PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB: BABINGTON HOUSE, SOMERSET
Babington House, in Somerset, is the UK country outpost of the private members' club Soho House. The hotel rooms are open to members and non-members. The house is from the 18th-century and is set in 18 acres. I started visiting in the early noughties and have stayed many times since. There is an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, boutique, Cowshed Spa, chapel, kids club, orangery, tennis courts and more.
The hotel is aimed at 'creative types' so it is full of the kind of people I like to hang around with. Think thirty-forty somethings who still wear trainers and who have children with unusual names. It still feels cool and interesting which is rare for a UK hotel. The food is fresh and modern, the staff are helpful and it all adds up to somewhere I would like to live permanently. Plus the afternoon tea is heavenly with freshly baked cakes and biscuits.
Below are some of the images I took on my last visit (May 2015) when I stayed in The Playroom, which is a huge room in the main house. If I remember correctly this was a originally a 'chill out' room about 15 years ago but is now a very luxurious bedroom with a huge bed, walk in shower, a bath in the room and filled to bursting with snacks, treats and beauty products. Heavenly. Plus, larger than most London flats...
Here is what they say about themselves:
Soho House was founded in London in 1995 as a home from home for people working in creative fields. There are now 13 Houses located in the UK, Berlin, New York, West Hollywood, Miami, Chicago, Toronto and Istanbul. Unlike other club concepts, which often focus on wealth and status, we aim to assemble communities of members that have something in common: namely, a creative soul. The majority of our members work in traditional creative industries, with the film, fashion, advertising, music, art and media sectors heavily represented. We offer four types of membership: Local House, Every House, Under 27 Local House and Under 27 Every House. Membership to Babington House gives you access to all club spaces and facilities: bars and restaurants, Cowshed Spa, the screening room, swimming pool and our event programming calendar for members.
The Playroom costs from £500-650 a night. Babington House, Somerset, BA11 3RW, United Kingdom*I was a guest of a public relations company so did not pay for my stay. I was not asked to write a review so this is an independent blog review.