Brooks Country House to open in Herefordshire – Bringing an affordable ‘cool members club’ vibe to The Wye Valley.
Brooks County House is a 22 bedroom Georgian manor hotel located between Ross-on-Wye and the cathedral city of Hereford and is set to open its doors on 1st July 2016, bringing with it a welcome lift to Herefordshire’s hospitality scene. With its own vineyard, outdoor swimming pool, bar, restaurant and substantial private grounds, double rooms are priced from £89 per night midweek and £100 at weekends, with an ‘opening’ offer of £99 per double for dinner, bed and breakfast available throughout July and August.
It will be the first rural location for the established Brooks Hotels brand, a ‘country cousin’ for the group’s existing town house ‘city siblings’ in Bristol, Bath and Edinburgh. Owners Carla and Andrew Brooks bought the manor house last year and aim to bring their successful ‘affordable luxury’ formula to the country house hotel scene.
The hotel is located at Pengethley Manor which has previously operated as a hotel, closing in March 2015. Since then the building has undergone a major renovation and refurbishment project which has combined the charm and grace of the original manor house with some fun and modern additions. Brooks Country House will offer a members’ club vibe for residents and local dining guests alike, without those hefty annual fees.
With Carla’s passion for interiors, they have lovingly bought the property back to its original grandeur using quintessentially English decor. Think Designers Guild fabrics, GP & J Baker and Cole & Son wallpaper, bold Graham and Greene lighting, Phillippe Starck Ghost chairs combined with personal touches such as individually chosen antiques and landscape paintings from Andrew’s grandmother Mary Brooks who was a contemporary of Henry Moore.
The property is set in 13 acres of parkland and enjoys views towards the National Trust’s Pengethley Park. It is ideally located for hiking and biking trails as well and kayaking down the Wye, exploring Symonds Yat and the Forest of Dean or the book town of Hay on Wye further afield. Guests looking to simply relax on-site can head to the heated outdoor swimming pool or meander around the hotel’s own vineyard and spacious grounds.
Location
The hotel is an hour’s drive from Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and just two and a half hours from London within easy striking distance from the M4/M5/M50 for fast connections, as well as the mainline train station of Hereford just 20 minutes away.
Rooms and Suites
There will be a total of 22 bedrooms; 11 doubles in the main house, six courtyard rooms, one coach house room, two courtyard suites and two large suites located in the old stables. Each has comfy pocket sprung mattresses and goose down pillows whilst very effort has been made to restore the rooms’ period features including sash windows, chandeliers and fireplaces. A wide range of rooms types are offered including Super King Four Posters/ King Four Poster/ King Double/Twins. En-suite marble bathrooms are generous in size with Hansgrohe power showers and roll-top baths.
A number of guest lounges offer the perfect place to while away lazy afternoons, complete with comfortable armchairs, chesterfield sofas, roaring log fires and plenty of coffee table books. A games room, high-tech gym and heated outdoor pool finish off the generous guest offering.
Grounds
As well the property’s landscaped gardens designed in different ‘rooms’ themselves such as the walled gardens, trout lake and meadows, the manor has its own large vineyard which produces 300-500 bottles of Pengethley Estate wine per year- expertly bottled by nearby award winning Gloucestershire vineyard Three Choirs.
The hotel will be licensed for both weddings and civil ceremonies and can cater for up to 65 guests in the main house or 120 guests in the marquee, with room for an additional 60 guests in the evening. There is a meeting room which can be hired for smaller functions.
Restaurant/Bar
Quality, locally sourced food is at the heart of the ‘Brooks’ experience and Brooks Country House is no exception. The restaurant, set in what would have been the original house’s library, has sweeping countryside views and a relaxed atmosphere. The seasonal brassiere-style menu is made up of dishes including Herefordshire rib-eye steak and fillet of Hake on a butterbean, chorizo and red pepper ragout. A variety of tapas sharing plates are available throughout the day for residents.
A fully-stocked bar sits adjacent to the restaurant and offers a vast selection of local wines, beers, ciders and cocktails. The bar can spill out onto a pretty terrace area allowing guests to relax inside or out, depending on the weather.
View the Sunday Lunch menu.
Airstreams in the Vineyard and Spa Plans
Autumn this year will see two large beauty and spa treatment rooms open in the main house, whilst spring 2017 will see two classic airstream caravans placed in the vineyard- the perfect glamping spot. This will be the second time that Brooks has incorporated airstream glamping into their hotels- they also have airstreams on the roof of their hotel in central Bristol.
e: info@brookscountryhouse.com
t: 01989 730211
A: Brooks County House
Pengethley Park,
Nr Ross-on-Wye,
Herefordshire,
HR9 6LL