Let the kids run loose in big, open spaces. Launch a cartwheel or two, kick a ball or just kick back on the sofa set out in the big blue yonder with the wooded backdrop offering up oodles of calm beneath the big blue skies. Stay out there as dusk descends to pile into the steaming six-person hot tub and stare at the stars.
If you’d prefer the movie to the match, then Hazelwood House is good news. Pick from two lounges, each with squishy sofas and supersize smart TVs. The main lounge is a light, bright affair perfect for getting groups together on the two large sofas and two armchairs. Too lazy to leave? Flop out on the sofa bed.
The second living room is a snug offering a comfy U-shaped sofa. Get C-shaped on there with a Nespresso or Prosecco and choose your alternative viewing on the smart TV. Don’t forget your Netflix and Amazon Prime passwords. Slip out from here through the patio doors to the hot tub.
You’ve further sociable spaces in the huge open-plan kitchen, with a small sofa perfect for a book binge or daytime doze, or just a chop-and-chat to gee up the chef. Hazelwood House is your flexible friend: a place built as much for getting together in groups as sliding apart for a solitary chillax.
Dish up delicious fare from the well-equipped kitchen, complete with induction hob, double oven, fridge-freezer, dishwasher, coffee machine, toaster and kettle. Get everyone together in the open-plan dining area with its bifold doors out to the patio, with views to the woods beyond. Wrap up with Nespresso around the coffee table.
Stock the fridge-freezer with goodies from the Co-op in Sonning Common or bread, cakes and cheese from The Village Hamper, or deliveries from Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. Pop down to Henley on Thursday for the farmers’ market. Treat yourself to takeaways from Hot Wok, Tandoori Connoisseur or Sonning Common Fish Bar.
Tuck in to succulent steaks and burgers at The Greyhound, owned by Antony and Jay Worrall Thompson. Try salt-baked celeriac, squab pigeon or hogget lamb at Orwell’s Restaurant. Or enjoy family-friendly fare such as British beef lasagne and homemade chilli con carne at The Three horseshoes.
Pop out to friendly pubs such as The Rising Sun in Highmoor, home to a big beer garden, log fires, two pub dogs and delightful dishes such as dirty mac and cheese and fish pie. Or try The Unicorn in Kingwood for herby Oxfordshire sausages or creamy garlic and wild mushroom tagliatelle.
And so to bed, in big, beautiful modern bedrooms crafted in a palette of soft neutrals that’ll have you snoozing in seconds. Choose from six rooms sleeping 14.
Bedroom one is a super king-size with a dressing table, large bay window and sofa. Follow the stairs from the hallway to the first floor landing to reach bedroom two, with two single beds, a sofa, a dressing table with mirror and a hanging rail. En-suite bedroom three overlooks the garden and fields beyond and offers a super king-size bed and smart TV.
Bedroom 4 has a king-size bed, built-in wardrobe and a dressing table, while en-suite bedroom five is perfect for children, with its two single beds, smart TV, dressing table and walk-in wardrobe. The spacious sixth bedroom overlooks the garden and offers a super-king bed, dressing table and built-in wardrobe.
A double sofa bed in the second lounge sleeps the final two guests, upon request and at an additional fee.
‘Are we there yet?’ You’ll know when you are. Hazelwood House is big and beautiful and it all begins with the crunch of the car wheels on the gravel drive. Unload, unpack and explore the six bedrooms – the kids’ room even comes with a walk-in wardrobe, perfect for many kinds of mischief.
There’s plenty of opportunity here for getting out and about in the Great Outdoors, but the indoors isn’t too shabby, either. With two big living rooms offering super-comfy sofas and smart TVs, you’ve a choice of viewing. Wi-Fi comes care of BT. Pack your popcorn and remember your Netflix password.
The second living room’s a cosy snug. From here, it’s easy for older kids to slip out of the patio doors and into the bubbling hot tub. Stay out there for the big, footy-friendly garden with its outdoor seating and calm backdrop of woodlands. Enjoy midnight feats? Bag bedroom three for the smart TV. We won’t tell mum and dad.
