Oatlands Park Hotel is located in what was once a vast estate where Henry VIII built a palace for Anna of Cleves. Oatlands Palace could have rivalled nearby Hampton Court with its illustrious residents and history over the centuries but it was demolished when Cromwell came to power – the estate sold to pay parliamentary debts. A single house, possibly a hunting lodge, survived and was occupied by various gentlemen of power and privilege after the reformation. The building was modified and enlarged before being burned to the ground in 1794 and then rebuilt in ‘Strawberry Hill Gothic style’. Subsequent owners pulled down sections and rebuilt until in 1846 the estate was broken up into lots for building development and sold at public auctions. The house was purchased and later adapted to operate as a hotel, opening in 1856 as the South Western (later Oatlands Park) Hotel. Further extensions were added over the years until the mid-1980s when Oatlands Investments Ltd acquired the hotel and set about restoring and refurbishing. The grand building, a mish mash of styles but still listed, now sits in much reduced but still extensive grounds overlooking a lake.
We stayed for two nights during a sunny April, booking an executive room on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis through Secret Escapes. Our bedroom was in the top righthand corner in the above photograph – dual aspect and with far reaching views across the Surrey countryside towards the Thames. Despite being in a residential area close to London this gave it a rural feel. We were able to walk from the grounds, around the far side of the lake to the river and along a section of the Thames Path into Weybridge.
The various wings that make up the hotel are connected by a warren of corridors and staircases that may prove challenging for those with mobility issues. It has many interesting features including colourful rooflights and tasteful furnishings. Our bedroom was spacious and clean, the decor having a more corporate than country house feel but still comfortable and offering everything we needed – king size bed, a shower with decent water pressure, a well stocked hospitality tray.
Both dinner and breakfast were served in a large restaurant where service was friendly and efficient. Additional function rooms were being well used during our stay but this never proved an issue.
The dinner menu was the same on both evenings. It would have been possible to select dishes from each of the three courses included within our allocated budget but we opted to pay the supplements and eat what we wanted. Food was well cooked and flavoursome, just as we like it.
Starters were imaginative takes on more standard fare. As with each dish ordered they were well presented.
Main Courses were well portioned offering complementary ingredients combined with flair.
Puddings were also tasty. The cheese board required a more hefty supplement but was generous enough to share.
As part of our deal we had a glass of prosecco each on arrival at the table. We therefore needed just the one bottle of wine, put aside for us to finish on the second evening. This was on the pricier side than at some places we have stayed but not unreasonably so, and accepted when this close to London.
Breakfast was selected from an extensive buffet that included: fruit juices, cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurt, sliced meats and cheese, bread that could be toasted, pastries, and a pleasing range of cooked options. Tea could be ordered or coffee made at a machine. The restaurant was busier than for dinner but had capacity to deal with this.
After one of our walks we enjoyed a drink at the bar in the main foyer under an impressive glass roof boasting a large chandelier. There were plenty of sofas to relax on here. Had we been staying during the warmer months seating would also have been available on the terrace. Given how sunny the weather was it seemed a shame these couldn’t be provided.
To reach our room we climbed one of the main staircases that retained the character of the historic building with wooden panelling and classical portraits to admire. The property has been well modified for modern needs.
With plenty of free car parking the Oatlands Hotel proved a relaxing base for our visit to London with surprisingly easy access (traffic wasn’t terrible!) to the two Royal Parks we were in the area to visit – Bushy Park and Windsor Great Park. With the added bonus of a walkable route to the Thames it is a place to which we would happily return.
