I have now had two occasions to visit The Elvetham - this summer for a friends wedding and then last week for a conference with my company.

The wedding was superb and anyone who has ever visited this place will know how impressive it is. The staff looked after everyone so well and I know some of us were very demanding. Food was good too!

Then last week for another two-day conference. Maybe I am the minority but I always dread these company inflicted blights on my life and I was not looking forward to this one even though I knew The Elvetham.

The staff are excellent as they made my fellow conscripts and myself so welcome. We were treated as if we were human beings which is more than can be said for many other hotels and conference centres. The rooms are latest spec and everywhere is spotless.

The food was excellent even though I heard from the staff that they are in the middle of a huge kitchen upgrade.

I can not recommend this place highly enough.

While the setting was gorgeous, the hotel itself is a shabby, run down conference hotel with poor service and virtually no amenities. The food was bland and reminded me of school dinners. It is completely overpriced as well. I could see it as a run-of-the-mill business conference center, but I would never have a wedding or a party in such a dump!!

I had no idea such places existed! I booked a room as I needed to be in the area before a heavy day of meetings and travel and thought The Elvetham would be interesting. It was also selling bedrooms at a fantastic price (compared to others I looked at in the same area).

On arrival, you can tell it is privately owned. Not a corporate alarm bell in sight. The car park is a fair way from the reception but on a fine summer evening after an hour in the car I needed the walk.

I was received graciously and taken to my room by a charming chap who told me how much he enjoyed working there. A good start, I thought.

Well the room was OK and nothing to write home about. Functional and three star (as it seems to be listed) and certainly not the worst three-star room I have stayed in. A little tired but ok.

The bar was busy with course attendees which was fine; there were other single travellers there too, though.

Dinner was good. The food again was nothing special but very much home cooked, good hearty food from a limited choice menu. I liked it and could not really fault it.

The night's sleep was good on a comfortable bed and breakfast was superb. I love the selection of grains, fruits and yogs. The cooked breakfast would have been great if it was the weekend but I needed to be sharp for the meetings ahead. A lovely breakfast in the conservatory and a nice experience.

At every encounter, the staff seemed so happy to please. They spoke highly of each other, their boss and the owners. What a happy place to be.

Overall, I couldn't fault it, for the price, and I will be returning. I travel regularly in the UK and US and it is rare to come across such a fine place, doing what it is meant to and so graciously.

The place was absolutely beautiful, the lawns and gardens especially. A friend had the honeymoon suite, so I know how beautiful that was, with a balcony overlooking the gorgeous grounds of the hotel. I had a smaller room, which served its purpose, but the shower was so tiny that if I put my head under the water, my back would turn the shower off (I'm a normal size human being). However, the worst part of the hotel was the food. I know that England is not known for its food, but I am not at all a picky eater or a harsh judge of food, and the food at this place made me sick. Even walking around the hotel during the day, one could smell the food cooking and it was horrendous. Dinner was especially horrible, every sauce completely inedible, and all meat cooked so much that it was unrecognizable. The place was gorgeous, but I suggest that if you go, you pack all meals in your suitcase.