Hi
We stayed in this hotel for one night mainly because of the good reviews on this site and the restaurant being in the "Michelin" guide and really enjoyed it.

We booked our room last minute and paid £120 each for Dinner, bed and breakfast.

The room, number 17, was very comfortable and clean. The only downside was it only had one chair. The bathroom, which was next to our bedroom, was clean the only criticism was it did not have a proper shower.

Dinner. We went for the taster menu for an extra £15.00. Eight courses and all exceptional. Breakfast again was another dining experience and sensational.

A few words of criticism about the hotel generally:-The hotel without dinner experience would have been a little disappointing. There are no leisure facilities such as a pool or gym. The cost of extras such as coffee in your room or lounge which could have been included.

Would we return? Yes we would but most probably for no more than one night at a time

Stayed here for a single night on a dinner, bed and breakfast deal (£265). The hotel was chosen for location (its in the middle of the New Forest) and michelin starred restaurant.

Starting with the food, we had a very enjoyable meal and would happily return and eat there again. Staff generally consisted of young French men, and whilst service was not what you'd call polished (surprising given the Michelin star), staff were very friendly and helpful so they're easily forgiven. In fact, they bent the rules for us allowing us to drink our own champagne in our room (against hotel policy apparently) providing us an ice bucket and flutes.

The hotel itself is lovely. A manor house within relatively large private grounds, which were lovely to stroll around and meet the fellow residents (horses, chickens, cats, sheep). Our room was pleasant, and the Molton Brown toiletries always appreciated.

To summarise, this place is well worth a stay, and offers good value given the quality of the food.

I must say, on reading some of these reviews, I'm starting to wonder if I stayed at a different hotel.

My wife, Babs, booked the stay at the beginning of September for several reasons, mainly as a surprise for my birthday and also to visit the Grandkids in Lymington.

As you drive up, the house is stunningly imposing (it takes your breath away). We were greeted by a lovely lady who showed us the public areas and took us up to the room for check-in. We stayed in Room 6, which had this great view over the grounds and a sleigh bed! We did get a peek at some other rooms, which were much smaller and naturally open to criticism. However, my lovely wife informs me that these are the cheaper rooms, so if a good view and a feature is important to you, perhaps book one of the rooms higher up their tariff!

Reception were incredibly helpful in planning a walk we wanted to do with the Grandchildren along the Beaulieu River. We were able to get sandwiches prepared, and a suitable route explained to us. As we are not from the area, this made the walk that little more stressfree and enjoyable.

In the evening, my wife had booked us a table in the Restaurant. I had heard great things about Chef Aitken's cuisine, and was not disappointed. Both him and his team obviously take great influence from their surroundings. Dishes such as New Forest Pork and this great Pannacotta we had really made it a meal to remember. However, the meal would have not been such a success without the amazing Restaurant Manager, Nico. He must have overheard us talking about it being my birthday, and when my dessert came, it had a "Happy Birthday" motif. I must say, it made my evening. It is this type of initiative that sets a good restaurant apart from an average one.

Whitley Ridge is not your typical Marriott on a bypass. I am puzzled by some of the other reviews, who don't seem to understand that this is quite simply a country house hotel. In most hotels we stay in, it is customary to be greeted at the door by smartly dressed staff and check-in completed in the room.

I have put some photos up (I have been trying to work out where this film goes in the digital camera for a while). We are going back for our Wedding Anniversary!

Me and my partner were recommended to eat and stay at this lovely hotel by a friend, and although we only stayed the one night, I am sure we will be going back again very soon.
The grounds around the hotel are well looked after and give you an immediate good feeling about what to expect inside...and it doesn't dissappoint!
After placing our stuff in the room, we sat down for our meal, with the waiters making us feel very welcome.

The food here was what I was really looking forward to, one reason being my friends lengthy mouth watering description of his "Special of the day" game, and secondly because I hadn't eaten since lunch and was starving! ;o)

For starter I had Scallop with a water cress salad that was beautifully seasoned and ticked all the right boxes for me.
Then as a main course (despite my friends description of the game) I had Monkfish which was accompanied by a good amount of baby vegetables and was absolutely beautiful. Not that this is a specific sea food restaurant, I was just in a seafood mood. The menu seemed to cater for many tastes.
To finish off, I had an apple and blackcurrant crumble which was again very pleasing and left a sweet taste in my mouth for the rest of the evening.

When we eventually retired to our room, we had a very comfortable night and the room was semi-modern yet fitted in with the new forest feel. (Although the view of the grounds probably helped somewhat!)

Overall a great place to visit, and although isn't cheap, the quality certainly makes up for it, and you definately get what you pay for.

Certainly Recommended!