The Montagu Arms

We stayed for one night which was fine. Wouldn’t have wanted to stay any longer. Yes it looks lovely and the gardens are nice but the rooms are small and facilities limited. There was a christening party in situ when we arrived and we struggled to get through and find the reception. And if you’ve got a wheeled suitcase good luck getting from the car park to the hotel. A continental Breakfast was included but anything cooked is an extra charge. The barman had to pop to the pub to get some crisps when we had a drink in the bar before dinner. Everything has 12.5% added as a service charge. They did give us a leaving pack of a couple of apples and bottles of water. The staff were friendly.

The afternoon tea was lovely, while waiting for our order they offered us some amuse-bouche, a lovely extra touch we really appreciated. The service was great, we did not get the name of the young lady who served us but we were impressed : she was attentive and we felt looked after.

We thoroughly enjoyed this Arts & Crafts period hotel, taking a comfortable first floor suite with views over its lovely well-stocked garden. The staff were welcoming and most helpful, while the restaurant fare – especially for breakfast – was very good. Note to self: Check beforehand that there are no wedding parties for most of the nights that one is staying.

We booked the Paris room for an anniversary, small group with some family and friends. We were only 12, but the room was really full with the big table and all the chairs, though comfortable space between guests. The young man who was in charged with our event on the evening was very friendly and professional, he made everything go smooth and without any problems. The choices of food from the function menu was very limited, I wished it would have been better considering it is priced at £50pp. The starters and the freshly baked bread and butter were excellent; the prawn cocktail, the choice of most of the guests, was one of the best we've ever had, the soup was also delicious. The deserts were also good. In regard to the mains, the meat choices had better portion of sides, the chicken supreme was good, but the guests who had the beef found it too tough. For the fish choice, the plaice was very tender and tasty, good size, but it came with a tiny stem of broccoli, almost raw and some other green leaves that were raw and very bitter (supposed to be chard, but looking more as kale, not quite sure what it was in the end)! I've been left with a bitter taste in experiencing my main... even though I did have a really nice Montagu triple chocolate ice cream to finish my dinner! All the other guests who chose the fish had the same unpleasant "adventure" with very little raw side vegetables; we wished we would have had some potatoes along as the other two meat main dishes...

We stayed for 4 nights at this excellent hotel. We had a courtyard room and it was splendid. Spacious, airy, well fitted and well kept etc. Bathroom also had a spacious feel and was again well kept. All the staff whom we came across were welcoming, positive, enthusiastic, can-do and professional. The restaurant was "traditional”, amply staffed so service was good, and the food enjoyable. Similarly the public rooms were of good standard. The gardens were a well tended and relaxing feature. Our overall experience then of the hotel was excellent so much so that we look forward to a further stay.

We had an wonderful two nights stay at this beautiful hotel in October 23. The stay was a prize in draw I entered to support the girl choristers from Ely Cathedral & very generously donated by a Director. We stayed in Hazel, a Courtyard Suite - such a beautiful suite with an enormous bathroom with rolled top bath and a walk in shower - the rest of the suite was just as beautiful with lovely linens and comfy seating. The gardens surrounding the hotel and suites were beautifully kept too. It was a delight and we couldn't believe how lucky we were to be staying there. The Terrace restaurant and Monty's Inn were lovely too, delicious breakfasts and meals. There were a lot of very well behaved dogs staying with their owners but these were kept out of the main restaurant so no trouble for anyone who might be nervous of dogs. We walked from the hotel to the motor museum amongst the donkeys, pigs and ponies and had another walk the following day to Buckler's Hard - all very interesting and easy to get to. In all it was a wonderful break in a part of the country we had not been to before, we will definitely be back.

Without exception the staff were efficient, friendly, polite and always helpful. The food and service was excellent. We would certainly visit again.

A lovely return visit to the New Forest and the Montagu Arms never disappoints. From arrival to departure the rooms,food and service are all excellent and all the staff are so friendly and professional they really make this hotel with a mention of Matt the gardener whom we meet on arrival tending the lovely gardens who promptly took our luggage and carried to the rooms for us now that is service.

We had a wonderful weekend stay and greatly enjoyed the comfort of the hotel, the delightful garden and much appreciated the kind friendliness and attention of all the staff. The food was excellent, in the main dining room and at Monty's, and we were especially pleased with the celebration dinner, with a delicious menu, arranged in the private dining room.