Buckland Manor

My visit to Buckland Manor on March 13th was meant to be a joyful celebration of my 70th birthday. Instead, it turned into one of the most disappointing and embarrassing experiences I’ve ever had at a hotel — let alone one claiming Relais & Châteaux status. Despite physically presenting my voucher weeks beforehand, we were publicly challenged on arrival and asked to PROVE that champagne was included. Being interrogated in front of other guests on my birthday was humiliating and completely avoidable. The hotel already had every detail on file. The vegan “CHAMPAGNE” afternoon tea was shockingly poor: no plant cream for the scones, shop‑bought cakes, and two bowls of sorbet passed off as part of the tea. This is not luxury hospitality — it’s corner‑cutting. What has made this even worse is the silence that followed. I submitted a detailed formal complaint to Buckland Manor, its group parent, Brownsword (owner plus management) and Relais & Châteaux. Relais & Châteaux confirmed that my complaint had been forwarded to the General Manager, Marcellin Hardouin, for direct follow‑up but he has not responded. For a property that trades on prestige and exceptional service, this level of disregard — both during the experience and afterwards — is astonishing. My friends’ generous gift was wasted, and my milestone birthday was overshadowed by poor service and complete indifference. I cannot recommend Buckland Manor, and I would urge anyone expecting true Relais & Châteaux standards to look elsewhere

We had a great birthday weekend. We had a lovely welcome by Sam, and the restaurant staff were hard-working, courteous, attentive and professional - very well led by Tegan. The menu was as good as we had expected. Your Hungarian colleague graciously advised us on things to do in Broadway. We enjoyed the walk over the hill. The Manor itself is a wonderful, very comfortable place, nestled away in a quiet and stunningly attractive surround brightened, on our visit, by all the daffodils and other spring bulbs.

It was our first visit to Buckland Manor and we could not have been more pleased that we chose them to stay at Broadway for a couple of days. The staff -all of them- could not have been more welcoming and attentive. And they were all very cheerful and friendly and it makes a huge difference when you are staying somewhere for the first time. If we travel to that area again, we know where to stay.

We enjoyed a very special tea by the fireside. The staff were friendly and attentive. A lovely experience on a winter's afternoon.

We have been visiting Buckland Manor for over thirty years. The hotel is lovely and comfortable. We were very well looked after by the staff especially Sue, Sam, Anna and Sarah. It is lovely to get to know the staff and reminisce about the great times we had when Nigel and Simon the previous managers were there. We still love visiting as it is like coming home! The breakfasts were lovely and the chef was very accommodating changing sauces as my husband has a garlic allergy. Thank you and we hope to see you again next year.