Cliveden House

Every person we came across, from porters to reception, dining room to Astor Grill, cleaning staff to workers at the spa and the waiters and mixologists in the lounge was so welcoming, friendly and helpful. We absolutely adored our stay with you. It really is a uniquely beautiful place and you all make it so. The food and drinks are delicious - my son said your breakfast smoked salmon is the best he’s ever had. And your gin martini was perfection (not easy to achieve!) The spa is wonderful - I went early and got to enjoy both pools, hot tub, sauna and steam room before 8am! Even in December being outdoors was delightful. The surrounding grounds and National Trust site were enjoyed by us and our dogs very much too. The dogs had a ball and were able to roam freely around most of the hotel (except for dining room and spa) - this is unique to Cliveden in my experience and made it so easy for us. 5/5, 10/10, 100% perfect score from me!

My husband and I went for one night to celebrate an anniversary, we were expecting a luxury stay as advertised on the social media platforms etc. Total cost of the night including a suite, meals and wine was just under 3k. What we were met with was an absolute circus of an afternoon tea set up. I am all up for hotels benefitting from external guests but by the end of the afternoon the entire restaurant and main lobby was crammed full of people having afternoon tea akin to a garden centre cafe with kids racing around everywhere screaming. The hotel guests were squeezed into a small bar with bad service, highlighting that the people actually spending money were indeed an after thought. The whole set up was blatant so hotel management clearly don't care about actual guests. I'd avoid staying, or maybe go for afternoon tea as you'll be treated better...

We travelled to Cliveden for my surprise birthday present, being my 60th, was on our bucket list having been around as a Trust member some 35 years ago. The house is stunning and was initially made very welcome, booking in to room Barry. A lovely room all that we wanted from our visit. Had an evening meal in the Astor Grill which was very good. In the morning after a delightful sleep we went to breakfast which took longer than necessary due to some rather unenthusiastic staff. But we didn’t let it spoil the occasion. We had another meal at the grill on Saturday night, which again was excellent. Wind and rain persisted all day and night and had wind howling through the window all night. But again accepted this given the beauty and age of the building. We went down for breakfast, where all of our issues began. We had to wait for a table, but given the previous event at the house resulted in a high level of guests. We were called through and sat at our table with little explanation of where the continental breakfast could be found and waited for one of the breakfast staff to bring a menu. This arrived after 5 or so minutes. Eventually we had to ask one of the waiters if we could order . The waiter seemed less than impressed with our polite request, told to wait and he would be back. He duly arrived back and with distain asked what we wanted, with little courtesy or manners. We had now been in the breakfast room around 20 minutes. We watched other guests come in, be seated and receive teas and coffees, fruit juices, toast and their meals, whilst we still waited patiently. We waited for an hour but nothing arrived, not even a piece of toast. To say we were disappointed was an understatement, to be left and ignored as the staff passed by and seemingly looked through us. Patience wearing thin we got up and went straight to reception to query such treatment. To be honest I was more than a little annoyed. The front desk was very sorry, but our treatment on such an occasion detracted completely from what was supposed to be a luxury weekend. It has now left a bitter taste and disappointment that has usurped the magic of the house. The breakfast room is a mess, with no organisation, no personality and no order or structure. We drove home in disappointment rather that what a wonderful weekend we had. It is off the bucket list now but with a tinge of sadness that it was far from perfect.

We are semi regular guests at Cliveden and we always enjoy Sunday Lunch in the main Dining Room. Yesterday was no exception, the food was delicious and the staff were very attentive. It was our wedding Anniversary so they really helped to make it a special day. Duarte forgive us if we have misspelt his name, welcomed us and made sure of having our favourite table by the window. The rest of the staff really made sure we were enjoying our visit. The food is 5 star as is the ambiance making for a great lunch.

Fast becoming my favourite place! After staying here with my husband, teenage son and dog in the summer I came back with my mum and sister for afternoon tea. I was so pleased they got to see the service, atmosphere, and quality was as amazing as I’d described. Thank you for making to a special Christmas outing.