The Grove, Watford, Hertfordshire

Billed as London's Country Estate, the Grove Hotel is seriously handy for a weekend jaunt if you're based in London or the home counties, but also worth travelling to if you live further afield.

Set just on the outskirst of the Green Belt surrounding London, we just took the train to Watford and it was just a 5 minute taxi to the hotel if you prefer not to take the car.

The Grove bills itself as a family-friendly hotel and rather than others which pay lip-service to that description, we thought it succeeded at making families feel welcome, while at the same time keeping some areas child-free zones for the odd spot of relaxation.

The children's facilities are second-to-none; there's an Ofsted-rated children's centre (the staff were lovely and came up with plenty of interesting activities for kids to do) with a huge enclosed playground as well as a children's indoor pool complete with loads of inflatable toys and a tiny (particularly warm) pool for infants. Over eights have special slots during the day when they can use the Sequoia spa pool while teenagers will love the games room complete with Wiis, PS3s, Xboxs and retro arcade games and the giant chess and Jenga sets in the garden.

It's worth a trip all year round, but in summer The Grove really comes into its own with the second-largest walled garden in the UK complete with heated outdoor pool, urban beach, croquet lawn, tennis courts and beach volleyball pitch. We were staying in Spring, so didn't get to try these, but the grounds were lovely for walking around, and it was easy to grab a bike to check out some of the easier bike trails marked out for families.

We stayed in a deluxe room in the modern wing of the hotel where the sofa was turned into a bed for our 8-year-old daughter. The room was huge and we liked the nice touch of a glass of milk and cookies waiting for dd, as well as a box of age-appropriate toys for her to play with during her stay. The bathroom was massive and we appreciated the blackout curtains and great soundproofing - we didn't get woken up by other guests at all.

Food-wise, there's plenty to choose from for family dining - we preferred the Glasshouse restaurant as the buffet-style service meant no waiting and plenty of choice, but there's also another family-friendly restaurant in the Stable block next to the golf course. Our extra treat over the weekend was having a babysitter take over one night, allowing my dh and I the chance to eat in the Grove's 3 AA-rosettes restaurant Colette's. This was a very indulgent experience - they have a new chef whose tasting menu we tried, which was fantastic. The dining room was packed, so far from it being the usual hushed country house hotel atmosphere, it was more like a central London restaurant.

All in all, a great family destination where every member of the family will find something just for them.

I thought I would add to my other below review. We had such a great time last visit we booked to go back last weekend. Only this time it rained. But even the rain doesn't seem to spoil having a great time here. The children swam in the heated outdoor pool until it got too much and then just ran into the indoor pool ! I hadn't realized last time that there is a games room probably for kids slightly older than mine. Plus there is the spa. Or a very great looking afternoon tea in one of the saloon rooms

Once the rain stopped we went for a very scenic walk along the canal. My son was fascinated by "boats that are houses"

That evening we left the kids with babysitter Abi who they loved and went to dinner. It struck me as I unashamedly people watched, that the Grove is a bit of a chameleon, seems you can have a romantic weekend away, hen night or family holiday perfectly. Maybe this is because I have never come across such friendly and efficient staff

So simply put The Grove works come rain or shine!

If like us your holidays are simply baby/child relocation then you need to head to the Grove. The Grove in Hertfordshire is a not too large Country Estate with spa, 18 hole golf championship golf course, three restaurants and 300 acres plus three swimming pools one just for kids

Quite simply you can have it all. Just as its design is Groovy Grand, combining antiques and modern so you too can have the best of both your worlds.

Our rooms were a great size with inter-connecting doors, stunning decor and great touches like milk and biscuits for the children and The White Company Bubble Bath for me !

I had one of the most indulgent massages ever in the Sequoia spa whilst the children had a great time in Anouska kids club. Anouskas is OFSTED regulated and has a great outdoor section as well. So while they were entertained I relaxed by the pool and read a magazine - havent done that in a while !

I've always been really reluctant to leave the children when away, but we took the plunge and booked a babysitter from the Hotel. Turned out they had a met her at Anouskas early in the day , so we were more than happy to leave them all watching one of the hotels DVD's while we went down for drinks and dinner.

Starting to realise at this point there is nothing theGrove doesnt excel in as the food in the Glasshouse restaurant was exceptional. A large buffet with very single type of cusine on offer and not to mention the chocolate fountain !

The staff at The Grove are very friendly,very very accommodating and so great with the kids

Next day we headed off to the heated outdoor pool and the Grove's own beach complete with lifeguards. Lunch in the Stable restaurant which is very child friendly without comprising on adult taste. Late afternoon we very reluctantly left I havent spent such a relaxing 48 hours in a very very long time.

We stayed one night at The Grove as a treat to ourselves. The hotel is big and weekends are busy with not only guests but corporate events and weekend visitors. Having said that once you have checked in and moved away from reception, the staff are excellent, really helpful and nothing seems to be too much trouble. We arrived early before our room was ready and they took our car keys and unloaded the car and put it all in our room for us while we used the pools/had lunch. The lounge areas are cosy and you can really settle in playing board games that are provided.

They run a shuttle service on golf carts to the kids' club which our DD loved. The kids' club is really well equipped, being a day nursery during the week. The staff were really friendly and our DD came out with lots of different makes and she had only been there two hours.

The spa is lovely as you would expect at a big hotel but it wasn't crowded at all - the pool is lovely! There is a kids pool next to the kids' club with warmer water, towels, swim nappies etc.

Our room was incredible with a huge roll top bath overlooking the grounds, big TVs, fruit and milk and cookies for DD as well as a box of toys and mini bath robe.

We ate at Collette's the fine dining restaurant (one restaurant was closed and the other was a buffet) and had a wonderful meal with great staff. Breakfast had every type of food/drink/fruit/pastries/muffins/cereals you could imagine and more!

It is expensive to stay but for a special trip/occasion it is worth it!

Overall we had a great trip and will be back.