Cliveden House boasts the only listed outdoor pool in England – a Grade 1 ranking earned via a first-class vignette of political intrigue. At a party on a July afternoon in 1961 Christine Keeler, mistress of a suspected Russian spy, stepped out of the pool and caught the eye of John Profumo, then Secretary of State for War. The spark lit the touchpaper to a scandal that would eventually topple the government and permanently incinerate the British conception of politicians as trustworthy.
Today it’s hard to imagine anything quite so dramatic taking shape at Cliveden House. The stately home-turned lavish hotel lies on the banks of the Thames, in the rolling Berkshire countryside, and at just an hour from London it is becoming an essential jaunt for smart visitors to the city. The cutlery is sterling, the service is superlative, and the beds are cloud-like. It’s easy to picture it as the home of American magnate William Waldorf Astor, who bought the seventeenth-century pile in 1893 and made it (largely thanks to his wife Nancy) a social hub for the Edwardian glitterati.
In its 21st century revival, the historical pool courtyard is dotted with shaded loungers, the scent of sun-warmed lavender drifting from the tufts of purple that border the lawn. The most exciting gossip for pool-goers today relates to the adjoining spa, which has just partnered with Decree, the science-backed skincare brand founded by Dr Anita Sturnham. The collab will offer targeted and personalised treatments using Decree’s clinical grade formulas. The Bespoke Facial is tipped as a favourite, with airbrushing acid, advanced microcurrent sculpting and LED light therapy to calm the skin and boost collagen.
Once plumped and smoothed, guests might drift upstairs to one of the hotel’s generously proportioned suites (stopping by the secret pantry, hidden behind a bookcase, for snacks or a glass of Champagne). In the rooms, heritage is augmented with modern indulgence: oil paintings, gilt mirrors and velvet armchairs, marble bathrooms with deep tubs and Penhaligon’s toiletries.
For supper, chef Christopher Hannon’s fine dining restaurant leans into seasonal British ingredients (take fresh Brixham crab salad with sauternes jelly, or Lamb Cannon with spring green pie and wild garlic). The Astor Grill, in the old stables, offers a more relaxed menu of steaks and burgers in an atmosphere or informal glamour. A nightcap in the cosy Library Bar is obligatory.
To walk it all off the next day, guests can explore the 376 acres of National Trust gardens, with a rose garden and wooded walks that snake towards the Thames. You can even borrow a hotel launch for a gentle cruise along the river.
Cliveden House manages that rare trick of feeling both deeply rooted in its past and fully alive to the present. The spa’s high-tech treatments sit comfortably alongside antique four-posters; the gardens’ classical geometry frames a thoroughly modern hotel operation; and of course, the riverside peace is just a short drive from the bustle of London. Or a pleasant sail along the Thames.