We stayed at Hambleton Hall for three nights during October 2007. Not much to say really except possibly one of the best small hotels you will find in the UK.

Just a stroll away from the beautiful Rutland Water. The food is the best I’ve tasted anywhere. Service fantastic. If you want a relaxing, quiet, refined hotel to stay then go to Hambleton Hall. Exquisite.

My partner and I recently stayed (midweek) at Hambleton Hall with friends who are interested in birds. The house overlooks an enormous and beautiful lake so it's handy for the twitchers.

Apart from the birds the main event at Hambleton is eating and my partner and I had the best meal we can remember since a visit to 'the Square' last year. The Maitre D told us that Game is a big speciality so Derek had a Grouse but I stuck to fish and had some incredibly sweet and fresh tasting Scallops followed by Sea Bass. The wine waiter suggested something about £10 cheaper than the wine we had been considering. It was great and unexpected (from Roussillon).

Our room (called Bay) had a brilliant view of the gardens and lake. It's quite small for the price (£270) but after spending some time in the room (a lie in) we started noticing a mass of details that gave us a great sense of comfort and understated luxury. The pillows were so soft, the coffee coloured linen on the walls, the comfy velvet chairs on which we sat to have our breakfast and the smiley girls who brought the breakfast trays all added up to a joyful sense that we had come to the right place. Hambleton is scarcely Hip so Derek was surprised and relieved to find a broadband connexion in our room.

Our share of the bill was £527, which is plenty, but we left feeling that the reputation is well deserved.

We have just returned from a one night stay at Hambleton Hall. We have been trying to go there for ages, as we are working our way around the Midlands Michelin starred restaurants, and prefer to stay over if it's too far to get a taxi.

We had read and heard a lot about it, how fantastic and romantic it was, and were really looking forward to it, but unfortunately have returned rather disappointed.

The hotel itself is in a lovely setting, with great views to the lake and pretty (but small) grounds. Our room was fine, we had Acorn, classed as "Superior", it was £295 for one night. Wouldn't say it was over or under priced, but the price we anticipated knowing the reputation of the hotel. I think it's the smallest of the superior rooms.

We had a problem when booking, as the booking was confirmed with one member of reception staff, who said she would e-mail with confirmation. A week later when nothing had arrived my partner rang them, spoke to a different member of staff who confirmed the booking, took the credit card details, and confirmed the time for dinner etc (8.30pm cocktails for 9pm sit down).

A few days later he got a call from the original member of staff saying that we had not yet confirmed, she still had the room held, dinner was at 7.30pm, did we want the booking?

Having advised her of the subsequent conversation with the other staff member and got that sorted, we were then looking forward to our visit.

The basic problem is service. The food is fine, but we question whether it is worthy of a Michelin star. We have eaten in a lot of 1/2/3 star Michelin restaurants, and on the whole this did not match up. It was fine, but not exceptional (which is what you expect of Michelin starred restaurants, to be honest).

Here's what we experienced service-wise.

We got to the lounge at 8.30pm and ordered drinks. G&T and strawberry daiquiri. 20 minutes later, we were still waiting for them. We got an apology from the Maitre d', who said the daiquiri was being made "behind the scenes" hence the delay. If they had told us it would take nearly half an hour I would have ordered something else. In the time we were waiting we were brought the menus to peruse.

Drinks finally arrived, very nice, people coming and going through the lounge, and it became obvious we would be the last to sit down.

We ordered the tasting menu, and I asked if it was possible to swap the main course (venison) for something else, beef or duck? My partner wanted to stick with the venison. THe answer came back, "no, both of you can change but not just one of you". I don't think I have ever been refused something like this in a Michelin establishment - Martin Wishart in Edinburgh being a prime example of a restaurant that will bend over backwards to alter their set or tasting menus if there's something one person doesn't like. It's not as though we wanted one of us to have a 6 course tasting menu and the other go a la carte. We also asked if we could insert a cheese course prior to dessert, the answer was yes, they would ask us nearer the time.

At 9.20, ie 20 mins after we should have been seated, we were asked to come through to the table. I pointed out that we had not had any canapés (having seen people around us enjoying them we quite fancied them!). Another apology, and 5 mins later they appeared.

Good wine advice from the sommelier, and he didn't try pushing us onto more expensive wines, which was nice.

We sat down at 9.30, and by 10.30pm had been rather rushed through 5 courses, including a complimentary amuse bouche. 5 courses in an hour - we did have the impression they wanted us in and out fast.

Although we had reminded the waiter at the beginning that we might want cheese, we were never offered it, despite the cheese trolley being wheeled past us at least 4 or 5 times.

Towards the end of the meal, they tried pouring someone else's decanted wine into my partner's glass.

When we went back through to the lounge for coffee, we were brought some petit fours, ready placed on the serving plate. Everyone else that we had seen in the lounge and restaurant had had the petit fours tray (bit like a cigar tray) brought to them, and they could choose their own.

Total bill for one night and dinner, nearly £600, which you feel happy about paying if you get top notch service and food, but less so if it didn't come up to scratch.

In summary, if the service had been what it should have, we would have come away smiling, as it was, I think it needs some serious attention if Hambleton Hall is to live up to its hype.

My partner and I spent 2 nights at Hambleton Hall over the last week-end. I myself had staid there 7 years ago. I found the property at least as nice as I remembered it.

The settings are beautiful. Beautiful garden in front of the main building, with commanding views over Rutland water, although big trees are in the foreground.

The decoration still is very cosy-british, which is basically what most people would come for in such a place anyway.
We had the cheapest room (Chota), still reasonably large. It was impossible to stand in the tub to take a shower, the ceiling was coming down. Restricted view over roofs and trees was still pleasant, and not an issue. Penhaligon's toiletries, which I incidentally happen to use personnally. Bedding slughtly to soft for my own taste. Nice Böse radio, but outrageously small and old TV set, especially when flat TVs come so cheap these days.

Service is just OK. When we stopped in the driveway, noone went out to take our luggage, nor to park the car. A nice lady took my records from my previous stay, but no one ever proposed ti carry my luggage. On the first evening, I asked for nice pub food, and the recommendation was not right. They directed us to the pub next door, which is a nice trendy place, serving nice food, but not the least pub-like.

Housekeeping could use some thorough training. I was really surprised. Day 1 : evening turndown was the most basic. They hanged back the towels I hadleft on the tub side. Day 2 : we did not have a single toiletry ; the bolt being stuck in the bathroom door, the door was impossible to simply shut and was never fixed although I had pointed it out. The best was that as I did wanted fresh towels at evening, I left the used ones on the floor, where they were picked up, and hanged again. Waow !

Restaurant is really nice, and had not left vivid memories backs some yeras ago. I guess it has thoroughly improved. Food is diversed, tasty, nicely set up and served.