Utopia Retreat at Great Fosters

You’ve de-stressed at the Utopia Retreat. Now it’s time to nurture your physical health with a spot of exercise, and Great Fosters has just the thing.

With so many acres of lush grounds, exercise is all about fresh air and the great outdoors here. Get energetic on the pretty outdoor tennis courts. You can borrow rackets and balls, or bring your own if you prefer. 

Take to one of the trim trails, on a power walk past the piggery, beehives and kitchen garden. Prefer to travel by two-wheels? There are some distinguished-looking Great Fosters bicycles to hire.

Although there’s no gym on-site, the hotel has negotiated a preferential at nearby Egham Orbit. Less than a five-minute drive away, there’s a large fitness centre, and more group exercise sessions than you can shake a dumbbell at, including Zumba, spinning and Body Pump.

Great Fosters is a great location if you’re here on an occasion when only the best will do. Its Tudor Pass restaurant is truly something extra-special, boasting an elegant menu, a top head chef and a shiny Michelin star.

This intimate gastronomic experience has just seven tables and sumptuous decor (think rich tapestries, velvet seating and oak beams). With the air of an exclusive dining club, it feels special even before you’ve had your starter. 

Open from Wednesday to Sunday for both lunch and dinner, each four or seven-course tasting menu takes you on a culinary voyage, with dishes presented in person by the chef or one of his team.

Don’t fancy something fancy? The more informal (yet still two-AA rosette-award winning) Estate Grill has vaulted ceiling and open fires, and opens out onto the terraces for alfresco dining in the summer. Open for lunch and dinner every day, the cuisine here is sublime too, with much of it cooked on the Josper grill.

Yes. Built in the 1920s, the 20m outdoor heated swimming pool and hot tub are the Utopia Retreat’s crowning glory! Open May to October, you’ll find stylish sun loungers and parasols, charming original bathing stalls along with bathrooms and outdoor showers, all to match the original art deco decor. 

Refurbished in 2021, numbers are carefully restricted so you don’t have to fight for a lounger. The pool is open from 8am to 8pm and children are welcome to use the pool between 8am and 10am and 4pm and 6pm each day.

Here on an overnight pampering break? You’re in for a treat. There are 56 rooms and suites, and each one is a luxurious haven complete with fine linen, Temple Spa amenities and signature robes.

Choose from charming Cosy rooms to larger Comfy Kings, either in the Coach House and Cloisters or the Main House. Luxury Super King rooms can be found in the Dower House or Coach House. 

After something extra special? Go for an historic suite. Brimming with tales of the past, they feature 17th century Flemish tapestries, intricately carved feature pieces dating back to Jacobean times and Grade I-listed walls. Slip into a four-poster bed to feel like the Tudor royalty who once lived here!

Check-in time at Great Fosters is 3pm. You can get an early check in at 12pm for an extra charge. Check-out time is 11am.

While treatments are for those aged 18 and above, children can use the outdoor pool (open May to October) between 8am and 10am and 4pm to 6pm, so don’t forget to pack their cossies.

Great Fosters is fabulously family-friendly, with spacious rooms, their own bathrobes and super-cute sleep teepees for little ones. During the school holidays, private dining spaces transform into activity rooms and children are given welcome rucksacks to start their stay in style. They even open the restaurant from 5pm for stress-free family dining.

The grounds feature topiary mazes to explore, along with beehives and tennis courts. And if that’s not enough, both Thorpe Park and Legoland are on the hotel’s doorstep.

Yes. There’s designated disabled parking and accessible room options too. Some areas of the gardens are not suitable for wheelchair users – a member of staff will be able to highlight these for you.

Yes. Dogs aren’t just allowed, they’re positively given a royal welcome at Great Fosters. The doggy red carpet is rolled out to well-behaved small and medium sized pooches who can stay for £40 in selected comfy king rooms and spacious super-king suites. 

They’ll get their own comfy bed and stylish bowls, and your pampered pooch can dine alongside you on the terrace or in the Cocktail Bar. They even do a doggy afternoon tea complete with specially created food and a puppy-cino to finish. 

Dog breeds must be declared at the time of booking, and all inoculations must be up to date.

No, there’s no golf club at the hotel, but the spectacular Wentworth is a short drive away and features three world-class golf courses, steeped in history. Wentworth Club has been known as the home of golfing champions since the precursor to the Ryder Cup was played here in 1926. Guests are free to play on all three courses, allowing them to walk in the footsteps of champions every day.