The adults-only UK hotel throwing music festivals in complete luxury

“WE WILL, we will, rock you!” – the famous lyrics to the Queen hit were still ringing in my ears days after I’d returned from the festival.

I’d been at Warner Leisure Hotels’ Heythrop Park in the charming town of Chipping Norton for a rock music weekend.

Warner Leisure /, , A three-night break at Heythrop Park costs from £369 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities., A three-night rock weekend break at Heythrop Park, starting 10 November, costs from £389 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities.,
Warner Leisure Hotels’ Heythrop Park is hosting non-stop rock ‘n’ roll parties
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Queen guitarist Brian May performs during the Platinum Jubilee concert taking place in front of Buckingham Palace, London, Saturday June 4, 2022, on the third of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years of service. (Jonathan Buckmaster/Pool Photo via AP)
Queen tribute acts are playing all over at the getaway
AP

The getaway promised live music from tribute bands, non-stop dancing and rock ’n’ roll parties.

But unlike any ordinary festival with boozed-up youngsters, wobbly tents and mucky toilets, I was spoiled with complete luxury in a glam ensuite hotel room with an on-site spa, ideal for soothing my dancing limbs.

This is just one of many dedicated music holidays with Warner Leisure.

There are ’60s, ’70s and ’80s breaks, Motown & Soul festivals and even an Ibiza In Symphony getaway, where a 16-piece orchestra reimagines Ibiza classics.

I’m glad I left my rock-themed leather trousers at home as I may have felt a little out of place pulling up to the country house hotel steeped in the rolling Oxfordshire countryside.

I immediately felt like a rock star from the moment I stepped out of the car.

The hotel has all the grandeur you would expect from an 18th-century building and more and the inside is just as impressive, home to a galleried reception with interesting artefacts from its rich history.

Our room, which was located in the original house, was huge with high ceilings and bursting with character.

What’s great about a stay here, though, is that breakfast, dinner and all entertainment is included in the price, so you can freely wander from restaurant to stage without having to shove your hand in your wallet.

Dinner on our first night was at the Market Kitchen, the resort’s only buffet restaurant (although you have the option to order from the menu), set beside a beautiful orangery with views over the grounds.

The restaurant was buzzing and after a few glasses of chilled rose, we were ready to embrace all the entertainment at our fingertips.

There are two venues, The Theatre and the Late Lounge, one of which always offers an alternative to the theme, so if you don’t fancy listening to a Queen tribute act you can opt for a silky-voiced soul singer.

Lavish massage

You have to be early to get a seat at The Theatre, so plan your visits in advance and grab an early dinner.

After the show, staff dished out headphones for a silent disco, but we decided to move to the smaller bar area where a talented singer serenaded us with covers of hits from the likes of Adele and Amy Winehouse until we were ready for bed.

Warner Leisure /, , A three-night break at Heythrop Park costs from £369 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities., A three-night rock weekend break at Heythrop Park, starting 10 November, costs from £389 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities.,
The Spa & Wellness centre at the hotel has many lavish facilities
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Warner Leisure /, , A three-night break at Heythrop Park costs from £369 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities., A three-night rock weekend break at Heythrop Park, starting 10 November, costs from £389 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities.,
You can always book other activities too, like an afternoon tea experience
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Warner Leisure /, , A three-night break at Heythrop Park costs from £369 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities., A three-night rock weekend break at Heythrop Park, starting 10 November, costs from £389 per person sharing a standard room. This includes breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities.,
If you go hard partying to rock music, breakfast at the hotel’s pub will compensate for any over-indulgence
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If you’ve gone hard on the first night, then breakfast at the hotel’s pub, The Travelling Duke, will sort you out and compensate for any over-indulgence.

We then followed it up with a swim and lavish massage in the Spa & Wellness centre, which features a sauna, steam room, outside hot-tubs as well as a gym. What could be better?

For those who are feeling less fragile, there are plenty more activities to choose from which come included in your stay, such as archery, rifle-shooting and tea-tasting.

Or for a small supplement, you can book on to a cocktail-making course or an afternoon tea experience.

On our final evening, we dressed up for dinner at Brasserie 32 in the Manor House, the resort’s posh dining experience.

It felt like stepping back into a bygone era and the menu offers choices inspired by ingredients dating back to the early 1900s, including a creamy fish pie recipe from the 1950s and Fanny Cradock’s classic prawn cocktail from 1967.

Then, it was time to let our hair down one last time in the Late Lounge where the gin flowed along with the Fleetwood Mac and, of course, Queen classics.

The music may have been all rock ’n’ roll, but our sophisticated adults getaway was anything but.

Perhaps there’s time for one more massage.

GO: ROCK ’N’ ROLL WEEKEND

STAYING THERE: A three-night rock weekend break at Heythrop Park costs from £389pp, for arrival on November 10 and including breakfast and three-course dinners, live music, pools and activities.

See warnerleisurehotels.co.uk.