I stayed here for the first time recently to visit friends. Being a solo female traveller (along with pet dog), it is always pleasant to find a hotel where the staff are as friendly andf helpful as they were at the Carnarvon Arms. My room was very clean and pleasant. The food was definitely of a high standard, and service always came with a smile. Thank you everyone for making my stay so enjoyable, I will be back..

Stayed in the Carnarvon Arms on the 21st March (room 116) and had a few negative experiences which soured what should have been a pleasant business trip.

The room itself was clean but the overpowering stench of the sewers through the drains in the bathroom was really unpleasant. When I complained about this the young man behind the reception desk had the reaction, "Oh My God! No ones ever mentioned that before"...and that was it.
Ordered two drinks (1 pint of lager and 1 glass of wine) which came to £9.50. The ovens weren't working therefore we were offered a set menu, we all opted for a crab starter which was pleasant enough. I ordered cod, tiger prawns and chorizo for my main - the portion was tiny, the chorizo was one small slice cut into 3 and we weren't offered any bread, potatoes, veg, chips etc. as a side.
In the morning we went for the full english breakfast which was decent if somewhat bland. The most disappointing aspect was the orange juice which wasn't fresh and instead was a jug of orange cordial.

Overall a poor experience for the £90 room and we won't go back.

Despite eating during a very busy time, and asking numerous questions about the new menu, the overall feel and service during my stay was "Bespoke" as the new manager highlighted to me. Bespoke is the new Brand too.

I was very happy, with the Bedroom, Wi-Fi, Food and the Shower and Freebies OOps!

If I am ever going to Winchester again, I will actually make the effort to stop at Burghclere rather than stop at Newbury or drive to Winchester in the furture.

We booked in advance at this hotel but on arrival at our room (carrying our bags through several fire doors and corridors with no help offered by staff), we could hear racing, noisy traffic. We went back down to reception (carrying our bags through several fire doors and corridors) and were given keys for another room. On arrival at this second room, we found the bed had been slept in and a dirty coffee cup was at the bedside (a tired member of staff?). We went back down to reception for the third time (carrying our bags through several fire doors and corridors) and were given keys for a third room. Again, this was noisy and by this time we were totally fed up so we left and booked in somewhere else.