Whatley Manor

We drove all the way from London to WHATLEY MANOR, the location is really rural bit quiet. IT IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL MANOR SINCE 1929. We booked a suite room and upgraded to extra single bed for my son and cost 150£, which is considered very expensive. We booked for 2 nights and it cost us 1500£, [ breakfast included ] in my opinion is very pricey for this location. I think their selling points are spa, sauna, thermal room , hydro pool but for Asian , it is too common for us.The beds are very comfortable, room is very spacious and cozy, provide good quality amenities. They have really beautiful garden good for walking and reading books. Beside price, everything is good.

We stayed for one night to celebrate our wedding anniversary on the "Starry Night" package which included a half bottle of sparkling wine and tasting menu. We booked a Classic Room which overall was fine but lacked some basic facilities, i.e. there was no dressing table with mirror to sit at and do your hair/makeup and the room was north facing and very dim with having no decent lighting. There are no overhead lights, just 3 dim table lamps and a 90's style standing lamp which uses the only really accessible plug, therefore to dry your hair you have to plug the hairdryer into the standing lamp socket (and pray there is enough daylight to see what you're doing as you can't use both) and use the wardrobe mirror as shown in the attached pic. We had fresh milk in the fridge for tea/coffee and more was brought without being asked which was a nice touch. The bed was very comfy with good quality linens and we slept well. The grounds and garden are beautiful, so well kept and perfect for a stroll before dinner. We visited the spa on on arrival (early access was included in the package ) and facilities were very nice and clean and we enjoyed a light lunch which was very tasty before I had a pre-booked facial. The treatment was fine (I've had more facials in my time than I'd like to admit!) but did feel it was overpriced even taking the location into account. The highlight of the stay was the 7 course tasting menu. We chose the matching wine flight to accompany it and the whole evening was just splendid; quality, taste and presentation of the food and the friendly professional staff to deliver the whole experience. Actually being in the kitchen for one of the courses was a genius touch, so clever! Overall we very much enjoyed our stay and would return but at this price point being able to see and blow dry my hair easily should be included in the room rate!

Absolutely incredible hotel! The staff were all helpful and friendly. The room was gorgeous and comfortable. I'd stay her again in a heartbeat! We spoiled ourselves with the Dining experience, and it was fabulous! I'm coeliac and it's there first time I've felt truly catered for. The spa facilities were also excellent.

This is a truly wonderful English country hotel, and one that sticks to its traditions and roots. It is certainly a place at which I will stay again, if in the area. The welcome was very friendly and super-efficient, with a real personal touch. There was also ample parking, as well as someone to park the car should you so wish. I think they might invest in another couple of charging stations, though, since the numbers of plug-in hybrids and EVs will only increase and there are only two chargers at the moment. The room was fabulous; large and very comfortable. There were free soft drinks in the mini-bar and a very good range of amenities, together with ample hanging and shelf space. The bathroom was looking a little tired, and in need of a refresh. However, I liked the products that were on offer, and appreciated that there were no fiddly bottles of (eco-unfriendly) soap, shampoo and conditioner. Breakfast was absolutely excellent, and we really appreciated the fact that the room was always made up and ready once we had returned from breakfast. The lounge area was a treat; spacious and comfortable and the perfect spot for afternoon tea or to read the papers or a book. There was a slight tendency for staff to hide in the bar area, and a slightly more proactive look-out for customers in the lounge was sometimes needed. The gardens are also an absolute delight.

We very much enjoyed our stay at Whatley Manor. The atmosphere and the setting are very pleasant to the eye. We booked a superior room in the main house and were surprised with an upgrading to a junior suite. The room was extremely large with all the amenities you can expect. The coffee and tea facilities were not as good as in other hotels which we stayed at but I expect if you asked for it, it would have been provided. The bathroom although very much on the smaller side was quite modern and had a super shower and floor heating. Greys restaurant: We ate twice at Greys restaurant which is also the breakfast room. The breakfast buffet has a very small choice which is rather unusual for a hotel of this category but you would have probably acquired what you wanted if you asked for it. Hot breakfast was served on cook to order basis. The dinner menu choice was somewhat on the smaller scale. The food was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. The service although very friendly was sometimes rather slow especially on the terrace. We didn’t try the spa and the pool is really only for dipping. We didn’t try the Dining room since we found the price rather high. There are no other eating alternatives within walking distance, you’ll have to take the car. (Approximately 5 minutes drive is the ‘Cat and Custard’ which offers quite good food) As to the hotel’s location: Although the hotel is on quite a large piece of land there are no walking paths off the road. The road from the hotel which leads to several walks has no pavements and there is a fair amount of traffic so it’s extremely dangerous to venture along the road. To put it shortly not really good for walks. You’ll have to take the car. We did miss something, the turndown service in the room. A five star hotel normally provides this service. I most certainly would recommend a stay at Whatley Manor. It’s a beautiful place to stay at and has a personal touch.

Celebrating my wife's birthday we booked a "culinary celebration" at Whatley Manor. The superior room we had (Number 10) was excellent, dual aspect overlooking the extensive ground, which are a riot of colour. A huge room with seating area, dressing area, bath/shower , fridge etc and a very large comfy bed. Our Michelin taster menu (10 courses) was absolutely brilliant with accompanying wine as suggested by Anton, the sommelier. Special shout out to Clare the maitre d' - who was so friendly, welcoming and enthusistically explained, along with other staff, the food courses we were about to enjoy. Our more traditional dinner in Grey's the following evening was also very good. The two minor glitches which downgraded the marking was our starter in Grey's was served before we had finished our appetizer and the coffee service at breakfast seemed overwhelmed when a few more customers arrived. But overall we very much enjoyed our stay and would recommend the hotel for those special occasions !

It was a long time bucket list item to visit Whatley Manor and our stay definitely lived up to our expectations. From the first moment we received very professional but at the same time friendly and personal service. The room was fantastic and the gardens are obviously stunning. We also very much enjoyed the well equipped gym and spa. Food at Greys is delicious (both for breakfast and dinner) and the gluten free afternoon tea is a must (especially the scones). We would love to visit again.

It can be a little bit worrying going back to a place where you have had a previous wonderful experience - will it live up to expectations? Expectations were even surpassed. Whatley is an amazing place from the building itself to the people looking after you; from the reception, the lovely lady cleaning the windows, the gardeners – the dining crews - absolutely everyone and not forgetting chef Ricki Weston – they all have time for you. The hotel is pure serenity – if you cannot relax at Whatley, then you’ll never relax anywhere. Please visit – relax – above all, feel treasured - enjoy!

An absolutely exquisite manor hotel with many amenities and exceptional staff. From our arrival where Sebastian squired us around to introduce us to the hotel to our departure, staff were accommodating, professional and yet accessible. We had a superior room with a very comfortable bed and seating area. The bathroom was stocked with everything you could need. Afternoon tea was wonderful and they did a fabulous job accommodating my gluten/cow dairy allergies. One piece of feedback- The artificial scent which permeated the Manor was brutal on my allergies. It was strong and even included in my laundry. (Which I could not wear upon its’ return) Please consider a natural clean scent. We would totally love to return but after three days of exposure to the scent (and a dozen allergy pills) I would have to consider that.