Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 - (Page 43)

CHILSTON PARK’s warm living room (opposite); Stable accomodations (above); the stately manor (top right); and an inviting bed awaits guests (below). Batard Montrachet Grand Cru “Fontaine-Gagnard,” or a robust burgundy, the 1975 Chateau Pichon Lalande Pauillac, to name a few of the selections. Tip: For special occasions involving an intimate group of family or friends, inquire in advance about booking a lovely small private dining room in the main mansion. We enjoyed sipping cocktails in the stable complex’s lounge with its equine/ stable décor—lounge booths are basically within the wooden stalls. Adjacent is a large private dining or activity area, perfect for groups. Chilston Park’s 53 accommodations, renovated just a year ago, vary in style, décor and appointments, as well as in locale. Ask carefully which accommodations are available and confirm your clients are in a specific room or suite; get it in writing. The accommodations vary widely. Some rooms and suites are in the manor house, including a lovely Carousel Room. Here soft-goods décor of pink and yellow exude a “young girlish” feel, yet the room also feels somewhat sophisticated with dark wood appointments. Imagine our surprise after finishing up coffee and cookies in the parlor when a bellman cheerily arrived to announce that our accommodations were now ready “in the Stables.” We weren’t roughing it, though. Our first-floor Stables complex suite, called the Edward Lear (named for the 19th-century landscape painter), boasted a stable-like wooden door, a living room with a window, long, low sofa, flat-screen TV and a well-appointed bathroom. The separate bedroom had a comfortable mattress, duvet, multiple fluffy pillows, another flat-screen TV and a second full bathroom. To preserve the historic integrity of the estate’s buildings, European-styled, roll-in cooling units control the climate. On-site, clients might stroll in the estate’s gardens and, perhaps, lunch on a personalized gourmet picnic prepared by the chef. A selection of DVDs await for in-room movie viewing. If the weather cooperates, clients might set up boules, croquet or chess on the lawn, or request racquets and tennis balls at reception for play on an outdoor court. Rain or shine, guests may play board games, billiards or table tennis. Tip: Nothing makes a guest feel more like a country lord or lady than by taking a personalized archery or falconry lesson; this should definitely be arranged in advance, though. While there is no on-site spa, Chilston Park’s guests may access The Green Health Club in nearby Char- ing Village. The club features a cardiovascular studio, machine and free weights studio, nonchlorinated pool, sauna, steam room and solarium. The hotel will make arrangements. A big part of any Chilston Park stay is proximity to the historic, cultural and garden sites of southeastern England. The hotel can arrange private day trips for your clients via car or limo to Leeds Castle (www. leeds-castle.com), as well as the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (www.rhdr.org.uk); Penshurst Place & Gardens (www.penshurstplace.com); the Biddenden Vineyards (www. biddendenvineyards.com); the Historic Dockyard at Chatham (www.chdt.org.uk); and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Canterbury (www.canterbury. co.uk). Golfers might head to the Chart Hills Golf Club (www. charthills.co.uk) for play on the Nick Faldo-designed championship course. The cruise port of Dover is about an hour’s drive away. If clients want to arrive or depart in style, the property boasts a helipad. And the hotel will send a car to pick up guests at the Lenham train station. Based on our observation of the low-key pace of life and rural setting, we strongly recommend that luxury travel advisors talk to management about setting up touring or special activity arrangements for guests well in advance. Chilston Park asks that luxury travel advisors use Cameron MacKenzie (gmackenzie@ handpicked.co.uk), the hotel’s general manager, as the main property contact for all questions. —Susan J. Young www.luxuryta.com September 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 43 http://www.charthills.co.uk http://www.charthills.co.uk http://www.leeds-castle.com http://www.leeds-castle.com http://www.rhdr.org.uk http://www.penshurstplace.com http://www.biddendenvineyards.com http://www.biddendenvineyards.com http://www.chdt.org.uk http://www.canterbury.co.uk http://www.canterbury.co.uk http://www.luxuryta.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Provence India Alvear Palace Hotel Oceana Santa Monica English Country Houses Chewton Glen Summer Lodge Chilston Park Hotel Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago Park Hyatt Milan Intercontinental Montelucia Jackson Hole World Cruises French Riveria Spas Voluntourism Vacations Signature Travel Network The Pulse Profile Luxury Travel Expo Sightings Source List Leaders Speak

Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008

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