The next chapter in De Vere Wokefield Estate’s history will be completed in January 2018 with the unveiling of the renovated Mansion House, following a £10million refurbishment project.
The historic country house, set in 250 acres of Berkshire parkland, will once again be placed at the heart of the estate. The investment is part of the wider £50million investment in De Vere’s portfolio of country estate hotels and modern event centres.
There has been a stately home at Wokefield since the first was built by the Plowden family in the 1560s. The current Mansion House was built in the 1720s by Charles Parry. It will offer 87 guestrooms, which includes 12 luxurious suites, that have been sensitively restored, preserving their historic features, all of which come complete with roll top baths, king size beds, fluffy robes and slippers as well as luxury bathroom toiletries.
For guests who wish to unwind in the evening, a new Whisky Lounge will be launched, with a wide selection of tipples, providing the ideal space for pre- or post-dinner celebrations. The newly designed 80-seat restaurant, named 1560, will also welcome diners to an elegant space highlighted with traditional features and modern touches. With doors opening to an outdoor terrace complete with rustic pizza oven, seating up to 30 guests, locally sourced ingredients will be served as Great British classics with a twist.
The re-designed spa will welcome guests into a relaxing sanctuary offering six treatment areas including a four-person space with private Jacuzzi, plus four couple and two single treatment rooms. Designed to calm and rejuvenate guests, the spa will offer a personal experience that matches a treatment with scents to complement and soothe the body. The wet area will be reimagined and include the latest steam room, sauna and plunge pool facilities.
De Vere Wokefield Estate has an exceptional meetings and events offering, with 51 event spaces including the magnificent Maple Suite, located in the Mansion House and catering for groups of up to 300. Alternatively, the Wokefield Suite, located in the estate’s modern event centre, Wokefield Place, can also host events for up to 300. The company’s new Smart Space initiative will ensure that guests receive a highly responsive, personalised meetings and events service. It incorporates nine service features covering everything from a live availability booking service to truly tech-savvy support, with up to 1GB super-fast Wi-Fi . There is also an on-site team of friendly experts to help overcome any tech issues a client may face.
Howard Lewis, General Manager at De Vere Wokefield Estate, commented: “The historic house and the extensive grounds provided us with a stunning base in which to enhance an existing beautiful product. The new-look Mansion House is one that I am very proud to welcome guests into and the introduction of luxurious suites gives guests the opportunity to really indulge.”
Howard continued: “It was important to us to blend modern comfort with the hotel’s history and I believe we have done this successfully both internally and externally across the estate.”
All aspects of the estate will have received an upgrade, from the re-launched contemporary meetings and events area renamed Wokefield Place, which launched in September 2017, to the hotel’s grounds, which now also feature superfast Wi-Fi, so you can catch up on emails or upload to Instagram as you wander. Wokefield Place also features a new Burr & Co. deli, which serves a selection of teas and coffees, as well as artisan cakes and deli sandwiches.
Conveniently located near Reading, just 8 minutes from J11 of the M4 and 40 minutes from Heathrow Airport, the Hotel offers a range of leisure facilities including an 18-hole PGA-standard golf course and an outdoor 15-acres activity course operated by an on-site team building company Graham Robb Associates.
