Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire Partners Highclere Castle

The Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire has partnered with one of England’s most iconic estates, Highclere Castle.

Designed by Sir Charles Barry (architect of the Palace of Westminster), Highclere Castle will open its doors to guests of Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire as they are taken on a private, guided tour with the estate’s current owner and resident, the 8th Countess of Carnarvon, revealing insights on life as the “real” Lady Grantham and that of her predecessors.

On the tour guests will see centuries-old works of art, exemplary English architecture and notable interior design highlighted by an exceptional collection of paintings through the ages, including the portrait of Charles I on horseback by Anthony van Dyck dating to 1635, which hangs in the State Dining Room.

Antiques as well as a permanent exhibition on Egypt celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s extraordinary discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922, planned at Highclere with his colleague Howard Carter, will also be available to view.

Afterwards guests will have the opportunity to explore the gardens with Highclere’s Head Gardener, from the Wildflower Meadow to the Monks’ Garden, through to the Wood of Goodwill and the Secret Garden, before delving into a decadent afternoon tea privately served in one of the castle’s State Rooms.

Laying the foundations for this experience, guests will check-into the Royal Suite on arrival at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire as they admire the vista from their private terrace out across 500 acres, visualising the 1,000 years of history stretched out in front of them.

Following their chauffeur-driven round trip to Highclere Castle in a vintage Rolls-Royce, guests will return to the Royal Suite where their very own state banquet will be set in the suite’s dining room for them to enjoy a four-course dinner personally prepared by Executive Chef Paolo Bellini, using original Highclere recipes and the finest local ingredients, giving guests a true taste of what it was like to dine during the Golden Age in which the famous TV series Downton Abbey was set.

The package is priced at GBP 22,500 plus VAT and includes a two-night stay in the Royal Suite at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire including breakfast and in-suite four-course dinner with matching wines, private tour of Highclere Castle with Lady Carnarvon including afternoon tea in one of the State Rooms, and a vintage Rolls-Royce round-trip transfer.

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