Laura Ashley Manor at Elstree

Laura Ashley the Manor, Elstree

Barnet Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire,

WD6 3RE

Tel:+44 (0)20 8327 4700

Holidays needn’t be a rigmarole of planning, costs, lists and stress when there are so many beautiful places to get away in the UK.

Laura Ashley the Manor in Elstree, Hertfordshire, is no exception to this. This luxury retreat was formerly known as Edgewarebury Hotel, acquired by famed interior and furnishing company Laura Ashley Ltd in 2012. The Manor itself is an old Tudor house, dating back to 1540, where it was first owned by an admiral, and then became a country club. Although nowadays the refurbished Manor boasts interiors that evoke the contemporary English countryside, there is no denying it’s beautiful, historic heritage, with rooms that feature wooden coats of arms, tapestries and original lattice windows.


The hotel is situated about 40 minutes from Central London on the underground, set on 10 acres of gardens and natural woodland. Although a busy London skyline is in view, you truly feel like you’ve arrived at a peaceful countryside getaway.


After checking into the Manor, I was handed the key to the junior ‘Knightsbridge’ suite, standing on the second floor of the hotel. All of the junior suites were aptly named after luxurious areas in London: the Mayfair, Park Lane, etc. The suite certainly reflected the opulence of Knightsbridge: a mounted HD television, a living room space with a modern floor lamp, extensive views over the well-kept gardens and a bed with pillows that could render you comatose.



The purple and grey themed Laura Ashley interiors made the room feel extra cosy, from the gingham print curtains to the floral wallpaper and gorgeous crystal chandelier. It took me only but a few minutes to unpack my belonging and nestle down in the bed, before I realised I had a 3 course meal to look forward to at the Cavendish Restaurant.


In the relaxed yet sophisticated ambiance, dinner was nothing short of superb. I opted for the salmon terrine with roasted cucumbers, peppers and horseradish panacotta to start my meal, and followed with roasted duck and potatoes, finishing with tonka bean panacotta with salted caramel and popcorn (all nicely followed with a bottle of white wine). Eating dinner while watching the snow blanket the glistening London skyline felt like a movie!


After dinner I moved next door to the LA Bar, where the bartender (a total connoisseur of his craft) assembled a fruity cocktail from the top of his head suitable for my sweet palette. We chatted about the history of the Manor, his time working for the hotel, and his cocktail creations. The staff were all so friendly and hospitable, that was wonderful bonus to the stay.


Heading back to the Knightsbridge suite to nestle down, I lulled into a wonderfully deep sleep, only broken by my 9am excitement for breakfast. Heading back to the Cavendish restaurant, I filled up on a continental selection of bacon, sausages, eggs, toast and cereal. I managed to fit in a quick walk around the snowy gardens before check out, and wondered when my next visit would be.