Motherhood can be pretty tiring and can definitely take a toll on your relationship. So last month I was starting to feel like Josh and I needed a date night. Then as if by magic, the lovely people of De Vere Hotels got in touch to ask if I wanted to come and stay at their cosy Cotswold Water Park location. (I swear I manifest these things.)
It was a bit of a drive away (about 1.5 hours from MK) but I locked down some grandparent babysitting and was keen to have a mini getaway with my betrothed. We laughed, we drank wine, we ate great food and we even attempted to sneak into some office parties going on there! A pretty epic date night if you ask me.
Anyhow, here’s all the details on our mini getaway to the very cute De Vere Cotswold Water Park, lads…
De Vere Cotswold Water Park
First impressions of De Vere Cotswold Water Park were pretty good. We arrived at night and were greeted with cute trees outside lit up with fairy lights and a warm and cosy lobby inside. The ideal situation for a November escape.
Decor-wise, the hotel is a modern take on country chic. So it feels homely and outdoorsy without being chintzy or old-fashioned. I loved the big Christmas tree at Reception (obvs took a photo in front it like the basic B I am) and the bar was a great place to have a drink and a chat before dinner. Good vibes all round.
In terms of location, the hotel is surrounded by wildlife and nature reserves, and you can do fun things like go kayaking nearby (probs not in November though!). It’s also a stone’s throw from all the loveliness of The Cotswolds so if you were making a weekend of it, there’s lots to do.
The Old Boathouse For Dinner
Our romantic date night dinner was at the onsite restaurant, The Old Boathouse. But finding it was a bit tricky! You have to go outside to find it, which in the middle of winter was very cold. And did involve us stumbling upon the first office Christmas party of the evening. Alas, we had reservations so couldn’t crash it!
But once we’d found it, the restaurant was pretty cute inside. It’s quite beachy and airy, and sits right on the water so I imagine the views are lovely during the day. And then we ate ALL THE FOOD.
I think eating is Josh and I’s favourite thing to do together to be honest! Does that count as a hobby?! It means that any kind of baby-free meal is completely longed out with as many courses as we can manage.
So to start, we ordered a charcuterie board to share. Oh and jalapeno poppers. Presumeably two dishes that do not ordinarily get ordered together. But I’m so glad we did, the poppers were insanely good.
For mains I ordered the artichoke tagliatelle (I’ve got a thing about artichokes since eating some amazing ones in Seville) and Josh got the duck breast. I admit I had food envy because his was really delicious, in a really rich sauce.
Finally for dessert I had a chocolate fondant with ginger stem (A+) and Josh had the creme brulee. We also polished off a decent amount of red wine so it was a pretty dreamy meal all round. I was really impressed with the food and I reckon if you live nearby this would be a good restaurant to visit in its own right.
Oh and yes, we attempted to crash a different Christmas party after dinner but Josh was too chicken. Just saying.
Our Room At De Vere
Despite the hotel and restaurant being a really high standard, I did feel like the bedrooms needed updating a little. It was still lovely, but had a small double bed, a tiny TV and no way to adjust the temperature of the room, so it was quite hot at night. These things didn’t really affect my stay but I do think you come to expect them from a nice hotel like this.
The absolute best part though was the view. Our room faced the lake and the pretty Cotswold landscapes and had a lovely balcony that we had a cup of tea on in the morning. For me, that more than makes up for a small bed, but thought it was worth mentioning these things.
Breakfast Of Champions
Breakfast was great though. It was in a different restaurant in the hotel to where we had dinner, but was still really big and offered hot breakfast, pastries, cereals, fruit, the works. It was all delicious too which I think is quite rare from big buffet breakfasts like this.
Oh and I very much liked that there were more Christmas trees in here. Some hotels will have one pathetic little Christmas tree in the lobby but De Vere Cotswold Water Park had them scattered all around the hotel so it felt very festive!
A Spa Sesh at Spa 6
Finally, before we made the journey home, I decided to spend the morning at the spa.
Spa 6 is pretty dreamy. It has a big pool with all the jazzy extras like jacuzzi jets and those back massager taps. It also has an aromatherapy steam room and sauna and fancy heated loungers. I had a great hour in here on a Saturday morning. There was hardly anyone around and I just felt super relaxed. Honestly a hotel with a spa is a massive draw for me and this one was a winner.
It was such a lovely stay at De Vere Cotswold Water Park and I would definitely recommend it for a little winter getaway. Lovely countryside, a dreamy spa and a banging dinner at The Old Boathouse. Decent date night, huh?
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Total Blogger Transparency: My stay at De Vere Cotswold Water Park was complimentary and my meal at The Old Boathouse was partially gifted. But all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.
