Escapade Silverstone hotel review: a modern trackside stay

Times

2 days ago

Waking up to the sound of the revving engines of F1 cars just outside the door of your hotel, then sipping your morning coffee while drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris whizz past just metres away from your balcony is the stuff of dreams for motorsport fans. That's the reality of a stay at ultra-modern Escapade Silverstone. Opened in March, the 14-acre Escapade complex sits trackside overlooking a 550-metre stretch of Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Grand Prix, which straddles Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. The hotel comprises a clubhouse with a roof terrace bar, fine-dining restaurant and 60 one- to four-bedroom apartments, many of which offer unparalleled views of the world-famous Maggotts and Becketts corners — some of the fastest and most exciting in the world. If you're a motorsport fan, this is one of the most thrilling hotel experiences out there.
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Score 8/10Guests can choose from three types of modular 'residence', which can be booked as an entire apartment or individual lockable rooms. The Trackside residences come at a premium because they offer sensational views of the circuit from their cantilevered balconies, some of which are as little as 12 metres from the crash barrier. Countryside residences are further away from the track and have calming views across the fields behind; while Dual-Aspect are sited between the Trackside and Countryside residences, and are the only type to have rooftop terraces with panoramic views. But for those guests without Trackside properties, the best views of any circuit action are from the restaurant and rooftop champagne bar, which is open exclusively to hotel guests.
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Each apartment is owned by a private landlord, but managed and maintained by the hotel; owners are able to use their property for up to 100 days but many visit less frequently than that. Each comes with its own open-plan kitchen area, lounge, terrace and parking in an air-conditioned garage or car port; bedrooms have an en suite bathroom. In terms of decor, all residences are light-filled, modern and comfortable. They also benefit from wooden floors with underfloor heating and air conditioning. Accessible residences, called Liberty, have lifts from the ground floor and the apartments are suitable for wheelchair users, with lowered kitchen facilities and accessible bathrooms. Cots are available for babies, and games consoles are on hand for older children.
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Score 8/10During dinner in the Gallery restaurant you will find yourself surrounded by a collection of motor sport-related artworks, with a number of TV screens showing round-the-clock Sky Sports F1. The large dining room has an impressive full-length window offering superb views of the circuit. The chef, Matt Tsistrakis, is an alumnus of London's Savoy hotel, and that expertise was apparent in the modern French menu. Starters include smoked aubergine soup or shellfish bisque; mains include duck and monkfish; while vegetarians have mushroom risotto or beetroot burgers. Kids are well catered for with their own menu that includes the usual bangers and mash and pasta, but also breaded lemon sole or grilled chicken.
I chose crispy pork belly with sweet sauce and plum ketchup to start, followed by a beef cheek main that disintegrated under the weight of a fork and melted in the mouth. For dessert, the sticky toffee pudding was delicious but sweet enough to make the head swim; the maitre d' suggested the blood orange soufflé next time, and brought out the accompanying negroni sorbet to try: it was sharp, cleansing stuff. Ask for a red wine recommendation and you may be steered towards the house red, a Baccolo Rosso Corvina, although the wide selection of wines also includes Whispering Angel and Dom Perignon.
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Breakfast includes an excellent hot buffet, selection of cold meats, cereals and juices are available, as is filter coffee (£18pp); à la carte dishes and barista-made coffees are extra.
Track walks are possible during scheduled slots and the concierge can help to arrange them, as well as booking driving experiences within Silverstone, from doughnutting open-wheeled Caterham roadsters to going flat-out with McLaren supercars on track (from £139; silverstone.co.uk). Most guests, though, will make use of the more traditional facilities, including the wellness centre with a 15m indoor swimming pool, which is heated year-round but can feel busy at times, a sauna and a gym, which has a range of Matrix cardio machines, adjustable pulleys and free weights. Spa treatments can also be arranged in advance.
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Score 7/10Escapade is within the Silverstone Circuit between Towcester and Brackley, officially within Northamptonshire but spilling over into north Buckinghamshire. Milton Keynes Central is the closest station, from where it is a 25-minute taxi ride to the hotel. Better to drive (90 minutes from central London), because each residence has its own garage. You will find upmarket shopping at Bicester Village (30 minutes away by car) and stunning Georgian landscaping at Stowe Gardens (20 minutes away).
Price B&B doubles from £250Restaurant mains from £22Accessible YFamily-friendly NDog-friendly N
Will Dron was a guest of Escapade Silverstone (escapade.silverstone.co.uk)