What it is

A new 200-room estate on 40 acres (complete with its own lake), plus a 20-room spa and marble hammam, serene pool and seven scrumptious restaurants and bars.

What it isn't

Ye olde England. Yep, that’s a cryotherapy chamber, salt room overlooking a courtyard fire pit and Japanese foot bath in the spa.

What we think

The fine family of Downton Abbey might want to swap lives when they see the pampering guests of Fairmont Windsor Park have come to expect. The starter Fairmont King Room category is relatively small at 344 square feet, but excellently appointed; upgrade to a roomier 474-square-foot suite for a balcony and spa-like bathroom with a separate tub and stroll-in shower. Or, do as a Middleton might and indulge in a Signature Royal Suite—it has a butler’s kitchen, dining room and even a separate space just for luggage. Of course, you won’t spend too much time in your room—not when a spa with a hydrotherapy vitality pool, tennis courts, hair salon and dry flotation beckons.

You're here because

You want the feel of staying at a sprawling, centuries-old pile Jane Austen would have loved, but without any of the creaky hallways and potential for ghosts.

The Moment

No afternoon tea will ever compare to this—sitting in the fairytale glow of floral-shaped chandeliers in the Orchid Tea Room, luxuriating in champagne and petit fours too pretty to eat. And yet….

Restaurants & Bars

1215 Restaurant - fine dining set on the south lawn offering British cuisine

1215 Bar - offers sparkling wines, champagnes and fine wines overlooking the south lawn

Orchid Tea Room - afternoon tea

Moreish Restaurant - offers traditional breakfast with a moreish twist as well as dinner with an exceptional fusion of European and Middle-Eastern food

The Library Club - offers cocktails, whiskies, brandies, and cold beverages in the evening

Schroders’ Botanicals Bar - offers smoothies and juices in the morning as well as a wide range of local and unique international gins in the evening

Greens Café - wellness restaurant within the spa offering a wide selection of freshly made produce and pressed juices

Location

Less than an hour’s drive from London, but a world away, set on the fringes of the British college town of Egham (Royal Holloway, University of London is here). Just up the road from the resort: Windsor Great Park, created in the 13th century and now a must-see 4,800-acre wonderland of formal gardens and ancient, deer-dotted forests.