Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, England

Visited for 3 nights to attend a wedding in Winchester. The hotel is located approximately 45 minutes from London Heathrow and was easy to find despite its remote location in the suburbs. Arrival is via a long driveway to the building that was likely a manor of sorts in the old world. We were greeted promptly and warmly by the door staff and directed to the front desk who worked efficiently to settle our affairs. Valet parking was offered that I forlorn as the parking lot is just a few minutes walk away through a lovely garden.Lobby hosts the library with comfortable and inviting seating and is the locale for afternoon teas and quiet reading. First impressions were excellent - the decor throughout were aesthetic, warm and luxurious; I was enchanted. Assigned room (south wing) was a few minutes sojourn through nicely decorated corridors with good lighting and views of the adjoining gardens and courtyards that were pleasing to the eye and added to the sense of comfort and calm with this establishment. Room (and bathroom) was of good size, was beautifully decorated with period furniture that reflected the age of the building, was fully functional - in terms of offerings, viz, climate control, electrical outlets, lighting, wifi, bathroom amenities, water pressure etc. However, of note, our room on the second floor had a smaller window than those on the lower floors - a small detail but make make a difference to those who prefer more light. The south wing hosted the primary restaurants (Wild Carrot and La Terrazza) that provided a great selection of offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Service staff at the restaurants and throughout were attentive, friendly and efficient - I appreciated their attention to detail during our short stay. Family also partook in their spa offerings that provided great service. The pool and play areas were also great that I could see provided good entertainment for younger guests. There were many other offerings of activities - that we did not engage because of time - but would consider if revisiting (which I plan to) that included, horse riding, clay shooting and fishing plus others - that I can see would make this a great destination vacation in its own right with families. The hotel is also conveniently located to many local attractions in Winchester and Salisbury for example that nicely complemented our visit prior to attending the wedding. This is a quintessential luxurious Four Seasons in an amazing locale for an entertaining and relaxing getaway with family and friends.

Do not go to this hotel if you want a peaceful, relaxing, calm escape! It is filled with unruly, noisy children who wake you up early and fill the dining room with constant shouting and noise. This is because it’s Four Seasons policy not to charge for food for under 5s or for their accommodation and so the hotel is over-run by families. Parents allow children to take scooters and footballs into the dining room and let them run around allowing them to spoil the environment for other guests. Seemingly the hotel staff can do nothing to stop this. They are able to stay in the dining room til 10pm spoiling a whole evening. A special birthday weekend was ruined. It’s a beautiful location, building and spa but all unenjoyable because it’s become like Centre Parks. Four Seasons needs to think about its policy or make it clear that this hotel is only really for families. The staff are kind and helpful but when you’re paying thousands per night this is entirely unacceptable. If you’re a couple wanting a romantic weekend getaway I suggest this is not the place for you. This is not a luxury or refined hotel as it’s become a children’s holiday play park.

What a lovely hotel in such a wonderful location. The grounds are beautiful and perfect for a walk in nature. The room was spacious and elegant, and the amenities made our stay all the more fun. I came for my birthday and would recommend to all! I want to mention Elliot Chaytor who took great care of us from beginning to end. We will be sure to visit again and hope to see him soon!

Just wanted to recognize how lovely I’ve been treated by Clara, the assistant front office manager. Over the last couple of year Four Seasons has truly upped their game and that’s thanks to having people like Clara as part of their team.

We stayed, a couple, for two nights, and it was a hugely disappointing stay. Whilst the room and breakfast were what you’d expect of Four Seasons, sadly everything else was a poor imitation of the Four Seasons brand. I say this for a number of reasons: - the restaurant was loud and it’s clear it’s catering for families, not couples. - I had a very expensive ribeye steak that was truly awful. - a 5-star hotel should feel welcoming and luxurious: this hotel has some serious issues in this regard: (1) the swimming pool has the feel of a public swimming pool with hardly any space to relax; (2) the bar has no atmosphere, rather it feels likes it’s an afterthought. After one dreadful whisky sour, we gave cocktails a wide berth! (3) one of the main corridors at the entrance was lined up with baggage trolleys, like walking through a storage room!! I suppose it did set the standard for the whole stay.