The girl who gave me my massage, Charlotte, was lovely and very good at her job. She made me feel very much at ease. After the hour-long massage I felt relaxed and happy – my shoulders had definitely dropped at least an inch. My skin felt incredibly soft from the lotion used and I felt like I was floating when I finally got up. Charlotte took me back to the waiting room and gave me a glass of cool water with a slice of lime. Lindsey had gone for a firm back massage and loved it. He agreed the spa was exceptional and said he could feel that knots had gone from his back. After a nap in the luxurious bed, Lindsey and I decided to make use of the hotel's facilities. We went to the driving range and each hit 30 balls then changed into our swimwear and spent some time in the sauna, steam room and pool. The Forest of Arden is a great place to escape to for a weekend. It's a hotspot for golfers and hosts lots of conferences. We had a relaxed, peaceful weekend at the hotel. With two restaurants and all the onsite facilities, it's easy to not leave the premise. I would highly recommend a trip – but be careful to take everything home with you. I left a t-shirt in the wardrobe in our room and following six phone calls over five days, each with the promise of a call back, I was told it "hadn't been found".
Reported by This is 12 hours ago.
This is Bath -- Solihull is probably not the first place that springs to mind when booking a quiet weekend getaway – but it should be. I was whisked away to Forest of Arden, a Marriott hotel and country club just outside of Solihull, with my boyfriend, Lindsey. We arrived on a damp, dark Friday evening after a couple of hours drive on more than one motorway. Reception staff were cheery and friendly. They directed us to our second floor, king-size bedroom overlooking the golf course – fantastic. The room was a good size with an armchair, desk, large television, built-in wardrobe, bedside tables and selection of lamps. And, of course, the bed. It was the comfiest bed I have ever had the privilege of sleeping in. Marriott hotels boast about their beds with Egyptian cotton bedding, down mattress topper and duvets. It's something I would certainly show off about – I wanted to never get out. We had dinner at the onsite AA Rosette-awarded restaurant, Oaks Bar and Grill. Incredibly (almost overbearingly) friendly staff showed us to our table and brought over fresh bread rolls and water before taking our orders. For a starter I went for peppered pigeon breast with baby leaf, hazelnuts and quail egg. It was presented beautifully on the plate and the pigeon breast was cooked well but under seasoned. The combination of flavours and textures worked well. Lindsey had seared scallops with pea puree, pea shoots and chorizo vinaigrette. Again, the food had been laid out delicately on the plate and he said it was delicious. For our main course we both chose pork belly with pulled pork hash, sautéed kale, shallot confit and crackling. The hash was fantastic and the shallot confit bursting with flavour. Unfortunately, again, the plate was under seasoned. Each main course had a suggested wine listed on the menu. We had Kleine Zalve, a chenin blanc, which complemented the pork dinner well. For dessert I had a portion of gloriously stodgy sticky chocolate pudding while Lindsey went for the lighter option of iced lemon parfait. The next day we went down for the breakfast buffet. Despite it being a buffet, the food is of a good standard. There is an egg station where a grumpy chef will cook you a delicious omelette with your choice of ingredients or a fried egg. After breakfast we went to the onsite Cedarwood Spa. I opted for a whole body massage while Lindsey had a back massage. We were greeted by friendly staff and filled in forms about how we would like our massages. We were then led to our separate treatment rooms. The rooms were small and intimate, and they smelled lovely. The girl who gave me my massage, Charlotte, was lovely and very good at her job. She made me feel very much at ease. After the hour-long massage I felt relaxed and happy – my shoulders had definitely dropped at least an inch. My skin felt incredibly soft from the lotion used and I felt like I was floating when I finally got up. Charlotte took me back to the waiting room and gave me a glass of cool water with a slice of lime. Lindsey had gone for a firm back massage and loved it. He agreed the spa was exceptional and said he could feel that knots had gone from his back. After a nap in the luxurious bed, Lindsey and I decided to make use of the hotel's facilities. We went to the driving range and each hit 30 balls then changed into our swimwear and spent some time in the sauna, steam room and pool. The Forest of Arden is a great place to escape to for a weekend. It's a hotspot for golfers and hosts lots of conferences. We had a relaxed, peaceful weekend at the hotel. With two restaurants and all the onsite facilities, it's easy to not leave the premise. I would highly recommend a trip – but be careful to take everything home with you. I left a t-shirt in the wardrobe in our room and following six phone calls over five days, each with the promise of a call back, I was told it "hadn't been found".
Reported by This is 12 hours ago.