Harley Young unwinds with a weekend at the viral Cheshire hotspot
If you’ve been on TikTok any time over the last few months, you’ve probably seen this dreamlike spa all over your feed; the stunning, angelic gardens with bubbling outdoor jacuzzis, cosy firepits, a plethora of thermal suites and saunas, and a dedicated champagne bar that you can call for from the comfort of your own private pod at the simple touch of a button - ahh, dreamy…
But just how perfect is it? By now, we know that things that are glorified online aren’t always what they seem - but how does Carden Park Hotel & Spa actually fare as the internet's current favourite obsession? I headed down on a January weekend to see if it really does live up to the hype.
First impressions
Just under an hour’s drive from Liverpool, and just over an hour’s drive from Manchester, Carden Park Hotel & Spa sits in the middle of Carden Park’s 1000-acre country estate in Cheshire, nestled snugly between Chester, Wrexham and Crewe.
Described as ‘the ultimate expression of escapism’, the park’s picturesque features include (but certainly aren’t limited to) a championship grade golf course, triple AA rosette restaurant The Vines, a plethora of outdoor activities including archery, ziplines and a shooting range, and, of course, the main reason for my visit; its multi-award winning, destination spa; ‘The Spa at Carden Park’.
With its beautifully landscaped grounds and postcard-worthy views across the pond (complete with fountains, of course), it’s not an over-exaggeration to say that there really is something for everyone to enjoy here.
Checking in
After winding our way up the road that leads from the main entrance for what felt like a good ten minutes, my partner and I arrived at the imposing Carden Park hotel - a large-and-in-charge yet equally homely-and-inviting-looking building with a whopping 197 luxury bedrooms.
Stepping inside the venue onto the marbled floors we noticed ginormous archway after archway in every direction, leading off to various parts of the building. Each of which were clearly signposted in classic gold lettering; ‘The Library’, ‘Redmond’s Brasserie’, ‘Morgan’s Bar’ and ‘The Vines Restaurant’ to name but a few.
In the centre of it all was a sleek and sophisticated check-in desk where smiling members of the hotel reception team stood, ready to assist at the drop of a hat.
The hotel and its grounds are so magnificent in both appearance and stature that you’re given a fully-illustrated map alongside your room keycard should you get lost.
After carefully perusing the map on my way to the room I discovered that, as well as The Spa at Carden Park which requires bookings to access, there’s also a Leisure Club in the hotel building - complete with pool and sauna which you can use throughout the duration of your stay - meaning you’re essentially getting access to two spas for the price of one.
With a picturesque sculpture garden, vineyard and wedding gazebo making up the front portion of the park, it’s no wonder many couples choose to spend the biggest day of their lives here. Plus, with an on-site florist, gift shop and hair salon for good measure, it doesn’t matter if you accidentally leave the wedding present at home. They’ll never know a thing.
The room
We stayed in one of the king bedrooms with an Estate View overlooking the sculpture park. The room was bright, airy and well decorated with floral elements used to tie the artwork and soft furnishings together.
Amenities came in the form of a large en-suite bathroom with walk-in rainfall shower, heated towel rail and complimentary toiletries, a well-stocked tea and coffee corner, complete with Nespresso coffee machine, and a HD plasma television as well as all the usual bells and whistles.
The king bed was plush enough to sink into but with enough firmness to keep you from getting a bad back in the morning - perhaps I’m getting old, but those sciatica-inducing ultra soft memory foam beds just don’t do it for me anymore.
The Spa at Carden Park
After settling into our room, we headed across the road to The Spa; another large building but with more of a modern look and feel to it, like that of a new-build farmhouse. The reception area is enveloped in a warm beige colour with soft pendant lighting and a relaxing water feature to get you in the mood to unwind.
After completing our consultation forms, we headed upstairs, past the Elements Restaurant - a dining space that offers panoramic views of the spa gardens and beyond - and to the changing rooms to slip into our swimwear. Even the changing rooms here feel tranquil, with heavenly white furnishings, light wood accents and glowy, halo vanity lighting to get ready by after an afternoon of unwinding. Every available locker has its own neatly folded robe, towel and slippers plus a handy cloth bag to carry them in on your way around the spa.
Once ready, I made my way down the spiral staircase to the treatment lounge - a waiting room full of comfy white egg chairs overlooking the spa gardens. In the corner sat a selection of complimentary infused waters and teas and aspirational magazines.
The room was pretty busy as many visitors had had the right idea and decided to book in for a treatment, but the massage therapists moved quickly at getting through the appointments and it wasn’t long before my name was called and I was led down a dimly lit hallway for my ‘Indulgent Escape Ritual’.
Described as an ‘intensely relaxing experience’, this treatment centred around a facial that focuses on relaxation and hydration whilst also featuring a gentle shoulder and scalp massage and some reflexology.
Inside the room was an electrically heated massage bed that could be positioned at various heights and angles depending on your chosen treatment. Above the bed, like a starry night sky, lights brightened and dimmed in a calming pattern making for a soothing sight to focus on during your treatment.
My therapist Clare went through my consultation form and talked me through the process before stepping out to allow me to get comfortable ready for fifty minutes of pure bliss.
The treatment started with a warming foot cleanse that applied pressure to reflex points on the feet before moving up to the shoulders and scalp with ancient massage techniques.
Once I was fully relaxed, Clare moved onto the facial part of the treatment, cleansing away the day with specially-formulated, high-quality Oskia products designed to nourish and hydrate my skin, using swooping motions to sculpt my face and add more definition.
The almost one-hour-long treatment flew by and before I knew it it was time to take a look at my glowy new skin. I was brought a fresh glass of water and told to take my time enjoying the three individually themed relaxation rooms available to everyone post-treatment; one of which featured beanbag chairs and an entire wall’s worth of digital screening projecting a beautiful sunset, whilst another had heated loungers and a fire in the middle to watch as you doze off - just the ticket after a deep tissue massage, I assume.
After half an hour of taking in the sights and sounds of the relaxation rooms, I emerged, ready to be fully immersed in relaxation courtesy of the spa garden.
Ethereally breathtaking, the spa garden at Carden Park is wonderfully landscaped with an outdoor heated pool, pathways leading off to not one, not two, but three outdoor jacuzzis, a firepit, sauna room and a Bollinger Champagne Bar right in the centre of it.
Also scattered around the gardens are private heated glass pods that you can pop in for a spot of lunch and enjoy the view from; just call for drinks with the nifty little button and your order will be taken - they’ve really thought of everything to make you feel like royalty during your stay.
I found my partner Dave living the life of luxury in one of the jacuzzis - beer in one hand, sunglasses in the other. Even on a nippy January afternoon, with the sun beaming and the jacuzzi turned up high, I think he thought he was in the Maldives.
I couldn’t blame him though, I did too, lapping up the heat in the sauna room like a lizard basking on a rock. Dried florals hung from the roof adding a herbal scent which wafted through the air from time to time as people came and went through the glass door.
I could’ve sat here for hours just watching the sun burn bright into the sky as it set over the gardens, but I wanted to make the most of the time here and try all of the amenities available which was no mean feat as there’s a lot to get through - a full thermal suite, indoor heated pool, gym and Swedish sauna to name but a few.
Fully relaxed and rejuvenated, we made our way back over to the main hotel building, donned our best attire and headed down to The Vines Restaurant for a delightful three-course dinner.
Dinner at The Vines
Outside the restaurant, a member of the team was waiting with a big smile, ready to check us in. After confirming our reservation, they showed us over to Goldie’s Lounge - a classy, speakeasy-style bar to the right of The Vines which plays live piano music and serves a wide range of wines (some of which were produced using grapes from Carden Park’s own vineyard) and classic cocktails - for a pre-dinner drink and complimentary Chef’s snacks whilst we cast our eyes over the menu.
I indulged in a (very good) non-alcoholic Amaretto Sour while Dave kept things simple with a pint of Guinness.
A few moments later, a member of the team came over to take our order for dinner and, a few moments after that, we were led back over to The Vines Restaurant to our table. Smartly laid out with neatly arranged furniture, beautifully-pressed tablecloths, a ginormous fresh bouquet centerpiece and a sleek 70s-style mahogany wine bar to the far corner of the room, the restaurant feels very cohesive and ambient.
The three AA rosette venue is headed up by Executive Chef Graham Tinsley MBE and Head Chef Harri Williams, who aim to bring exceptional seasonal dishes with a touch of ‘theatrical magic’ to guests dining at the 1000-acre resort.
To start, I opted for the scallop with dashi, mooli and preserved tiger lemon, dressed with buttermilk and seaweed oil which was served up tableside for extra visual allure. The three meaty scallops had mopped up the dressing nicely and the tiger lemon added a welcome zesty bite which complemented the dish nicely.
Dave chose the duck foie gras raviolo with duck broth, spring onion, enoki mushroom, pickled walnuts and chervil. Not quite as pretty to look at, but what it lacked in beauty it certainly made up for in flavour.
Moving onto mains, I decided to push the boat out with a roast loin of Powys venison, served with venison shoulder boudin, king oyster mushroom, turnip and sage dressed in a sticky sweet plum jus. Gamey and exceptionally rich, a very small amount of this goes a long way. I imagine it would pair very nicely with one of Carden Park’s reds.
Sticking with his duck theme, Dave went for the lavender and honey glazed wild duck breast served with a fricassee of duck liver, pancetta and pearl barley wrapped in cabbage, spinach puree and a blackberry, buttered swede and shallot jus - another rich and indulgent dish that stands on its own two feet without need for any accompaniments.
To conclude, I satisfied my sweet tooth with the milk chocolate mousse with feuilletine crisp, mint cream and bitter chocolate sorbet. Like an ultra fancy After Eight, this dessert treaded the line between light and indulgent very well.
Dave’s dessert has sadly been taken off the menu since (an absolute travesty, I must say - hopefully they bring it back in due course), but it was a deconstructed version of a banana cake with a toffee crisp, served with banana sorbet and chantilly cream. He adored it, which is a big compliment from someone who turns their nose up at anything remotely sweet and dessert-like (the weirdo).
All three courses were lovingly served with the expert care and knowledge of the waiting team, who did their utmost to ensure The Vines lived up to its very well-deserved accolades.
We walked off our dinner with an evening amble around the beautifully orchestrated sculpture garden and grounds before retiring to our room for the evening.
Breakfast and checking out
After sleeping straight through the night without any disruptions (it’s amazing how a night away from your incredibly needy cat can completely rid you of fatigue), we awoke fresh-faced and ready to tackle the day.
Breakfast was served buffet-style in Redmond’s Brasserie on the front of the building, overlooking the sculpture garden and pond.
A nice array of fresh fruits, cured meats and cheeses, cereals, juices and mueslis and cooked breakfast items were laid out for guests to help themselves to and were regularly stocked up, even towards the end of breakfast service. All of which we tried were enjoyable and of good quality.
We took one last lap around the sculpture park before it was time to gather our belongings and check out at the reasonable time of 11am.
Overall thoughts
After experiencing Carden Park Hotel & Spa for myself, I now fully understand the online hype - it's no wonder people are raving about this place on TikTok.
Yes, it's an investment and yes, there are more affordable options out there, but you won't find such a range of high quality activities, dining options and beautiful scenery like this to enjoy just anywhere. It's worth spending the extra money and indulging in a truly worthwhile experience.
Understandably, Carden Park Hotel & Spa gets booked up very quickly during peak times, so if you're interested in experiencing it for yourselves, I'd recommend making your plans sooner than later.
If, even on a brisk January weekend, this place can thoroughly impress, imagine what it'll be like at the height of summer? Come find me in the jacuzzi with a mocktail in hand and see for yourselves.
Carden Park Hotel & Spa, Carden Park, Broxton Rd, Chester CH3 9DQ
Follow Harley Young on X @Harley__Young
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