REVIEW: FANHAMS HALL, ROAR & SNORE

We Experience the Grand Hotel's Roarsome Family Package with Hertfordshire Zoo

We take our little animals to experience Fanhams Hall’s new Roar and Snore package with nearby Hertfordshire Zoo.

Before we’ve even checked in, our feral beasts are unleashed from the car and discover the 4 star hotel’s 27 acres of magical, Grade II listed gardens, which are straight out of a children’s book.

It’s a colourful wonderland to explore, with one of Britain’s most famous Japanese gardens, plus two bridges surrounded by geese, with trickling waterfalls, and assorted Japanese and Austrian follies.

There are Japanese and Austrian tea houses, a wisteria walkway, rose garden, beautifully manicured formal gardens and endless meadows and natural woodland, where the children lose hours, as we try to keep up - or grab an Aperol Spritz to watch them beneath the shade of a giant horse chestnut tree.

On check in, we discover the storied 18th Century country house is just as varied and playful, with a Medieval Hall and Jacobean mansion rolled into one.

We are led to our family room in the main house, past stained glass mullion stone windows, chequer board floors and grand wooden staircases.

We find two comfy double beds with on-theme, animal print, lilac cushions and an ensuite bathroom, overlooking the pretty grounds.

We dine in the less formal Conservatory Bar, a light and airy space, opening onto the sun drenched terrace, with a grand fire and rich velvet furnishings.

I order the excellent Pan Fried Hake, with perfectly crisp skin, romesco sauce, courgette and a creamy side of confit garlic and chive mash.

My husband has Jacob’s Ladder (wonderfully tender beef short ribs) with beef fat baby gem, celeriac salad cream and crispy onion.

The children have very generous portions of pizza or chicken nuggets with fries.

The big hit for the children are the desserts - summer berry Eton mess with crunchy meringue and a refreshing elderflower sorbet for my son, and moreish, sticky toffee pudding with malted toffee sauce and salted caramel ice cream for my daughter, which kept her happily quiet for an uncharacteristically long time.

The following morning, we fuel ourselves ahead of our zoo adventure with breakfast in their Lakeside Pavillion. Our children are offered fresh pancakes, but opt instead for piling their plates with everything on offer at the buffet breakfast.

There’a a good selection of bacon, sausage, hash browns, eggs, plus cereals, pastries and fruits.

It’s raining as we arrive at Hertfordshire Zoo, so we prepare for a day of wandering between empty enclosures, while animals hide from soggy skies.

But the beauty of this zoo, is the variety of viewing platforms available, both inside, outside, above and at ground level of the enclosures.

We are inches away from a beautiful Sun Bear, lounging around on a wooden platform, letting his tongue (and everything else) hang out.

And we enjoy the new Lions of India exhibit from multiple angles, where the two rare Asiatic lions, Sonika and Sahee, bathe in the brief window of sunshine, on their elevated lookout spot.

They are just two of 700 and unlike their African cousins, thrive in hot summers, mild winters and woodland and scrubland environments - and they are crucial to the breeding programme for their species.

Another highlight, is watching the beautiful jaguars, Kedera and Kumal up close, as they snuggle up and lick each other like two, overgrown kittens.

There are more than 800 animals to discover, from camels, zebras, penguins, snakes and snow leopards, to tropical rainforest monkeys and wallabies.

Their World of Dinosaurs attraction is another big hit with our children, a walking trail through 30 roaring, moving (and spitting actual water) animatronic dinosaurs, which are fabulously realistic. We also explore their Jurassic world on one of the zoo’s popular rides, the Rex Express train.

Naturally, despite the range of animals on offer, our children eventually glue themselves to the zoo’s play area, which is bulging with pirate ships with secret caves, giant fire engines with slides and zip wires.

It’s a roarsome package for big and little beasts, with relaxed luxury for families, magical gardens and the chance to roll out of a comfy bed, and into a sleepy bear’s bedroom.

Roar & Snore Package. From £325 per room. Fanhams Hall, Fanhams Hall Road, Ware SG12 7PZ

Hertfordshire Zoo, White Stubbs Ln, Broxbourne EN10 7QA

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