Visiting Jersey #2 – L’Horizon Hotel, Reviewed

For us, L’Horizon at St Brelade’s Bay has one of the most spectacular beachside settings in Europe. The hotel (and our room balcony!) sits right on this beautiful stretch of sand; making for a truly romantic and awe inspiring back drop.

The hotel has a strong heritage and was built back in 1985 by George Hicks, a colonel in the Bengal Army, no less. Colonel Hicks obviously had an eye for location and he also had an eye for finesse, with the hotel sitting with a refined British style, with Mediterranean influences and a subtle exterior. Venturing inside you will find 106 bedrooms, The Grill (the hotel’s 2 AA rosette winning restaurant) and an expansive bar area, named The Atlantic Lounge. Informal and fun, we found live piano music being played here and a warm atmosphere.

Sleeping and the view

During our stay we resided in an Executive Ocean View room. Aside, from all the mod cons (such as free Wi-Fi, a coffee machine, plasma screen and a selection of DVDs), the room had the most glorious balcony overlooking the bay. Perfect for a pre dinner glass of wine, it was a perfectly relaxing way to begin our stay. See our day and night time views below.

However, we did feel that there could have been more attention to detail in the rooms. For example, a frayed bed-sheet and a slightly dated bathroom meant that the room lacked the wow factor of the room lacked the wow factor of the surroundings. An Executive Ocean View room at L’Horizon Hotel starts from £144 per room per night on a bed and breakfast basis.

Eating

Dinner at The Grill restaurant was a highly enjoyable treat, thanks to a friendly group of attentive staff and a relaxed atmosphere. That is not to say the restaurant didn’t have refinement; in fact, there was a good level of detail in the service and on each dish.

Jersey is renowned for world class seafood; however, we wanted to get an insight into the island’s other offerings and so went with a pork based starter. The “Suckling Pig” dish was a terrific pressed hock terrine, with picalilli vegetables and an apple gel.

A personal highlight of the menu was the Beef and Oysters; which was rich, packed full of flavour and great exploration of land and sea. The braised beef cheeks fell away and worked well with a local liberation al jus. The oysters came with a light, crispy batter and savoy cabbage as an added bonus. A really pleasant winter warmer this dish. We found food at The Grill to walk a good balance between refinement and hearty flavours, so we really enjoyed our meal from start to finish. Assistance was on hand to match wines throughout our meal and any issues with the meal dealt with, with ease. As the meal progressed, we found ourselves chatting away to fellow guests and staff, making for a homely and comfortable experience.

Relaxing

L’Horizon also has its own Spa, which comes fully equipped with 6 treatment rooms, a gorgeous lounge area with sea views, plus two manicure and pedicure stations. The Spa pool overlooks the beautiful bay and makes for a beautiful spot to swim as the sun sets. There is also the option of a Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, tennis courts and a fantastic gymnasium.

For more information and to book visit www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/lhorizon or call 01534 743101

Visit Jersey’s new online hub offers a taste of the ‘Jersey winter experience’

Our series Visiting Jersey series happens to coincide with a fantastic ‘Jersey winter experience’ giveaway and ‘Escape to Jersey’ site launch, hosted by Visit Jersey.

Visit the escape ‘Escape to Jersey’ microsite to find out local secrets, and immerses yourself in the island’s key winter-time delights including its relaxing spas, stunning scenery, and first-class winter produce and cuisine.

There is also the chance to win a 4-night luxury Jersey ‘winter’ break – simply by entering their contact email. To take part visit the site using the link below or visit Visit Jersey’s Facebook page.

To visit the campaign website go to: www.escapetojersey.com