Hello travelers! I hope you had a nice weekend. I thought I would share with you my visit to Luton Hoo Hotel from June 2016. It is a spectacular luxury hotel in what was a grand country estate.
Above is my mom standing at the side entrance. I learned about Luton Hoo after seeing the same stairwell in several films. It was so spectacular that I kept noticing it- and I am sure it will look familiar to many of you as it has been in everything from Eyes Wide Shut to various James Bond films to War Horse.
While this was mildly interesting to me, the building itself and especially the gardens were what I found fascinating. During our explorations of the grounds we came across a grass tennis court…
We also found a Japanese inspired garden – which I wish I had more photos of because it was so lovely and picturesque. It had many cute water features and stone walk ways. Below is unfortunately the best picture I took.
At the end of our ramble we encountered one of the great features of the English county estate: The haha! This clever design element allows for an uninterrupted view of the landscape and fields without running the risk of any cattle or sheep to come too close to the main building. Thee can be seen all over England. We also saw them at Rousham.
I am not sure if the picture does it justice- it is quite formidable and if one should foolishly decide to jump into it, (as I may or may not have done) it is really hard to get back out again!
I would highly recommend Luton Hoo- if you like expensive hotels and feel like a splurge, this would be the place to do it! (I should also note that the hotel is now surrounded by a golf course which seems to draw many people here. Also weddings. Lots and lots of weddings!
Merry Travels 