Reader TTS

Surrounded by greenery with gothic turrets jutting out through the trees and a grand glass foyer, it's easy to see why The Berystede Hotel was once a site that attracted gentry closely

linked to the royal family during the Victorian era. The hotel is located in South Ascot, close to quaint village Sunninghill and a short car ride away from Windsor. The former stately home

was passed through the Standish and Chaplain family, surviving two world wars and at least two major fires before the grand hotel launch in the 70s. In 2001, MacDonald took ownership of the

site, and it is now one of the group's iconic venues. I was lucky enough to grow up near the hotel, so spent many summers playing in the grounds and splashing in the pool. So I was

delighted to be invited to stay at the site with my partner, Owen, and our dog, Rupert, and relive childhood memories. The hotel is one of MacDonald's dog friendly sites, four paws are

pretty much allowed most places accept the spa and inside the main restaurant. Of course, we had to put it to the test to see just how dog friendly the hotel really is. THE STAY The

beautiful hotel is tucked away behind a gate, with a private car park and impressive entrance, it's easy to see why The Berystede is a popular wedding destination. As soon we we walked

into the entrance hall, we were met with the classic interior which is in keeping with the style of the building. Staff were very welcoming, especially to Rupert who was more than happy to

make some new friends. Once signed in, we headed up to our room, which to our surprise was a super deluxe suite in the turret. Timelessly decorated with plenty of space, a large comfy bed,

we could hear birds singing with the windows open which Rupert enjoyed. The hotel room came with comfy dressing gowns and slippers to wear down to the spa. The hotel has lovely green lawns

which were perfect for Rupert to run about and play, and wooded areas to explore. Huge purple hydrangea flowers looked gorgeous against the greenery. In the morning I got up nice and early

and took Rupert for a walk into Sunninghill and we visited The Little Flower Pot flower shop. There are lot's of lovely boutique shops to look in including boutique jewellers, Jason

Charles Jewellery, Inspirations gift shop and The Stock Exchange for pre loved luxury designer goods. Check out of the hotel is 11am, which gave us the perfect amount of time to enjoy the

spa before heading on a long dog walk. Swinley Forest, part of the Crown Estate is a short walk away from the hotel, which Rupert absolutely loved. While walking through the forest we saw

deer and British wildlife. We went off the beaten track and found a carpet of bluebells in the woodlands. THE FOOD Acanthus Restaurant, the hotel's award winning eatery, was the perfect

way to unwind in the evening. We sat on the terrace, and enjoyed wine as the sun set and Rupert chilled on his blanket. Staff were especially helpful and friendly, which made the whole

experience even more memorable. To start we nibbled on a couple of slices of sourdough bread with onion butter, while waiting for our starters. To start, Owen and I shared the Stornoway

black pudding scotch egg, with burnt onion ketchup, celeriac remoulade, which was so delicious I am still thinking about it now. We also ordered the honey whipped goats cheese which was

tantalisingly tangy with olives, sundried tomato and ciabatta crisp. We were very excited to try the Michelin-star awarded Atul Kochhar's Flavours of India menu, Kochhar was one of the

first Indian chefs be awarded a Michelin star in London in 2001 whilst working at Tamarind. For mains, Owen had the fish masala with cod, coriander and coconut. I went for the chicken tikka

masala, with tandoori chicken supreme, tomato and fenugreek sauce, which was beautiful. The mains came with a crisp naan and pilau rice. There's always room for dessert, so we shared

the chocolate and caramel torte, with peanut brittle and Scottish fudge ice cream. This was chocolatey heaven. The next morning, breakfast was served until around 10am so you still have

enough room for a lay in. Many guests were chilling in their robes, waiting to go to the spa. A buffet breakfast is offered, complete with full English options including sausages, hash

browns, mushrooms, eggs and cereals. I also loved the sweet mini pastries which were gorgeous. THE SPA After breakfast we took a stroll down to the spa, where we were given a warm greeting

and given plenty of towels. The spa features a large swimming pool surrounded by glass so you can see all the beautiful grounds while in the water. The spa is complete with hot and cold

experience showers with full body jets, an ice room to cool down in, aroma sauna and salt steam room. In between swimming, showering and using the sauna's, one of the gems of the spa is

the hydrotherapy pool. It's the hottest hydrotherapy pool I have been in, the water was gorgeously warm like a hot bath. The hydrotherapy pool extends outside, so you can sit amongst

nature with the bubbles going. Next to the saunas are two hot beds, again, the warmest hot beds I have tried. The beds don't turn on and off again, they remain consistently warm, so

towards the end of the trip, I laid down on the hot bed wrapped up in towels - lush. IN CONCLUSION In conclusion, we all left the hotel feeling very relaxed and ready for the weekend. We

walked over to the Crown Estate after checking out so Rupert could have a nice long walk, before we headed home. This hotel is a very worthy dog friendly option for 'pawrents' to

rest and unwind. For more information, check out the Berystede website HERE. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THINGS TO DO AND ACTIVITIES IN SURREY WITH OUR FREE WHAT’S ON EMAIL HERE.