The Travelista

  • Home
  • About
    • Collaborations
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Travel
    • Destinations by World Map
    • Hotels
    • Airlines
    • Restaurants
    • Itineraries
  • Life
    • Yorkshire
    • Style
  • Motherhood
  • Inspire Me
    • Adventure
    • Beach
    • City
    • Culture
    • Mountain
    • Tropical
  • Shop
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

50th Birthday Celebrations at Sopwell House, St Albans

06/07/18 ᛫ 10 Comments

Last week I hopped on a train down to St Albans via London to attend the 50th Birthday celebrations of Preferred Hotels. Naturally, the event was held at one of Preferred’s member hotels, which was the luxurious Sopwell House located just outside of St Albans. With lots of blogger friends on the guestlist, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with familiar faces, allow myself a day off work and celebrate a brand I love to work with. As I was travelling down from Leeds, I also checked in for an overnight stay at Sopwell House after the celebrations so I could make the most of the hotel and its facilities.

Sopwell House | The Travelista

Preferred Hotels 50th Birthday Celebrations

The lovely garden-party affair could have epitomised all that is great about an English summer’s day. On arrival we were offered a glass of champagne before heading out to mingle on the hotel’s perfectly maintained lawn. On the lawn stood a specialist gin truck serving up unique gin creations, some of which had been inspired by Preferred Hotel’s brand logo; the pineapple. It was so nice to catch up with some of my fellow bloggers including Angie from Twenty First Century Gent, Claire and Laura from Twenty First Century Gent, Katie from Kalanchoe, Bonnie from The Style Traveller, Ben from Twenty First Century Gent and Giulia from Mondomulia.

Sopwell House | The Travelista | Twins that Travel
Sopwell House | Bloggers

The main event was the afternoon tea picnic which had an incredible selection of sweet and savoury treats (many of which were quintessentially British). A bookshelf became the most impressive cake stand I have ever seen and mouthwatering savoury treats included mini burgers, coronation chicken ciabattas, falafel and hummus wraps and rustic sausage rolls. It was such a treat and I savoured every bite!

Sopwell House | Mini Burgers

Sopwell House | Wraps | Garden Party

Sopwell House | Preferred Hotels

Sopwell House | Pimms Dessert

There was bunting, picnic blankets, crazy golf and croquet to keep us occupied, but in typically blogger fashion most of us were focused on taking photos and catching up with one another. Everything was just too Instagrammable! We were also taken on a tour of the hotel where we learned about Sopwell House’s impressive state-of-the-art spa renovation.

Sopwell House | Garden

Sopwell House | Wedding Gazebo

We were also shown around the exclusive Mews Cottages, a collection of individual cottages tucked away in a private part of the hotel grounds. The mews cottages are often hired collectively to accommodate visiting football teams, wedding parties and for corporate events.

Sopwell House | Mews Cottages

Overnight at Sopwell House    

After the event I headed to the hotel reception to check in to my room. I was excited to find out I had been allocated a mews cottage of my own, which was called Lavender. The luxurious duplex mews cottage had its own little gate, patio and front door which immediately made it feel 10x more homely and personal compared to a standard hotel room.

Sopwell House | Lavender Mews Duplex Suite

Downstairs there was an open plan kitchenette, dining and lounge area rolled in to one. The furnishings oozed style and quality and I loved that the sleek kitchenette was complete with a sink, hob and a fridge. There was also glasses, mugs, pots and pans so you could easily self-cater and entertain in these cottages if you wanted to.

Sopwell House | Lavender Mews Duplex Suite

Sopwell House | Lavender Mews Duplex Suite

Upstairs was a cosy bedroom with a king sized bed, plush bedding and quirky artwork which injected a nice bit of character. The bathroom was spacious and had a spa bath, which was another huge tick for me. The ESPA toiletries also smelt incredible, with aromatherapy scents that make you feel like you've just stepped out of a heavenly spa treatment. The bedroom looked out on to my favourite feature of the mews complex, the private plunge pool and patio area. This pool was reserved exclusively for guests of the mews cottages and was surrounded a stylish lounge area.

Sopwell House | Lavender Mews Duplex Suite | Bed Sopwell House | Mews Plunge Pool

2 AA Rosette Dining

I was also treated to dinner at the hotels 2 AA Rosette restaurant, which is simply called The Restaurant. I enjoyed the experience with a few other bloggers who were also staying over for the night. From the dinner menu I chose Cornish crab to start followed by Atlantic cod with chorizo, spring onion and a 65 degree egg yolk which was poached to perfection. I’ve never tasted this combination of flavours before but it totally worked and the semi-cooked yolk added a real richness to the dish.

Sopwell House | Cornish Crab

Sopwell House | Cod and Chorizo

The restaurant was pretty quiet whilst we were dining so I can’t say there was much atmosphere but the service was outstanding and the waiters were very knowledgeable about the menu. After a delicious meal I strolled back to my mews cottage for a long, deep sleep. 

Sopwell House | The Restaurant

My train back to Leeds departed at 12 the following day, so I had enough time for a leisurely breakfast in The Brasserie and a refreshing swim in the spa pool. I absolutely loved everything about my time at Sopwell House, from the garden party to the blissful overnight stay. It reminded me quite a lot of Rudding Park in Harrogate, especially as its focusing on a big spa renovation, just like Rudding Park has recently done. I’d love to come back when the new spa renovations are complete as I think this will really take the hotel to the next level.

Sopwell House | The Pool

Sopwell House | Preferred Hotels Blogger Gift

Read more Sopwell House reviews on TripAdvisor

Happy 50th Birthday to Preferred Hotels and thank you for inviting me to celebrate this exciting milestone.

What do you think of Sopwell House? Have you visited St Albans before? If you enjoyed this post please leave me a comment in the box below. Jess x

Sopwell House | The Travelista

My stay at Sopwell House was provided complimentary as part of the 50th Birthday celebrations with Preferred Hotels. All words and photos are my own.

 

10 Comments

Related Posts

  • Review: The Macdonald Randolph Hotel Oxford
  • A Local’s City Guide to York
  • My Stylish Weekend Escape to The Lake District
« A Life Update – July 2018
The 7 Most Instagrammable Places in Freiburg, Germany »

Comments

  1. twinsthattravel says

    29th July 2018 at 1:43 pm

    Just came onto your blog for a catch-up AND THERE WAS ME (and Laura)! What a lovely afternoon – so lovely to catch-up xxxx

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      30th July 2018 at 4:26 pm

      Aww thanks Claire! It was such a great day and so glad I got to see you both x

      Reply
  2. jo says

    23rd July 2018 at 5:28 am

    looks like a great day with amazing food. Love spa hotels as well – let’s you properly chill and enjoy a night away,

    http://www.jettravels.co.uk
    jo
    x

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      23rd July 2018 at 11:38 am

      Thanks Jet! It was such a fun experience and a nice chance to unwind x

      Reply
  3. Laura says

    10th July 2018 at 1:13 pm

    What a great event! I’ve seen a few reviews of this hotel and it looks lovely, especially the food!

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      18th July 2018 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks Laura! The food was really fantastic, as was the Mews Cottage x

      Reply
  4. chloedickenson says

    9th July 2018 at 12:58 pm

    I’ve actually stayed at Sopwell House on a number of occasions before and it’s one of my favourite hotels ever! The cottages were absolutely fab to stay in and I just loved the whole place so much! xx

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      18th July 2018 at 2:34 pm

      Thanks for your comment Chloe! It’s lovely to hear you also had a nice experience at Sopwell House. It did feel like a real oasis, especially the cottages. They’re renovating the whole spa so I’d love to go back when its complete. x

      Reply
  5. Angie Silver says

    9th July 2018 at 10:04 am

    It was such a wonderful day!

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      18th July 2018 at 2:34 pm

      Ahh it really was Angie! Wish we could do it all again x

      Reply

Spark a conversation! Cancel reply

Jess is an an award-winning travel blogger based in Yorkshire, navigating the world as a new Mum to baby Theo. Blogging about adventures both local and global.

Read More

Booking.com

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!

Latest Posts

The Best Places to Stay in Florence

Woolacombe Beach

A Toddler-Friendly Holiday in North Devon

Our Mini Adventures: 5 Family Friendly Days Out in Yorkshire

Follow on Instagram

I wish everyone could read these words on their ro I wish everyone could read these words on their rock bottom days 🖤💫 
 
I used to post mainly about luxury travel. Instagram felt glossy and superficial. Then came the life-changing plot twist of an extremely premature baby. When I decided to start telling my story and showing vulnerability, I had no idea how much it would resonate with others and connect me to a whole new community of women who have experienced the same unique, isolating pain.

I have discovered a version of Instagram that is so much more honest, real and raw. I still hope to post about travel again in the near future, but there is a new depth here now. And it’s a version I much prefer. Who’s with me? 💫 

Sign by @theopeninvite
Ad We’re moving! 🏡 Our little house is now a Ad We’re moving! 🏡 Our little house is now a place of so many special memories and ‘firsts’, but we have definitely outgrown it and feel it’s the right time to move on to an exciting new chapter. We are relocating from Leeds to York, which is my home town. After all the isolation of the pandemic, we can’t wait to be closer to family and friends. We’ve listed our house with @purplebricksuk and are managing all our own viewings through the Purple Bricks app. Check out my house move story highlight to keep up to date with how we get on. Wish us luck for a smooth-ish process. This is uncharted territory🤞🏼😆
Happy Valentine’s and 6 year anniversary to my d Happy Valentine’s and 6 year anniversary to my dream man @scottwh9. I love you more every year 💫
I’ve welcomed some new followers this week after I’ve welcomed some new followers this week after @mother.ly reposted one of my prematurity posts. So, I thought I’d say Hi and introduce myself if you’re new here. Here are 6 things to know about me ☺️👋🏼

1️⃣ My name is Jess. I’m 30 and I live in Leeds which is in Yorkshire, UK. I live with my partner Scott and son Theo who is 2.

2️⃣ The Travelista is a travel blog I created in 2013 which grew to become my full time job and business. I plan to travel regularly again and show my son the world, when it’s safe to.

3️⃣ My son Theo was born prematurely at 25+6 weeks gestation due to #PPROM. He spent 109 days / 4 months in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) before coming home. He’s now healthy and thriving. I now also use my IG to advocate for #prematurityawareness 

4️⃣ I speak openly and honestly about mental health and the healing process I am going through after experiencing PTSD and post natal anxiety after Theo’s birth

5️⃣ I am a proud working Mum. I run The Travelista as a small business and work part time for a UK charity, making use of my digital skills for a great cause 

6️⃣ I love to write and a personal goal of mine is to get a book deal and publish a successful novel

Whether you’re a new follower or an original, leave me a comment and tell me where in the world you’re following from. Thank you for being here 💓🌏
Yesterday I had knee surgery to repair my torn car Yesterday I had knee surgery to repair my torn cartilage and finally unlock my knee. After a long wait and 3 cancelled surgery dates, I managed to get transferred to the trauma list at Leeds General Infirmary, which was a very, brilliant, last minute plot twist. 

I will need a second surgery to repair my torn ACL ligament in a few months, but yesterday’s surgery will allow me to get back on my feet and walking again which is the most important thing. Yesterday brought many PTSD triggers surrounding Theo’s birth, but I kept reading over the affirmations I wrote with @naomipsychotherapy as well as calming breath work. I am proud of myself for getting through the day.

I’m now back home recovering, very sore and drowsy from meds but feeling relieved and grateful that everything went well. The staff were wonderful and all truly deserve medals for what they do. Now time to rest, start gentle movements and ultimately get back on my feet ☺️💪🏼💫
Do you ever find yourself day dreaming about that Do you ever find yourself day dreaming about that first holiday post-Covid? Do you ever think about how profound it will feel? I wrote a poem about it to escape these long, dark days.

Warm skin, 
Frizzy hair. 
Soul alight, 
Without a care. 

Tanned legs, 
After sun. 
Mind is calm, 
Just having fun.

A day of new experience, 
Has just taken place. 
You embrace the unfamiliar, 
And every new and friendly face. 

The sun begins to set, 
And tomorrow is unplanned. 
You sip on something cold,
Toes buried in the sand. 

Midas touch is on the horizon, 
Peace is in your heart. 
Surrounded by those you love,
This moment is a work of art. 

Something feels different, 
You've seen sunsets before. 
But all your sense are heightened, 
You feel it at your core. 

Over a year of loss and struggle, 
The entire world is healing. 
Simple, little, wild things, 
Now have so much meaning.

As the sun sets, 
You realise the magnitude.
All you’re feeling in this moment, 
Is a new found sense of gratitude. 💫

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Subscribe for Travelista updates and newsletters

Latest Video

  • 3847likes
  • 19680followers
  • 10370followers
  • 1880subscribers

Copyright © 2021 · Design by Gatto

Copyright © 2021 · The Travelista on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Contact