Room to Roam: Hotels with Huge Grounds

“When it comes to upscale resorts, the wow-factor is as much about the outside as the inside. Whether it’s immaculate lawns, sprawling parkland, desert landscapes, or a palm-fringed private beach, the surroundings can make all the difference to your sense of freedom and relaxation. If you’re looking for somewhere with plenty of room to roam, check out these five hotels with huge grounds.

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Cliveden House Hotel, UK
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Set in 376 acres of National Trust parkland, the Grade I-listed Cliveden House is one of the UK’s finest country houses and was converted into a luxury hotel in 1985. The hotel’s formal gardens and lush woodlands offer a wealth of walking and cycling trails, with ornate statues, water features, and mazes all adding to both sense of scale and grandeur. Stay in the Garden Wing for scenic views or enjoy your own garden, spring, lake, and boat mooring on the River Thames by booking a stay at the hotel’s private cottage.

Have a look at our hotels in Maidenhead page for more options.

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Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi
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On the shores of the Gulf, the five-star Emirates Palace is glitzy, even by Abu Dhabi standards (24-carat gold flakes on your cappuccino, anyone? No, seriously). While the domed façade, lavish guestrooms and stand-out restaurants (it includes a branch of London’s much-revered Hakkasan), all draw a distinctly high-end crowd, the surroundings are equally impressive. The grounds are big. Like, ‘football fields, two resort pools, a kids’ club, tennis courts, over 6km of jogging paths and a beach long enough for camel rides’ big.

Have a look at our hotels in Abu Dhabi page for more options.

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CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, Anguilla
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If a massive outdoor pool, sugar-white beach, and 18-hole golf course weren’t enough, CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa also has some spectacular landscaped gardens. The grounds are big enough that the resort offers regular tours of them, where you can learn about the tropical flora and how the gardens are maintained (with quite a lot of effort, we’re guessing). And if you get hungry while exploring, you can help yourself to fruit straight from the trees. In keeping with its eco-friendly approach, the resort also has a hydroponic farm where vegetables, fruits, and herbs are grown and then used in the food, drinks and spa treatments.

Have a look at our hotels in Rendezvous Bay page for more options.

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Luton Hoo Hotel, UK
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As you approach Luton Hoo Hotel, you can’t help but be impressed. In more than 1,000 acres of English countryside, this 18th-century mansion is all about grandeur both inside and out. Beyond the historic courtyards, carefully kept lawns and undulating golf course, there are forests, meadows, and lakes that are all there for exploring. The estate is so big the hotel even provides free onsite taxis to cart guests around.

Have a look at our hotels in Luton page for more options.

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Boulders Resort & Spa, USA
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A stay at Arizona’s Boulders Resort & Spa puts you in the heart of one of the world’s oldest and most awe-inspiring landscapes. The resort’s star attractions are the ancient rock formations and 1,300 acres of Sonoran Desert that surround it. The grounds are a natural playground for outdoor activities, whether it’s horseback riding, golf, fishing or rock climbing. There are two championship golf courses onsite, as well as an organic garden, a terraced tennis garden and a putting green.

Have a look at our hotels in Phoenix page for more options.”