‘It reminds me of Disneyland,’ my sister – a mother of two – remarks as we meander along the drive, across bridges that pass manicured lawns and ponds with sprinkling fountains before pulling up outside the country house hotel.
Two men dressed in waistcoats greet us at the glass sliding doors, and we walk past rosy-cheeked families in fluffy robes, no doubt on their way back from the spa, as we make our way to the soaring lobby.
We’re at Fairmont Windsor Park, a vast 19th-century hotel five miles from Windsor on the leafy Surrey-Berkshire border.
I’m here with my mother, sister and son, Soli, who, at just eight weeks, is enjoying his first hotel stay.
After a round of cooing from reception staff, we’re whisked on to a buggy which takes us a few hundred metres to the hotel’s four brand new treehouse suites.
We’re in Swallow, a two-bedroom masterpiece in the lofty trees. We open the heavy wooden doors and find a hamper in the kitchen, with granola, sourdough, popcorn, curds and jams, along with a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne on ice. I open the fridge to find sausages, bacon, yoghurt, eggs and various milks.
‘For if you decide you’d prefer to dine here in the mornings,’ the friendly member of staff tells me with a wide smile.
‘It’s huge,’ my mum remarks as we poke our heads through various doors and she settles into her twin room with my sister.
Soli and I are in the main room, which has a huge four-poster bed that leads to a bathroom with two sinks and a roll-top bath. There’s a cot at the end of the bed, along with a hedgehog toy and box of bath goodies for Soli.
Our bedroom leads to the balcony and a huge deck overlooking a forest – with a bubbling hot tub sunken into the wooden floors.
We don costumes and jump in, sipping champagne as the steam swirls in the cool air, while the birds tweet the start of spring. All treehouse guests have access to bikes, as well as a private buggy to make the brief journey along a bridge to the hotel.
As the last of the day’s light disappears between the trees, my sister takes the keys and we all pile into the buggy and bump along the cobbled lane and up to the main hotel for dinner.
We’re taken to Il Giardino, an Italian restaurant serving beautifully presented antipasti (we go for stracciatella with sugar snaps and fried artichoke) and plates of steamed fish and roasted meat.
Other guests include smartly dressed American tourists and British staycationers – many here to see the castle just ten minutes away or enjoy Legoland, a 15-minute drive away.
Originally a private home, the hotel was extensively rebuilt before reopening under the Fairmont banner in 2022.
It now has 251 bedrooms that are decked out with chandeliers and fresh flowers.
Next morning, we head to the expansive spa, taking it in turns to look after Soli. I spend an hour doing laps of the 20-metre indoor pool (where children are allowed during set times in the mornings) and alternate between the sauna and steam room. At one point, I have the place to myself.
Sadly, the adults-only outdoor pool is closed for renovations, we’re told several times by the apologetic staff.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll try it out when we come back,’ I say to the bellboy during check-out. And I mean it.
TRAVEL FACTS
Doubles B&B from £450 a night. Treehouse suites from £2,300 a night (fairmont-windsorpark.com; 01784 535 555).