Nights away are few and far between at the moment but when we do get to escape, we always make it a good one. We were invited to the Hilton Ageas Bowl for dinner, an overnight stay and full use of the spa which was exactly what was needed after a very full on few weeks. With Joshua tucked up with his Grandma, we packed a case and made our way out to the hotel which is just seven miles from Southampton City Center.
It the perfect location for a weekend away or a stop off before a cruise or flight from Southampton Airport and with full dining, a spa and golf course, it's great for the short getaway we had in mind.
We arrived early Friday evening, check in was a breeze and the staff were so welcoming and explained everything we needed to know about the Hilton while we were going to be there. The room was situated on level one and the spacious queen guest room had a balcony with views over the Ageas Bowl pitch. The room compromised of a queen sized bed (I was staying the night alone), walk in shower, huge floor to ceiling windows and full air conditioning which you can control to get your ideal temperature. There was also a sofa, desk, 42 inch LCD TV, and full Wifi access.
After setting down the case and freshening up, we made our way down to the restaurant, Beefy's by Sir Ian Botham, the Ageas Bowl's own restaurant. The restaurant was beautiful, glass lights hung in sets of two giving an atmospheric glow to the dining room while the interior throughout was awash with burnt orange, slate grey and dark wood. We took our seats in a rounded booth which gave us full view of the restaurant and bar area before ordering a bottle of bubbles to celebrate our first year as parents.
Our server for the evening was Ana, she was kind, attentive and really looked after us as did all the servers in Beefy's that evening, nothing was too much and it was all done with a big smile. We ordered starters of Forest Mushroom Pasta with truffle cream, soft hen's egg & bacon as well as Potted Pâté with chutney and toasted bloomer. Both were presented well and tasted even better, pâté is my favourite and I definitely chose right, it was delicious.
Both Arran and I ordered steak, him the rib eye and I the prime sirloin although I made a slight faux pas with mine as I read the oz wrong and it came out the size of my head. It was also served on the bone, something I didn't think about at the time so when it came out I wasn't sure what to do with this great hunk of meat which sounds silly but Ana came straight over and rectified it quickly while I sat with my head in my hands as Arran laughed at me.
In no time at all, the steak came back out, de-boned and cooked a little more for me (I'm a med-rare girl usually but it was a little too rare for me) and I tucked in. It really was a really succulent cut of meat and I don't think Arran will let me forgot the time I became flustered over cutting a piece of meat, I'm just glad the chef couldn't see me, oops!
After another glass of bubbles and a quick breather, we finally decided on dessert but we would've been quite happy to go through the entire dessert menu, it was so hard to decide.
Arran chose the Chocolate Delice served with lemon curd and ice cream. It was light, flavoursome and with a crunchy biscuit base. I had the warmed Cranberry & Walnut Tart with golden syrup and double cream, it was quite possibly the best dessert I've ever had and for someone who is not usually a fan of nuts, I was blown away.
Before long, it was time to head back to the room and get some shut eye. The bed was super cosy with big pillows and I star fished to my hearts content until I woke up at the same time as Joshua usually does. Room service is available 24 hours and I did think about having breakfast delivered to my room but I decided to head back down to Beefy's to see what the breakfast set up was like and take my laptop so I could get some work done at the same time.
Breakfast consisted of continental breakfast, full English breakfast, cereals and fruit as well as made to order items such as omelettes and eggs benedict plus plenty of coffee. There were even doughnut balls available which totally counts as breakfast food in my eyes and tasted delishhh!
Check out at the Hilton Ageas Bowl is at 11am so I had my breakfast before heading back to the room for a while to chill and pack. I was spending the rest of the day in the spa so checked out early so I could be in the spa by 10am and make the most of having the place to myself for a while especially as Saturdays can get very busy.
Breakfast consisted of continental breakfast, full English breakfast, cereals and fruit as well as made to order items such as omelettes and eggs benedict plus plenty of coffee. There were even doughnut balls available which totally counts as breakfast food in my eyes and tasted delishhh!
Check out at the Hilton Ageas Bowl is at 11am so I had my breakfast before heading back to the room for a while to chill and pack. I was spending the rest of the day in the spa so checked out early so I could be in the spa by 10am and make the most of having the place to myself for a while especially as Saturdays can get very busy.
One of the things I was most looking forward to during my stay with Hilton at Ageas Bowl was spending some time in the Eforea Spa for a day of relaxation, pampering and of course a cream tea. The spa uses Elemis products throughout and during treatments and with a wide range of treatments available, it's the perfect place to take back some time for you.
The spa is open to anyone, you don't need to be a hotel guest to use it and the spa packages are really reasonably priced. Eforea Spa features a salt grotto, steam room, sauna. ice fountain and hydrotherapy pool and if you're brave enough to face the cold, there's also a whirlpool outside. One of my favourite areas was the transition lounge, a calm and quiet area to relax before treatments or lay back with a book.
The spa also has its own kitchen serving pastries, lunch and afternoon tea with views over the golf course.
Afternoon tea in a robe has never looked so good.
I had a facial booked in for the afternoon with Lucy who spoke through my skin concerns since having Joshua and made a note of all the products used for me. Lucy used a range of Elemis products on my skin such as the Gentle Rose Exfoliator, Hydra-Balance Day Cream and Herbal Lavender Repair Mask leaving my skin feeling clean, smooth and refreshed. I was also given a little bag of products to take away and use at home which was a lovely gesture.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Hilton at Ageas Bowl, we were treated spectacularly, the food really was delicious and I'd move into the spa if I could. I can't wait to head back in a few weeks with a group of friends for another spa evening.
You can book direct with the Hilton at Ageas Bowl and discover discounts and offers on different packages as well as using Hilton Honor Points. I definitely have another overnight spa package in my sights.
The spa is open to anyone, you don't need to be a hotel guest to use it and the spa packages are really reasonably priced. Eforea Spa features a salt grotto, steam room, sauna. ice fountain and hydrotherapy pool and if you're brave enough to face the cold, there's also a whirlpool outside. One of my favourite areas was the transition lounge, a calm and quiet area to relax before treatments or lay back with a book.
The spa also has its own kitchen serving pastries, lunch and afternoon tea with views over the golf course.
Afternoon tea in a robe has never looked so good.
I had a facial booked in for the afternoon with Lucy who spoke through my skin concerns since having Joshua and made a note of all the products used for me. Lucy used a range of Elemis products on my skin such as the Gentle Rose Exfoliator, Hydra-Balance Day Cream and Herbal Lavender Repair Mask leaving my skin feeling clean, smooth and refreshed. I was also given a little bag of products to take away and use at home which was a lovely gesture.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Hilton at Ageas Bowl, we were treated spectacularly, the food really was delicious and I'd move into the spa if I could. I can't wait to head back in a few weeks with a group of friends for another spa evening.
You can book direct with the Hilton at Ageas Bowl and discover discounts and offers on different packages as well as using Hilton Honor Points. I definitely have another overnight spa package in my sights.
Hotel stay and package was complimentary for the purpose of review - see disclaimer.