On the night before I was meant to check out, Iker — one of At the Chapel’s managers — let me know that the following day would be his day off and he would not be in to say goodbye. I admittedly was surprised when he reached out to hug me farewell, but not nearly as surprised as I was by the lump in my throat and the welling of tears in my eyes.

I didn’t want to leave At the Chapel.

I should note (with some embarrassment) that I had only been at this amazing restaurant/bakery/hotel in Somerset, England (Bruton, to be precise — a two hour train ride from London’s Paddington station) for less than 24 hours (I had checked in the day before) when Iker made his announcement. But At the Chapel is a special place with special people who make you want to be around them — to even be one of them — in a way that few hotels can expect to achieve. It’s not the pathetic aspiration to be accepted by a preposterously hip NY hotel bartender, but — instead — the gut feeling that the people in this establishment like being around each other and that you would like to be around them too.

At the Chapel celebrated its tenth anniversary this summer and — I was told — many of the people who work there have been there nearly as long. On my second evening at the hotel, one of the staff had come as a patron to share dinner with a friend and her child. And when I spoke with Ahmed Sidki, one of the owners of At the Chapel (along with Catherine Butler), he shared with me the various talents of the staff (music, horse riding) like a proud father or uncle.

I doubt that there are boundless employment opportunities in Bruton, but I still tend to think that it’s a good sign when a hotel or restaurant can retain their staff and even more so when those staff choose to spend their time off at the establishment. My logic is that, if staff feel like they are being treated well, they’re more likely to be able to do the same for guests; they won’t need to fake it or get trained by “corporate” in the ways of hospitality. It’s the difference you can feel when you arrived at a dinner party hosted by a family who loves and enjoys each other versus one that was fighting five minutes before you arrived and will likely pick it up again once you leave — and hopefully no sooner.

That At the Chapel is a restaurant and bakery foremost (the bedrooms came later) may contribute to the sensation of being enveloped within a community while you are there. The people of Bruton — who number less than 3,000 — come to At the Chapel each day to celebrate birthdays, read their paper over breakfast, discuss business, and double date. Sitting among them feels light years away from a hotel restaurant filled with road warriors dying to get home to the ones they love or even tourist families dealing with the stress of ensuring everyone is having a good time (damn it).

At the Chapel is a refurbished 17th century chapel, complete with the enormous windows — clear and stained glass — that this likely conjures in your mind. It is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful hotels in one of the most beautiful settings I have ever seen.

While there I took walks — up to the Dovecote to get a view (13 minutes), down the road to Hauser & Wirth (10 minutes) to visit their shop and have a drink at the Roth Bar and Grill, and to St. Mary's the Virgin (3 minutes) to stroll the cemetery and take a peek at the pews. But mostly I just sat — on At the Chapel’s patio in the sun, in the dining room, and in my bedroom — and ate. (And ate.) It was perfection.

Have I mentioned that I ate? From the fresh croissant delivered to your door every morning by 7 (don’t worry, they don’t knock), to the lamb shoulder flatbread, to the chargrilled sardines, to the sourdough flatbreads, I was in heaven. The French press, fresh ground coffee, and jam in the refrigerator (for your croissant, of course) are wonderful treats as well.

What else? The wi-fi works throughout the building and on the patio, making it easy to lounge while you work or try to stay in touch with home. There are art exhibits and community events and a wine shop. You can pick your room in advance — Bedroom 8, with its own patio, seems to be a staff favorite; I stayed in Bedroom 2, enamored with the stained glass arched windows. (It was not particularly pricey; I paid the equivalent of $200/night in May.) My bed was incredibly comfortable — with lots of plump yet pliable pillows. The shower was a tall waterfall, the tub was deep, and (unless I am mistaken) the bathroom floors were heated. And, yes, there were robes. 

On the train ride back to London from Bruton, I read an article about Catherine Butler, with whom I had enjoyed a brief conversation. I felt a kinship with her after learning about the path she had taken. Raised with no money, achieving success (my own is minuscule relative to hers), then questioning her path, and being willing to walk away to find it. When I shared (during our aforementioned conversation) my philosophy that business relationships should be governed by the same rules as successful romantic relationships — be honest about what you want from and what you can bring to the relationship — Catherine smiled and said, "You and I should write a book together." (I would love to, Catherine.)

Catherine was gracious enough to ask me if there were any suggestions I had for her and, honestly, all that came to mind was a personalized and timely guide for things to do — maybe one or two things each day. It could include consistent items like “take a walk up to the Dovecote” or “visit the Bruton Museum” as well as information about exhibits at Hauser & Wirth or events at the hotel itself that coincide with the guest’s stay. Since my stay I have received a number of emails from At the Chapel about their events — ranging from the arts to social issues and all making me long to be there — but I think it could be more apparent while a guest at the hotel.

Fred Reicheld, author and business strategist, has said that the ultimate question a business should ask itself as a measurement of success is “Would your customer recommend to you to a friend or colleague?” My ultimate question for the hotels in which I say is “Did I regret needing to leave?” Do I wish I had booked a longer stay? Do I lament the need to catch an early flight or to get to a breakfast meeting — or even a train back to London?

Did At the Chapel succeed in making me want to stay? Without a doubt. Will I stay there again? I can’t wait.

My Stay: May 13 - 14, 2018

Update: I planned to stay at At the Chapel again in the summer of 2023, by which time it had changed ownership. The pre-stay email exchanges reflected a slightly-less-than-stellar level of customer service (i.e., they didn’t respond), so I decided to hold on to my memories of the best hotel stay I ever had and move on.