Ockenden Manor Hotel & Spa

We had a fantastic stay at Ockenden for my birthday weekend. We had the lively Thomas suite which was great for us. However, if you were 6ft plus this would not be the suite for you. We had the 3 course dining package including and the food was some of the best I’ve eaten for a long time. We used the spa both days and really enjoyed the outdoor hot tub. I had a treatment on the Friday and Saturday. Both were undertaken by professional staff. Will be back again.

Not enough people read the bad reviews because my issue echoed a lot of them on here. This hotel is over rated, over priced. The shift manager was managing the hotel, doing the bar and the restaurant server. His English was poor and people had to go to reception to order a drink at the bar. If you want to charge a lot then offer proper service with enough staff on. We had to get other guests to check how cold our room was as the shift manager did not want to get us a heater or move us until we all had to gang up to argue with him to move us. Receptionist refused to get involved and that's in her words. We were finally moved after we had our dinner, so had to move all or stuff after 5 hours of pleading with the manager. Explained this to general manager next day who insisted he was going to look into it.....after taking our money and offering feedback by email to which we never received. Go to a near by spa hotel with better service and less money and avoid this sham of a hotel trying to be upmarket with cheap service and no doubt underpaid staff who have to do more than one job on site. Spa side however is good and staff there helpful.

We recently enjoyed a family stay at Ockenden Manor, and overall, we had a wonderful time. The hotel is charming, the staff were friendly, and our room was comfortable, offering a great base to explore the surrounding area. The location and atmosphere are perfect for a family getaway, and we appreciated the family-friendly touches. However, we did have some feedback regarding two aspects of our stay. First, while Ockenden Manor is marketed as being dog-friendly, we were disappointed to discover that our dog wasn't allowed to join us in the dining room. This was a bit of a letdown, as we had expected to be able to include our furry friend during breakfast and dinner, especially given the hotel's dog-friendly positioning. It would be great if clearer guidelines could be communicated to avoid any confusion for other pet owners in the future. The second area for improvement was the spa. Although the facilities are nice, we found the experience to be far from relaxing. It seems the hotel has sold an excessive number of memberships to locals, which made the spa feel more like a busy leisure centre than a tranquil retreat. There were long queues for the only two showers available, and we couldn't even find a free locker to store our belongings. Unfortunately, this aspect of our stay was a bit stressful rather than serene, and we would recommend reconsidering the membership policies to preserve the calming atmosphere that one expects from a spa. In summary, our stay at Ockenden Manor was enjoyable, but these two factors did impact our experience. With a few adjustments, particularly in terms of its pet policy and the spa environment, this could be an excellent family destination.

This hotel is in a stunning country area and has a lot of ye olde world charm but it is very much behind the times. We had the top room and a 4 poster bed and a separate bathroom with a walk in shower (the only room that has a walk in shower). The bed is too soft and think the mattress needs replacing, the room is big and there are a lot of very old stairs so don't bring heavy luggage. WiFi isn't very strong. There are set times to eat and the dinner is pretty but small portions and doesn't really change much so because we stayed for 2 nights decided to eat elsewhere on the 2nd night as lunch again is similar. Breakfast is a bit boring... Buffet is small ...melon fruit salad and yogurt and cereals and the obligatory croissant. Hot food is ordered and is OK.. No pancakes or waffles or anything special. Also the dining room is very old fashioned but not in a good way. The building inside is tired, need new cushions and upholstery on the couches. Also the reception is like something from fawlty towers.. One guy and a phone and computer. The upside is the spa... Its great, small but has everything you want and I had the best massage but the gym is very small as is the studio area... they do smoothies but when I asked for protein powder to be added they looked bemused. The tea is scones and jams and cream and they were the best scones I've had.. They seriously need to update their 'look,' of shabby chic and need to look at their dining options. The staff are lovely but seem too robotic. To be honest we go abroad loads and want to try and visit more of the UK but this place is more of a bed and breakfast with tea and dinner thrown in....shame.. We love hotels that have a bit more about them and unfortunately this one doesn't have that. . Just wanted to go off piste and fancied a manor house.

Incredible staff who go above and beyond. If you are looking for a warm, cosy and dog friendly hotel with state of the art facilities and with no attention to detail missed, this is your place! Thanks for your warm welcome, sense of humour, and professional approach, thanks also to Louisa for a fantastic spa treatment.

We attended a Golden Wedding meal in the Burrell Suite on 01/12 Food was excellent as was the service. Servers were pleasant and professional. There were a number of children who had their own space We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Thank you! Ample parking too. Thank you