Bottom line is that we had a wonderful dinner in the fish restaurant.... eventually! It was clear that the waiting staff were getting things mixed up. Our dinner was initially taken to another table. After a while it was rejected back to the kitchen then brought out to us... cold. Another wait, and dinner arrived, and as I said to start with - it was wonderful and worth the wait. Looking around it was obvious we weren't the only ones with this problem. I'm all for diversity in the workplace, but I got the impression that the root cause of the problem was that the waiting staff, whilst doing their best to be friendly, had extremely low levels of skills in the English language. I'm a restaurateur myself, and was even more stunned to find out that the entire dinner service for the fish restaurant was being done by only one junior chef - a mere 19 year old at that! He must have managed dinner for around 60 people (plus the obvious fact that some dinners had to be redone because of service issues). This young chef deserves a medal and in my view is one to watch out for in the future (I'd give him a job any day). On discretely quizzing some of the staff (they knew I'm in the trade) it turns out that it is the "norm" in this hotel for the kitchen to be understaffed - all the chefs doing massively over the 48hrs European weekly limit. It also sounds like most of the kitchen staff will move on quite soon unless something radical happens to improve their working conditions. I wouldn't normally comment on something like staffing, but it is extremely relevant - food might be great now, but if the team move on, any favourable review now will have little relevance in the weeks to come. A great shame.

We wanted a short trip away from the hustle and bustle.. Only a short drive to the New Forest and much better than all the preparations for a 2 day trip abroad. We booked on an internet site for 1 night with a meal incl. in the hotel's fantastic seafood restaurant or bistro if you prefer otherwise. We were welcomed with a bottle of wine and a fabulous cosy room overlooking the garden with views to the Solent and IOW. The room was tastefully decorated and the bed was probably the most comfortable we'd slept in at a hotel. The overall feel of the hotel is relaxing but yet with a very high standard. We had the most fantastic meal in the seafood restaurant which I'd thoroughly recommend. Time passed slowly and we certainly relaxed in the beautifully kept garden. We will definitely return to Stanwell as it exceeded our expectations.

We have just returned home from our stay at the Stanwell House Hotel, Lymington, where we had the most perfect 3-day stay. On arrival, we checked in to a very welcoming reception. 2 members of staff took our luggage, and 2 very cumbersome fruit baskets up to our room, and parked our car for us. What could have been a nightmare was made simple, and done with smiles all the way. The room was fabulous. - with a bottle of wine completing the welcome. On entering the delightful dining room in the evening, we were offered a menu that was extensive, elegant and imaginative. The food was mouthwatering. The staff were helpful, friendly and attentive - and obviously extremely well-trained.. The excellence and quality of the food displayed showed the care attention and craftsmanship of the chef''s team. The presentation of the food showed pure artistry from all the team involved. Our next visit cannot come soon enough. It was a perfect break, and is to be highly recommended. THANK YOU STANWELL HOUSE!! Zena and Alan Sloam.

We came down to the New Forest for a trip in memory of a very special friend who we lost in January this year. She was actually Australian but the New Forest was one of her favourite places in the UK. There were 25 of us who stayed at the Stanwell House Hotel and they looked after us and our 16 Harley-Davidson motorcycles impeccably. Nothing was a problem and every single need was catered for. Victoria was extremely professional, helpful and very caring. Her staff were superb. and the hotel was beautiful. We had dinner, bed & breakfast at the hotel. The food was unbelievable. I can honestly say that this is one of the all round best hotels I have ever stayed in and would not hesitate in recommending it to anyone. We will back in Lymington as soon as time allows it. Our sincere thanks to Victoria and all her staff for making this very special trip even more memorable.

The website looks great and this hotel had been recommended by friends, but a two-night stay here fell woefully short of our expectations. The good points are that breakfast is more than acceptable and is served in the bistro, which with the adjoining conservatory does indeed lead you to think that you are in a boutique hotel. Indeed the words 'boutique hotel' are stamped on everything, just in case you are tempted to think you are in nothing more than a country inn with pretensions to such a hotel. The truth is that beyond the ground floor are the twisting, uneven corridors, lined with grim engravings cheaply framed and ghastly Victorian daubs you'd expect in the former and the utter absence of any of the flair and impact you'd require in the latter. Our room at ?135/night included the good breakfast, but also a collection of tired old furniture, cracked window pane, stained carpet and grotty bathroom with a pathetic dribble of a shower. There's shabby chic ... Dinner in the seafood restaurant was laughably poor - insipid scallops, an overcooked piece of halibut on crushed potatoes with an indeterminate sauce of orange hue and a car-crash of a bouillabaisse - a mean puddle of gritty broth that looked as though it had come from a posh jar of lobster bisque garnished with a chewy langoustine and a couple of chunks of mystery fish. 'Garden' peas had been artfully cooked to resemble the frozen variety, all these treats washed down with an indifferent bottle of Albarino. I cannot recall having so little fun for ?110. Whoever was cooking should eat at Bluebird on the way to the quay one night - we had the freshest imaginable seafood cooked simply and respectfully, for half the price. Sorry, Stanwell House, but your product in this case was sorely overpriced. Perhaps other rooms offer good value, but our experience was anything but.