newfrequent

I got a similar response from them for a two night stay, I debated with them for a bit and then they offered a table on both nights. However when we arrived for dinner both nights the restaurant was less than 50% full, It reminded me of queuing for a bad Mayfair nightclub in my youth.

newfrequent

I really didn't rate Cliveden highly, I had a 3 night stay a few week ago and left a night early as my partner and I were thoroughly bored. Our room was sold as having AC, which we were surprised at in such an historic property, the AC was pretty pathetic so I couldn't sleep at all. The food and the general service was well below the bar that was being charged for, the staff did not look happy and the managers were far more concerned with filming an internal video than helping. I haven't complained to my TA about a hotel before, however I did this time and got offered a free night, I might chance it in November when it is colder.

However I'd definitely do the private boat ride again.

vuittonsofstyle

The Wild Rabbit has become to successful that it no longer thinks it needs to try. Pity, as it started off very well.

SSO

Sorry to hear that and a bit surprised. Since the hotel changed hands a few years ago, we have always had great experiences at Cliveden. My wife recently wrote an article on it: karenable.com - Cliveden House

MacMyDay

We stayed in Royal Crescent Bath over the weekend, due to attending a friends wedding. I've already stayed in Bath's other 5 star luxury properties, The Gainsborough and The Bath Priory, so I wanted to see what it had to offer. A whole lot of nothing, is the short answer. Truly one of the worst hotels I've stayed in for a very long time - it is no wonder it is no longer part of Relais & Ch teaux. I'm not entirely sure how it's even a 5 star hotel, seeing that they only do evening turndown if requested and don't have anyone at reception past 8pm; both surely minimum requirements.
It clearly has feelings of grandeur too, as their fine dining - which I will admit was a rare shine of light - was priced equivalent to a London Michelin star restaurant, and rooms are similarly priced to The Connaught.

Some of my least favourite memories:

• Welcome gift was some fruit covered in plastic
• The room was badly maintained, with visible leaking from above
• The bed was just two single beds put together. The beds must have been stolen from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set, as my feet came off the end of the bed
• We could hear footsteps, music and the occasional not-suitable-for-children bed squeaking from other rooms
• Almost the entire staff are English, and it is a little known fact that us English are born with a defect that makes us useless at hospitality
• The way every member of staff spoke to us, except the clearly experienced, kind and professional French sommelier, was like we were a hinderance to their day.
• Toiletries were never replenished, so they expected us to use a small bottle of shower gel for 3 days
• Housekeeping didn't bother doing basics, like emptying the bins
• Water was never replenished, so almost-empty bottles were left by our bedsides
• Breakfast was awful
• During dinner, some guy was in the hallway playing a keyboard. It felt like some 1980s entertainment tribute to a long-lost era on Brighton Pier.
• The spa is deceptively small compared to the website pictures. It was full the entire time - uncomfortably so, when there's so many in the single hot tub
• The facial treatment my fiancé had was, as expected by this stage, completely mediocre. It was delivered in a cold room, with minimum effort put in.
• Dinner was the only decent part of the trip, but it took 35 minutes just to receive an amuse-bouche

I have said several times that I'm not a fan of the majority of English countryside properties; no surprise when they can get away with producing such rubbish.

SilverSpoon

I've stayed here and wasn't a fan either. Even my husband who isn't fussy at all said it's not a patch on Lime Wood or Coworth Park. It was a few years ago but I remember small overpriced rooms and badly maintained public areas.

The location is nice though.

MacMyDay

I agree. Lime Wood and Coworth were actually what I had in mind when I decided against saying "all" rather than "majority of". Along with Chewton Glen and parts of Lucknam Park. Whatley Manor used to be great, yet then the head chef left and took his 2 Michelin stars with him, and a refurb became badly overdue - apparently it's coming this year though, so there's hope. They have already refurbished the dated brasserie.

Beaverbrook may well be great, but I'm not going until the spa is finished. It's been repeatedly delayed, so I'll suspect that is now going to be next Spring.

Pausanias

I'm underwhelmed by the Royal Crescent. However, being in perhaps the most famous and most revered street in Britain they are incredibly limited in what they can do to the interior of the building, although service standards are not, I think, affected by Grade I status.

Bath is now over-run by tourists and has lost a lot of its appeal. I know Bath quite well and my memory goes back as far as the great Hole in the Wall restaurant run by George Perry-Smith. That restaurant is long gone. The latest Michelin guide awards a new star to the Olive Tree, the restaurant in the Queensberry Hotel. Nearby Lucknam Park (and also Whately Manor) retains its single star rating. In London, btw, Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley has been demoted from two to one star.

SilverSpoon

Oh that's good, this was my room when I stayed at Whatley! The hospitality was lovely though.

offerendum

Special

Pausanias

Earlier this week we spent a night at Hartwell House near Aylesbury. It is one of three UK hotels operated by the National Trust. It is also part of the Relais & Chateaux consortium. As a Club 5C member I booked through the R&C website and received from the hotel absolutely nothing. We enquired about an upgrade and was told the hotel was full - this was absolutely not the case. I wrote a review on TripAdvisor and got a rather abusive response from the manager who was nowhere to be seen when we were there. This is obviously a place where the customer is always wrong.

Apart from the dreadful food, the hotel is fairly good - a fabulous Grade I building. We did ask why our huge bathroom lacked a walk-in shower and the receptionist said everyone asks about that but the management want to preserve the hotel in all its period splendour. Mmmm.

Kagehitokiri

ask to see what is available, then ask why no offer was made.

i recently learned online reservations continue to sell rooms even after hotel is completely sold out. odd.

is 5C upgrade published as "one-category" ?

200 03 single
240 04 hartwell queen
325 16 king - 14 main + 2 hartwell
425 10 hartwell - 6 court suite + 4 gallery suite
430 09? - 02? classic four poster / 07 - 6 royal + 1 royal four poster
585 04 royal four poster corner
690 01 duc de berry suite
750 01 lee suite
000 01 3.5BR rectory

changing subject, added last summer >
lucknampark.co.uk/keepers-cottage/
lucknampark.co.uk/new-keepers-cottage-lucknam-park/

Pausanias

Did anyone see the first of the new four-part/four-hour documentary on Cliveden which aired last night on Channel 4? It was fascinating and horrifying at the same time. You do have to wonder if this is the sort of PR Cliveden wants or needs as it came across as bling central with the tackiest guests you can imagine and that might include Meghan Markle. The staff came across as utterly charming, somewhat envious of their guests' wealth and in a few cases genuinely funny. And there was a lovely young woman who oversees the hotel's obviously lucrative wedding business and adored the middle-aged gay couple who occupied the Astor Suite. She was someone who seems to live vicariously and pined for her own wedding. After this she'll have plenty of offers.

The BBC has a two-parter on the Corinthia, London, starting this week.

vuittonsofstyle

I did see it and tend to agree with you. Maybe it was done to raise their TripAdvisor rating.

Kagehitokiri

necker 'documentary' conveniently left out how many staff (at virgin limited edition properties owned by branson) are dating each other, and are otherwise in relationships. as that drops the sensationalism factor

frankly i would not 'trust' (vs verify) anything as being accurate in any way, considering state of media these days, let alone 'reality' television (reality not real enough)