We Tried It: A Weekend of Peak Relaxation, British Charm and Living Like Hollywood Elite at Soho Farmhouse Rachel DeSantisOctober 29, 2025 at 11:48 PM 0 Courtesy Soho Farmhouse Soho Farmhouse Soho House has always existed as something of an enigma to me.
- - We Tried It: A Weekend of Peak Relaxation, British Charm and Living Like Hollywood Elite at Soho Farmhouse
Rachel DeSantisOctober 29, 2025 at 11:48 PM
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Courtesy Soho Farmhouse
Soho Farmhouse
Soho House has always existed as something of an enigma to me. The allure is, of course, obvious — a private members' club for creative elites with chic hotels and restaurants scattered across major international cities. Soho House locations pop up weekly on DeuxMoi's list of celebrity spottings, and the club's no-photo policy only heightens its mystique — the second I'm not allowed to be in the know about something (or at least look it up on Google Maps and filter photos by "vibe"), the curiosity becomes all-consuming.
What goes on behind those (I can only assume) crystal-encrusted, gold-plated doors?! Over a crisp, sunny few September days in the English countryside, I finally got my answer — and I'm ready to spill the tea.
Just over an hour away from London by train (the Brits really do have public transportation figured out in ways that had this American practically salivating with jealousy), Soho Farmhouse sits on 100 bucolic acres in the small town of Chipping Upon Norton. Though the town is certainly far removed from the hustle and bustle of London, my taxi driver was quick to point out that a number of celebrities live nearby, including the Beckhams, Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres. I understood — if I could, I'd move here, too.
Hannah Miles
Soho Farmhouse
I knew quite quickly upon arrival that I'd landed someplace special; the front desk, nestled in a charming stone building just past a nondescript gate, offered complimentary glasses of rosé as we checked in, and we boarded a mint green minibus to take us up to the rest of the main property. You know those picture-perfect villages you see on postcards, or printed on some souvenir mug, that make you wonder if you should quit your job, move to the countryside, and start anew as a florist? That's what it felt like walking onto the main property.
There was stone — so much stone! — and gorgeous greenery abound. There was a fireplace with people sitting around, sipping drinks, and a lineup of precious mint-green bicycles, which visitors can use at their leisure to make their way around the grounds. The urge to snap a photo was strong — if a regular Joe goes to Soho Farmhouse and no one sees it on her Instagram Story, did she make a visit? (The answer is yes, and before long, I realized just how much I enjoyed being relatively off the grid. To no one's surprise, not constantly feeling the need to take the perfect picture really helps you live in the moment).
Courtesy Soho Farmhouse
Soho Farmhouse tennis courts
Members have a number of accommodations to choose from — there's a seven-bedroom farmhouse and four-bedroom cottage, 40 cabins and 20 huts. I was in a hut, though I personally would describe it less as a hut and more as "one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever seen." The back porch, complete with an outdoor tub, looked out onto rolling hills without a soul in sight, while inside featured a stunning bouquet of wildflowers, fresh-baked sourdough with butter, cheese and jam and — my favorite part — a jar of chocolate chip cookies. (The entire property is nut-free, for which I was grateful, as I am allergic and people are always trying to put walnuts where they don't belong, like in chocolate chip cookies).
At this point I was fresh off a red eye flight in from New York City, so the first stop was to the Soho Health Club, where I hoped an hour on one of their three new padel courts would help me feel alive again. I had never paddled before, and it's a truth universally acknowledged that I am quite possibly the least athletic person on this planet. But I LOVED the padel!!! I loved running around the court and smacking the tennis ball, even if most times it somehow ended up far from my intended target or like, in the bushes. By the time the hour was up, I was googling courts and clinics near me.
Mark Fox
A Soho Farmhouse hut
I no longer needed so much help feeling alive again after that flight, but the Face Gym facial that came next at the spa was heavenly. Face Gym is an international chain that currently has a membership set up at Soho Farmhouse. Science says they use "advanced technology tools and muscle manipulation techniques" that "lift, firm [and] sculpt." I say they use witchcraft to give me a jawline that's eluded me since my teens (I love salty food, okay?). I felt so de-puffed and refreshed, it was like a miracle. It, once again, had me googling "Face Gym near me," and sending my boyfriend pictures that just said "LOOK AT MY CHIN."
Next I cozied up next to a large outdoor fireplace, and enjoyed an espresso martini before dinner at Little Berenjak. An offshoot of the Persian restaurant Berenjak (which has restaurants in four countries), this spot may be "little" but it certainly packs a punch. The food was delicious and the staff was super friendly; favorites of the night included the balal (corn on the cobs with chili, lime and chives), truffle olivieh, garlic naan and some of the best chicken kebabs I've ever had in my life (marinated in saffron, lemon, yogurt and tomato). I was so ridiculously full after this meal that it made me genuinely sad that I couldn't go for seconds, thirds or fourths.
Courtesy Soho Farmhouse
Soho Farmhouse
I woke up the next morning ready to embrace all of the wellness Farmhouse had to offer, especially after how much I'd stuffed my face at Little Berenjak the night before. I kicked things off with a spin class. Now let me just say, I have never done a spin class before. I like to get on the treadmill, whine in my head about how I wish I was eating chocolate for exactly 30 minutes, then be out of the gym as soon as I can. I have a newfound respect for all my SoulCycle and Peloton girlies… this s--t is HARD!!! The instructor was wonderful and the music was great, but good lord, I was just trying not to die on the bike. Everyone else was thriving so…. That appears to be a me problem. I'm working on it. As I left, I admired the newly refreshed gym, which gleamed with cardio and strength equipment, and also a smoothie bar — Erewhon who?!
To reward myself for all of the exercising and thinking about exercising, I stopped into Blake's, a charming café that offers all sorts of baked goods. I wanted the chocolate Guinness cake and the cinnamon bun and the chocolate chip cookie, but I was on a WELLNESS JOURNEY, people! Avocado toast with a poached egg it was. And then, one of my favorite experiences: the Lazy Lake. A hub for all things relaxation, the Lazy Lake is part of Soho Farmhouse's recently expanded wellness offerings (There is also a Lazy Lab that offers a "tech-enhanced space for recovery, regeneration and health optimization").
Courtesy Soho Farmhouse
A moment for the Lazy Lake
At the Lake, I started with an hour in the hot tub, which sits along a, you guessed it, lake. It felt like being in a storybook — ducks swam by under leafy trees, while I sat covering my face in a clay mask from Omorovicza. Staff left a number of the Hungarian brand's products to try, all of which were modeled after the thermal baths in Hungary. After an hour, I moved on to the steam room, which was indeed very hot. I think I lasted maybe one minute, then opted to just relax on a day bed instead. Perhaps luxury is wasted on me, though I did enjoy lounging in a bathrobe. THAT I could do all day.
After lunch at the main barn (a 10/10 veggie burger and my beloved Coca-Cola — I can only be so healthy), I headed over to the stables to take my first-ever horse ride. After putting on a helmet and some boots, I saddled on up to Harry, a black and white beauty who'd be my companion for the next hour. I was told Harry is often used to teach children how to ride, as he's calm and goes with the flow, and that felt right. Sure, I'm 31, but when it comes to riding horses, I am basically 6. The ride wound up being one of my favorite excursions during my visit. With a guide and her horse in front of us, we trotted along the grounds for a bit, admiring the wildflowers and passing by the pigs and goats, and then went off-site.
The fresh air of the countryside was healing. I was so off the grid by this point that riding a horse almost felt like I'd gone back in time. I liked thinking about how this was how everyone got around before cars — our ancestors all did exactly what I was doing right now (albeit better and faster, probably). There was something grounding and humbling about that.
Hannah Miles
Soho Farmhouse
I returned from my ride with helmet hair and in the perfect headspace to catch a movie. The Electric Barn Cinema (yes, like London's famous Electric Cinema) was playing the new Cillian Murphy movie Steve, so I settled into a plush red velvet seat and watched, making mental notes about how I wanted to one day recreate the exact theater set-up in my basement when I am a rich multi-millionaire (inevitable).
I finished the day at the Japanese restaurant Pen Yen, noshing on sushi before I retired to my cozy room, wishing I could turn back time and do it all over again. I left the next morning for London, excited to return to the chaos of the city, but already missing the peace and quiet of the countryside.
The next day, as I sat in a pub scrolling through Instagram, I stopped on an Instagram post that Lady Gaga had shared in celebration of her fiancé's birthday. They were kissing in front of a goat pen that looked awfully familiar. Swipe. There they were in another picture, kissing again, this time in front of a mint green truck that doubled as a bar. If Soho Farmhouse is good enough for Lady Gaga, it's good enough for me.
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