Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons

I am not sure how many stars to give. The Hotel is wonderful l could not fault anything, it was completely let down by The Restaurant staff. I know l was a solo guest but l was made to feel invisible and uncomfortable. The waitress gave me a book to read “as l was on my own “. The sommelier was slow to refill my wine glass. The staff hardly spoke ac me at all. I ordered the cheese course then changed my mind because l wanted to get out of the restaurant and back to my room. One waiter from the other side of the dining room did come over and talk to me at the end of my meal. The breakfast experience was completely different l enjoyed my breakfast more than my evening meal.

We stayed at Le Manoir for my husband’s 70th birthday as a special treat and what a treat it was. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel very welcome and were offered a complimentary room upgrade. We stayed in Manon which was a lovely suite with a huge bathroom and stocked with everything we could want including a gorgeous lemon cake with boxes supplied to take it away. Dinner was lovely and we enjoyed a 7 course taster menu. I opted for the plant based menu even though I’m not a vegetarian. The food was incredible. Breakfast was also fabulous, after which we enjoyed a tour of the garden led by a very enthusiastic Katie. We will definitely return once the hotel reopens, as this place truly is a treat of all treats.

A beautiful hotel and fantastic experience from start to finish. When we arrived we were greeted by Raymond Blanc himself and he posed for a photo with us! On arrival we were given a complimentary drink and we were shown to our room which was a lovely one called Bluebell. There were lots of little touches in the room, like fruit and a beautiful cake and boxes to take it away if you wanted. We had a lovely bathroom with the bath in the window. Also the toiletries and soap were superb. We had a tour of the gardens which were really lovely. There was a small intimate wedding happening in one part of the garden which looked magical. We saw the Japanese garden, the kitchen gardens and the very large orchard full of fruit trees. Our evening meal at night was really special and each course was carefully crafted and just delicious. The staff were very attentive and gave excellent service. A special shout out to Theo and Abby for their kindness to us. We didn't realise until the next day that the staff had been told that the hotel was closing for a whole year but all of them remained professional and we weren't aware of this at all. Thank you for a great stay we would love to come back sometime maybe when the refurbishment is over.

We arrived an hour after the staff had been told they were being made redundant due to a major refurbishment planned for the end of this year. The fact that we didn’t know or had any idea of this drama until we left and heard it on the news is a credit to the staff. It is very expensive but from the moment you arrive you are cosseted, luggage whisked away, complimentary glass of champagne in the garden. What ever you want the staff appeared to predict it. The room was perfect , can’t find any fault at all. Total luxury. Dinner was sublime and service exceptional. And all this against the background of the staff potentially loosing their job. I don’t know what the long term plan is for the hotel but what is clear is over the years the investment in staff has been high and that reaps rewards. It’s difficult to see what a “ major refurbishment” can achieve above perfection but it seems to me that risking loosing all of your staff is such a dangerous/ risky choice for possible minor benefits inexplicable.

We had eaten here before but never stayed, so decided to treat ourselves to an overnight stay and it was fabulous! We were made to feel very special with a very personal welcome and the room we stayed in (The Snow Queen) was absolutely gorgeous. A whole freshly made cake was waiting for us in the room on arrival which was amazing but we had to try and restrict ourselves in order to avoid filling up before our evening dinner in the restaurant. They even thoughtfully provide cake boxes to take any leftover cake home with you! Beautiful full size toiletries are provided in the bathroom which they actively encourage you to take home as they are replenished rather than refilled for future guests. A turn-down service is provided, which is becoming quite rare nowadays and yet always feels so special. The evening meal in the restaurant was delicious and breakfast was also very good with a buffet spread and a menu for ordering individual dishes. Obviously this all comes at a high price but somehow they managed to make our stay so special that it feels completely justified!