After meeting Malcolm and Patricia aboard their stunning yacht, Fizz Too, we couldn’t wait to visit their luxury hotel. Longueville Manor is nestled in one of Jersey’s most beautiful valleys, a gorgeous country house with 18 acres of land.
The property dates back to the 16th century but it was bought in a state of disrepair by Sidney and Edith Lewis. The couple gave the house a new lease of life until 1965 when their son and his wife, Neal and Barbara, took it over adding further amenities such as ensuite bathrooms and a swimming pool – a first for Jersey. With a love for his family business, Malcolm Lewis took over from his parent in 1987 and the hotel has continued to thrive under his management. Today Longueville Manor is the recipient of 5 stars by the AA and is a proud member of Relais and Châteaux.
I love the story of Longueville Manor and there’s something very special about a hotel that’s remained in a family for three generations. Theresa and I were welcomed to the hotel with open arms by the staff who Malcolm and Patricia refer to as ‘the family’, it’s clearly a very lovely place to work.
Our first pit stop on our visit to Longueville was The Cottage Garden, a small but perfectly formed spa. The relaxing scents of lavender filled our nostrils as we entered the relaxation area in anticipation for our treatments.
I was excited to be trying out the de Mamiel rhythm of nature holistic facial, a treatment exclusive to the Longueville Manor Spa. The treatment is bespoke to guests based on your skin type and it’s even customised to your personality traits. Based on traditions of Chinese medicines, I filled out a form ticking off which characteristics best described my personality. I was categorised as having wood personality type and described as ambitious and an explorer, most content when travelling the world (yes!), frustrated by lack of action (yes!) and prone to tension (yes!). The treatment would bring back balance and inner harmony whilst helping my skin become brighter and more toned.
As the spa therapist started the treatment she explained a little about the origins and creator. The facial and skin-care range was designed by Australian-born Annee de Mamiel, a leading facialist and aromatherapist her story is one of positivity born from an illness. Suffering from cancer, Annee mixed products to nourish her skin through her radiation therapy and learned more about how to look after herself both inside and outside through eating well and discovering Chinese medicine and acupuncture.
The therapy itself involves gentle facial and body acupressure around the shoulders, neck and arms as well as herbal compresses and massage. The products are all natural, in fitting with the philosophy of The Cottage Garden Spa, and use herbs, botanical extracts and healing seasonal oils to alleviate the imbalances. Annee didn’t want her facials and products to become over-commercialised and lose their quality so each product is handmade and sold in only a small selection of places. Equally Annee is keen to preserve the techniques of her facial and taught my spa therapist the process personally over the course of four days.
In the other spa therapy room Theresa enjoyed a bespoke body massage using Ren products which combined acupressure with shiatsu techniques all customised to her needs. We emerged from the spa with my skin healthy and glowing and Theresa feeling relaxed and detoxified.
Next we were shown around the Kitchen Garden, a vital part of the manor as it provides much of the fresh produce used in the hotel’s kitchen. Once again everything is kept in the family, as Malcolm’s son David is the head gardener. David works closely with the head chef in order to provide the best ingredients so that the menu at the hotel will be totally top-notch.
Around the garden we spied cabbages, squash, artichokes, kale, strawberries and various different herbs. We also popped into the greenhouse and potting shed where produce is grown throughout winter. There’s even an underground bunker, thought to be a 16th century crypt, which now used to smoke salmon for the restaurant.
There’s one restaurant at Longueville Manor and though it looks beautifully grand with a menu of fine dining choices, there are also plenty of casual options and food for kids. Chef Andrew is passionate about local produce buying in fish from local fisherman, milk from the dairy farmers and of course relying heavily on the Kitchen Garden for fruit and vegetables. At Longueville Manor they even produce their own honey, from a onsite bee colony made up of 24 hives located in their woodland.
The woodland that surrounds the manor is simply breathtaking and perfect for walking off all that food…
There’s plenty of native wildlife to see but we discovered an adorable friend in the pond near the hotel.
When we met Malcolm the day before he explained to us the importance of sustainability at Longueville. Best practices are maintained including managing the woodland, working with local suppliers and commitment to the environment all of which keep the hotel eco-friendly and a strong part of the community.
A gorgeous outdoor pool is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of champagne and a barbecue during the summer months and Theresa and I took a second to enjoy some bubbles al fresco. Sadly we didn’t have a chance to enjoy Andrew Baird’s cooking but we had a good look at the menu and decided what we’d have next time we visited. Feeling quenched we were given the opportunity to have a look around some of the guest rooms…
Everything at Longueville Manor has a personal touch and each room has been individually designed with plush furnishing, eclectic patterns and special touches.
There are six room categories at the hotel and we loved the junior suite which included a free-standing bath in the room.
For the ultimate luxury at Longueville Manor there’s the cottage which could be an intimate getaway for two, a party pad for friends or a spacious family area. There’s two gorgeous bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, a lounge and a small kitchenette. I totally loved the Tudor touches such as the brick work, huge wooden beams and cosy fireplace. Actually Longueville Manor would be great Autumn escape, I’m thinking long walks in the woods followed by a hot chocolate by the fireplace. Theresa and I felt so welcomed at the hotel that we were sad to go but we would be keeping it in the family with lunch at the restaurant down the road.
Sumas Restaurant was opened by Malcolm Lewis and his sister, Sue, the name of the restaurant is actually an amalgamation of their names. Sue runs the restaurant herself now but there are still obvious ties to Longueville Manor.
Sumas has a gorgeous location in Gorey Hill right on the harbour with views out to sea and all the gorgeous boats bobbing up and down. Many of the locals who we spoke to claimed it was their favourite restaurant of all in Jersey. Once again we saw the passion for local produce, all bread is baked in-house and the fish is locally sourced.
I had a very fine crab salad on a bed of creamy avocado to start…
Anything with melted cheese is heaven for Theresa and loved this light onion tart with its dreamy smothering of cheese.
My local sea bass was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin but it was Theresa’s dish the stole the show.
A big slab of juicy pork belly with creamy mash… and she couldn’t have Sunday lunch without a Yorkshire…
Which turned out to be about the size of her head! Throughout the meal the manager chatted away to us telling us about the restaurant and the local area, the people here are passionate about Jersey and it’s easy to see why.
After lunch there was just time to head back to the beach for an ice cream before our flight. As we sat on the bench watching the tide lap of the pristine beaches we reflected on our wonderful time on this small island. We love the beautiful scenery, fun experiences and delicious food…but most of we fell in love with Jersey for the wonderful people and their kind hospitality.
PIN FOR LATER:
Longueville Manor
Longueville Road
St. Saviour
Jersey
JE2 7WF
We were kindly hosted by Longueville Manor and Visit Jersey.