Why go?
At Coworth Park the wildflower meadows roll on for acres, horses graze in the fields, and yet you are never far from a perfectly shaken cocktail or a Michelin-starred plate. It is where adults can exhale and children can run free, all within easy reach of London.
Family style
This is not a loud and brash family hotel, nor is it one that side-eyes children for being children. It sits in that sweet spot for young families who want their little ones to be well catered for while parents lean into comfort. It also works for multi-generational trips: grandparents strolling to afternoon tea, teenagers peeling off for horse riding, toddlers disappearing happily into the Kids’ Club while parents head to the spa. It attracts families who are adventurous but want polish, who love the idea of muddy boots by day and silver-service suppers by night.
Set the scene
Arriving through the estate gates feels like stepping into a private world. The drive winds past immaculate lawns and polo fields that speak of old sporting traditions, then suddenly you catch sight of the Georgian house, glowing white against the green. Inside, the interiors are elegant without ever being stiff. The Drawing Room has high sash windows pouring in light, armchairs you sink into, and the sense that tea here is not simply served but performed with quiet precision.
Wander through to The Barn and you are in a more rustic setting, all oak beams and views of the paddocks. Guests are a mix of London families escaping the city, international visitors who know the Dorchester Collection’s reputation, and those en route to Ascot, Windsor or the surrounding countryside. It feels like a place where everyone has found their corner, whether sketching in a notebook, sipping something chilled on the terrace, or striding out across the meadows.
The kit
The small details matter here. Cots, extra beds and bottle warmers are easily arranged, along with sterilising equipment on request. Children receive their own welcome touches: activity packs, puzzles to play with, slippers and robes sized for them, even child-friendly toiletries.
The estate itself is the biggest kit of all: polo fields, bike trails, gardens that invite hide and seek, and of course the equestrian centre with its lessons and carriage rides. Indoors there is a swimming pool where families can book time together, and seven playrooms in the Kids’ Club filled with toys, crafts and games. Parents will appreciate that nothing feels makeshift; everything provided for children is as considered as the crystal glasses in the bar.
Activities
The Kids’ Club runs twice a day, with morning and afternoon sessions, and is properly staffed and thought through. Children from toddlers to early teens are welcomed into activities that change with the seasons: treasure hunts through the meadows, bath bomb and T-shirt making, painting, baking, storytelling. Older ones gravitate towards the teen den, with more independence and freedom. Beyond the club the estate comes into play.
The equestrian centre is a real draw: ponies for beginners, hacks across the grounds, the thrill of being close to polo ponies grazing nearby. You can hire bikes, play croquet on the lawn, or take a carriage ride around the estate. Parents who want quiet can slip into the spa, take a long walk, or simply stay put in the drawing room with the weekend papers. It is the balance that impresses—children happily occupied, parents indulged without guilt.
Rooms
The accommodation is scattered across the main house, the stables and cottages. In the mansion rooms you have high ceilings, original windows and a sense of history, while the stables and cottages are more modern in tone, with warm woods, clean lines and earthy colours. Beds are huge, linens crisp, and bathrooms are marble and generous. Families are looked after with cots or rollaway beds, and staff will help set up sterilising units or anything extra you need. For families after a more private escape, the Shepherd Suite is the one to know. It has a freestanding copper bath at its centre, generous proportions and views across the estate that catch the evening light. The best rooms manage to feel both luxurious and lived in, which is not an easy balance to strike, particularly when in the early morning you catch the waddling swans drifting across the lawns.
Food and drink
Dining can be as formal or as relaxed as you choose. Woven by Adam Smith is the headline, with a Michelin star and a focus on seasonal British ingredients. Come here for plates that are refined and inventive but never overly showy. For children, the team will adjust menus with ease.
The Barn is the more family-friendly option: rustic beams, big windows, views of the paddocks, and hearty plates that arrive without fuss. Think grilled meats, comforting pasta, and build-your-own ice cream that everyone wants to share. Afternoon tea in the Drawing Room is a ritual, with perfect scones, pastries and sandwiches arriving on tiers. Children are not forgotten, with their own small versions and plenty of jam.
The Bar is a cosy retreat once the children are tucked up, with leather chairs, good wines and staff who remember your favourite order by the second evening. And on some nights, when the piano player strikes up in the Drawing Room with a rendition of Defying Gravity, you find little ones spinning across the carpet with their mothers, the sort of memory that lingers long after you leave.
The story
Coworth House was built in the late eighteenth century and has always had horses at its heart. When the Dorchester Collection reimagined it into Coworth Park in 2010, they kept that equestrian soul alive. Polo fields stretch out in front of the house, and the stable blocks have been transformed into guest rooms. What could have been a stiff country estate has become somewhere modern and welcoming, but without erasing its history.
Spa
Half-buried into the Berkshire landscape, Coworth Park’s spa could easily be mistaken for a wildflower meadow. Its living roof hums with bees in summer, while inside the glass and wood cocoon you’ll find a hushed pool, steam room and eight treatment rooms designed for proper escapism.
The treatments are anchored in Ishga, a Hebridean-born brand that takes its name from the Gaelic for water. The experience begins with a short guided meditation, three minutes of visualisation and breathwork that feel almost medicinal in how quickly they reset your nervous system. Then comes the sensory test, a gentle way to match you with the right oil, each infused with hand-harvested seaweed. For expectant or breastfeeding mothers there is a nurturing option without seaweed that is every bit as restorative.
For those whose bodies have been stretched, pulled or generally tested by motherhood, the muscle recovery treatment is the one to book. The oil is rich, briny and delicious on the skin, while the massage itself works deep into tired muscles, leaving you looser, lighter and borderline euphoric. Charlotte, one of the therapists here, is widely whispered about for good reason. Her hands are less spa pamper, more healer.
Eco-friendly touches
The hotel has put thought into its environmental footprint. The spa is built with lime-hemp walls, its roof a living meadow. The estate runs biomass boilers using willow grown on the grounds, and there is a focus on seasonal produce in the restaurants. It feels less like corporate greenwashing and more like practical design woven into daily operations.
Location
Coworth Park sits just outside Ascot in Berkshire, only forty five minutes from central London. Heathrow is close by, which makes it surprisingly easy for international arrivals, though the noise never intrudes once you are within the estate. Windsor is on the doorstep for day trips, as are family favourites like LEGOLAND and Thorpe Park. Yet the moment you drive through the gates the outside world feels very far away. The meadows, the horses, the sweep of the grounds create a bubble that families sink into with relief.
Rates: Bed and breakfast for 2 guests is available from £590, and junior suites start from £890.
To book go to: https://www.dorchestercollection.com/ascot/coworth-park
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