Review: Car and spa at Brooklands Hotel, Surrey

Sometimes a hotel break seems almost to have been designed perfectly for you. That’s what I always think about Brooklands Hotel in Surrey – on the site of the UK’s oldest purpose-built race track, next door to Mercedes Benz World, it’s the ultimate place to stay for my car-mad husband.

review stay*

Then the Brooklands Museum next door has one of the few remaining Concordes which you can tour… so basically that’s perfect for me. Throw in a spa, a promise that it’s just as family-friendly as it is luxurious and the fact it’s not too far from home for a short break, and all our boxes are well and truly ticked.

We visited Brooklands Hotel once years ago, staying in one of the incredible suites with their huge balconies. So when we were invited back again with Minnie, there were only two questions – how soon could we arrange a date and could my husband take a fast car out on the track?

Brooklands Hotel, Surrey: Vital statistics

We stayed in one of the four track-facing suites, which look out (as you’d expect) over the Mercedes Benz world track. There’s also a panoramic suite with wrap-around balcony, while the remainder of the rooms (over 120) are split between Executive and Deluxe.

The smallest Deluxe room starts at 31 square metres, which is almost 20% bigger than the average UK hotel including 6ft king sized bed and walk-in rain shower in the bathroom.

They can add extra rollaway beds for kids, along with children’s amenity packs (colouring). You can also bid to upgrade your room before check-in – the highest bid gets informed as you arrive. We reviewed the car and spa package.

The hotel has its own restaurant – 1907 Bar and grill – along with room service, plus treatments and a hot tub in the Bspa spa. The Brooklands Museum and Mercedes Benz World are both walking distance away (or the museum has its own car park as well).

Brooklands hotel review: The good

The room

If you’ve watched the video, you’ll have seen just how amazing our suite was. For starters, it’s huge – bigger than some places I’ve lived in – and you’ve got all the facilities you might want, from the enormously comfy bed, to a shower and bath, a big sitting room to lounge in (and for Minnie’s bed), the balcony, a dressing area, desk…

But one of the things I really loved are all the little touches. Which brings me on to…

The décor

I love hotels which really celebrate what makes them unique, whether it’s their location or history. And here, there are endless little nods to the motor racing and aviation history in everything from the colours to the wall art, even a small plane on the desk as well.

As my husband pointed out, it’s quite a few years since we visited last time but everything still looks new and there’s so much thought that’s gone into it all. Last time, I even found flowers in a vase of spark plugs!

The history

Back in the 1920s, the race track was the place to see and be seen, and there’s still an atmosphere of art deco glamour as you walk into the imposing lobby to discover a line showing where part of the circuit used to be.

In the restaurant and bar, you’ll find framed race flags and propellers too and doubtless plenty of other things I missed.

The service

Just faultless. If you’re considering a stay at Brooklands Hotel with kids, Minnie was made hugely welcome (and we weren’t the only family in the restaurant that night) – they even whisked our dessert upstairs when she finally started to flag and needed her bed.

Everything was all set up for our arrival too, from the bed to the colouring laid out, which always beats having to chase it once you arrive.

The massage

My Caudalie Fleur de Vigne Candle massage uses a special massage candle that melts into a warm oil. I’d love to tell you more of the specifics but I was lulled into a very relaxed state of bliss (almost asleep in fact) and just remember that I felt utterly de-stressed afterwards.

Which is pretty much all I ask for. There’s also a steam room and sauna in the changing rooms and if you’re staying, you’ll get a robe in your room.

The car experience

My husband, as I’ve mentioned, is a car nut and had a great time. If you’ve never done anything like it before, there are great instructors, it’s very safe and a great way to try your hand at racing.

Even if you have, you’ll love playing around in fast cars including how to slide them around the wet skid pan – we watched from the outdoor viewing section and the glassed-in gallery above, so got a good view of some of his experience too, making it pretty fun for spectators as well, while there are some fantastic vintage cars in the mini museum.

As another bonus, they have a Little Learners experience where three to five-year-olds get to hop into a mini battery-powered car and take it for a spin around the small indoor track, coming away with their own driver’s licence. Minnie was thrilled.

The packages

The £172.50 per person price is for a Deluxe guest room rather than our suite but when it includes a three-course meal, one massage, one driving experience and breakfast, I’d say it’s a lovely treat and a quirky option if you’ve got a car fan too.

Brooklands Hotel review: The not so good

The hot tub

A minor niggle (and we were there on a Saturday) but the hot tub and relaxation area around it was pretty busy. It’s recently been upgraded from the smaller previous hot tub so there’s room for 16 (although you’d need to be fairly friendly if it’s full) and you can book it exclusively – also worth knowing that you might arrive and not be able to use it.

To be fair, the spa has limited space and they’ve obviously worked to improve the facilities, plus it’s a big draw overlooking the track.

The restaurant

Another mixed experience here. Again, the service was great, the menu itself is impressive and our starters and dessert were delicious, but our ordered chateaubriand steak was overcooked.

The staff were very apologetic and offered to cook it again but the resulting wait combined with an already overtired four-year-old wasn’t really an option.

On our last visit, I’d felt the food had let the stay down and there’s no question it’s dramatically better now, including a great selection at breakfast, but it was one of the few less than perfect moments.

Brooklands Hotel, Surrey: The verdict

It’s always a good result when you’re struggling to find anything to put in the ‘not so good’ category, and even those have plenty to recommend them.

Did we all love our stay at Brooklands Hotel? Yes… Is it pretty rare to find something that all three of us love? Oh yes… Would I go back (again)? Absolutely.

Maybe next time, I’ll even persuade my husband to let me try the car experience!

PIN FOR LATER: BROOKLANDS HOTEL, SURREY

Disclosure: Our stay was courtesy of the hotel for the purposes of review. All opinions about a stay at Brooklands Hotel with kids and minor obsessions with cars and planes remain our own. We paid for the Little Learners experience and entry to the Brooklands Museum.

Images copyright MummyTravels

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