26 New Year, New You Travel & Wellness
Everyone’s invited I
nterest in our health is at an all-time high following the pandemic, and it’s no surprise the travel industry is
capitalising on this after the hit it took over lockdowns. Wellness travel is growing exponentially compared to other sectors. From health resorts and exercise
retreats to detox programmes and training camps, there are options aplenty for those looking for a health- fuelled escape — unless you want to bring the kids, it seems. After having a baby in 2022, I felt like the door had been closed on me. If you want to take the kids with you, your options are limited — and the younger the child, the thinner on the ground they get. I was delighted then, to discover
Foxhills — a family-friendly health resort with more than 200 activities per week for grownups and little ones alike. I booked one of the family suites, strapped my one-year-old into her car seat and set off for a wintry wellness weekend in Chertsey, Surrey.
The country club hotel On your way up the winding driveway the takes you from the entrance to the manor house, you’ll get a sneak peek of the 400-acre grounds waiting
The manor house at Foxhills
Promotional Content • Saturday 6th January 2024
If you’re looking for a wellness escape to improve your fi tness while also enjoying some quality time as a family in the great outdoors, this is the place for you. Everyone’s welcome, even babies. Words: Mattie Lacey-Davidson
for you. Beyond the main house — built in the gothic revival style of the late 1700s — you’ll fi nd an array of slightly more modern cottages. T is is where you’ll stay, with some being simple and quaint while others exude a little more luxury. Past that you’ll fi nd the gym and spa, and the modern Pavilion building by the forest, with a soft play area, outdoor pool for all and forest playground. For family adventures in the forest, you’ll fi nd seven diff erent signposted routes.
For the grown ups If a family-friendly resort evokes images of a hotel overrun with screaming children, fear not. Foxhills is a quiet, peaceful escape that just so happens to cater to little ones, but keeps them somewhat out of the way. T e resort has two Championship
golf courses as well as the nine-hole Manor Course and other facilities for improving your game, plus 11 tennis courts including three all-weather. You’ll also fi nd a state-of-the-art
gym and an adults-only spa kitted out with an indoor swimming pool, a hydropool with massage jets, steam room, two Finnish saunas and an outdoor hot tub. T ere are fi ve pools at Foxhills, with the most impressive being in the spa garden — a chemical- free, natural swimming pool purifi ed by plants and minerals. Impressive enough already, yet
Outdoor swimming pool at the Pavilion
from 7am to 8pm a timetable of exercise classes and events will keep you busy. T ere’s just about everything on off er from spinning and circuits to reformer Pilates and a wide variety of yoga styles — there’s even postnatal classes too (extra brownie points for that), as well as more sociable activities like art club, dance classes and bridge.
For children Kids aged 12–15 have a timetable of their own, some of which crosses over with the adults — so don’t be perturbed if you fi nd a teenager or two in your exercise class, I told you it was family-friendly. T ere’s a mixed schedule for little
ones aged one to 11, with activities having diff erent age brackets. For example, there’s Zumbini (a mix of movement and music) for those four and under, forest nook adventures for one to four year olds, ballet for four to six, acrobatics for four to eight and cheer for fi ve to 10. For those under 12, parental supervision is required, so if you’re going with a partner you’ll be divvying up the day between you.
Refuelling Life is all about balance, even at a wellness escape such as this — and, of course, we need to teach children the importance of feeding our bodies after a day of exercise and adventure. T e award-winning Fox dining
rooms in the manor house is where you’ll go for breakfast, where you can pick from the continental buff et as well as ordering the likes of eggs benedict, or pancakes and waffl es. In the evening it serves up modern gastronomy such as tempura cod cheeks, seaweed gnocchi and sea bream in a cider sauce, with an impressive wine list. T ere are other spots to eat across the estate, if you’re after something a little more laid back, although no one batted an eyelid when my daughter threw food on the fl oor or made a run for it the moment I let her out of the high seat.
Book a stay at Foxhills from £180 for the whole of January (usually £220 or more on weekends).
foxhills.co.uk
Experience the
GRANDEST ESCAPES
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The Guardian - NEw Year, New You - Half Page
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07/12/2023 15:54:33
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