Cliveden House Reviews 17

My partner and I felt robbed on every level.
I made reservations over the phone for three massages: the first day just for me, the second day for my partner and me. It turned out that on the second day, someone made a mistake with the reservation, and there was only one massage.
The spa reception wanted to help and asked if a facial massage would be okay for the second day .
I agreed to 5 p.m., but they emailed me quite late the same day, saying I'd have an 11 a.m. appointment the next day, again mistake!?
3 days before our arrival I received an email that we had 60 minute massages and would we be willing to extend it to 75 minutes and pay them an extra £10 each of them ? Isn't that a rip-off?
The pool and loungers;
I can only say one thing here. When we decided to lie down on the loungers, it turned out that none of them were available because people had left their books and towels and gone for an hour-long massage.
Or I saw a woman who brought her child, spread the child's clothes on two loungers, but she didn't sit on them. She went to the other room and took the next two chairs with a table she was there one hour.
So, such human indifference and no reaction, that we had nowhere to relax.

Bar
If you sit at the bar or in the lobby and ask for a coffee or a drink, they'll bring you peanuts and chips. We thought it was nice of them to bring us such things twice different day of course.
Then, when we got the bill, we realised they'd overcharged us!
We felt bad about being treated this way.
I made the reservation, breakfast was included.
When we were shown where we could choose our breakfast in the morning, we were shown a menu, so we chose from the menu as well.
After received our bill , we discovered that we had been charged for the breakfast we had chosen from the menu as well.
Yes, we saw the prices on the menu, but no one informed us that the breakfast that was supposed to be included in our stay wouldn't be included and that we would also be charged for breakfast, confusing so we had to pay!

It's clear that the managers are ripping off customers, because the only positive thing about this hotel is that the staff was very nice to us.

Dinner at both restaurants:
On the day of our room reservation, I was told it would be busy and it would be a good idea to make dinner reservations.
On the day of our dinner, there were only two people in this large hotel that day we were shocked ! and then two more arrived after 9 p.m.
The food is so expensive that you feel like you're finally going to eat something really good.
Unfortunately, the main courses in both restaurants were small and there were no specials at all.
My partner said as we were leaving the hotel that if he had the opportunity to go there again, he definitely wouldn't book dinner there.

Other guests confided
We spoke with other guests and they told us the hotel served us champagne as a welcome gift, and at the end they were billed for those three glasses of champagne. What a rip-off.

Our room
the room we stayed in was clean and comfortable.
Bathroom / Spa shower gel
I don't remember the brand of the shower gel, but it's very heavy, as if there were a lot of oils in it, and you feel like you haven't showered at all, so it doesn't foam.

I loved Cliveden have visited previously for either lunch or afternoon tea. It was such a pleasure to stay there the history, grandeur. The receptionist who dealt with check-in was so attentive & helpful. I was given upgrade but slight issue with room despite being lovely as in listed part of house no air-con. However a new similar standard accommodation was sought which was simply stunning. The ambiance & service were superb, spa pool area incredible. Already planning when to come back.

Ricardo Marsella

This is a lovely property. However our service experience was poor. When we arrived for our 2 night stay, the entrance gate was closed and unmanned. It took ten minutes for someone to open the gate. At check in, we pointed out that, as a result, we would be late for our spa appointment, and asked for a 15 min delay. Our request was denied and the receptionist was not apologetic in the least. Consequently, we were unable to receive the full duration of the treatment we paid for. This was just the beginning. We had an 8 pm dinner reservation at the grill. However, the restaurant was admittedly understaffed. We sat at our table for 10-15 minutes with no attention to our presence. Only after asking someone to help us, were we able to order drinks and meals. We are now at breakfast. We’ll see how the rest of our stay proceeds.

PS, the lack of bar soap in the bathroom is a negative for a property of this caliber.

Me and my wife had an amazing experience. The staff were friendly and attentive. There is a real unity and family feeling between the staff this made the atmosphere what it is. Well done to all of you. Thank you for making us feel very welcome.

The food we experienced was delicate, delicious and technically first class. Well done to all the chefs.

I have been lucky to stay in some lovely hotels but not like the Cliveden, we were in awe of the building itself, the architecture is incredible and you feel like you have been sent back in time.

Cliveden is a very special place.

... but nothing. We booked the afternoon tea to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. As we are National Trust members it also made sense going as we could then explore the grounds afterwards.
The staff were incredibly helpful and we were seated looking out onto the rear gardens. The gods must have been looking out for us as we had such beautiful weather.
We were shown the menu to see what we were going to be served. Lattes ordered and Costa Coffee (other outlets are available) they were not. So smooth and creamy. The tea arrived and the plates looked amazing. A lovely idea was the rice paper topper on one of the cakes that replicated the ceiling above the staircase.
Halfway through, the staff brought us the richest chocolate brownie we've ever had with a lovely 'Happy Anniversary' written in chocolate.
Warm scones were served when we were ready and although very nice, the lemon curd (i know - who'd have thought lemon curd on a scone) was superb. Home made by the chef apparently.
We had a lovely walk around the gardens afterwards and a walk down the stairs to the river is a must.

My entire spa day experience from arrival to departure was beyond exceptional. On arrival at the Spa, Orain was delightfully welcoming and provided a consistently outstanding service throughout the day. He was polite, professional, friendly, attentive and truly made my day one to remember! Tania, my therapist, offered truly remarkable treatments, exceptional beyond words. Most definitely the best treatments to date. Her attention to detail was impressive. She even made time to discuss my treatments with me ahead of time. She made it her priority and aim to meet all my needs and surpass all expectations. I was truly touched by her warmth and kindness. They both left such a positive impression and helped create such a happy, memorable experience! They honestly made my birthday experience at the Spa one to remember and cherish! Their genuine hospitality was heartfelt! I will absolutely return, next time for an overnight stay, stunning hotel and grounds!

Disappointing and over-priced.

The venue is fabulous, imposing house, beautifully kept lawns, opulent furnishings.

Afternoon tea is served in, what is, effectively, the entrance hall, on low tables surrounded by comfortable sofas and armchairs.

The staff are friendly and very attentive.

The disappointment comes when they serve the afternoon tea, which is a pity, as that was why we were there.

We expected quality fayre - the advertising talks up the ingredients, so that you anticipate something really special, but that is not what you get.

As soon as the cake stand was brought to the table we were struck by how lost the savoury treats, cakes and sandwiches looked on the plates. The portions were tiny: the cakes and savoury treats were petits fours, not full portions. This might not have mattered if the flavours had been exceptional, but that wasn’t the case. Everything looked tired, as if it had been sitting about all day waiting to be served. And it all tasted rather ordinary. There was absolutely nothing exceptional about it.

We were in the last shift of the day but that shouldn’t have made any difference to the freshness or quality of the food. Even the scones, which they bring to the table as if just out of the oven, wrapped in a napkin (I wasn’t convinced), were flat - they simply hadn’t risen during baking.

It was all most disappointing.

If the venue matters more to you than the food and you are happy to eat fairly mediocre fayre while vibing in a stately home (and it is very impressive), then this afternoon tea is for you. If, however, you expect, for the not inconsiderable price, exceptional quality when it comes to the food, then you should book in somewhere else to avoid disappointment.

Worth noting, too, that a 12.5% service charge is added to your bill, as well as the £10 per person donation to the National Trust (unless you are a member). Water will set you back £7.50 for a medium-sized bottle.

We came away feeling that we had been fleeced - paying first class prices for a third class afternoon tea.

Initially enquired regarding afternoon tea for my 60th birthday coming up and also ( wanting to enjoy the whole experience of the house and its history) enquired regarding tours and the gardens- really felt as if I was being fobbed off and as if they really couldn’t be bothered.
Was told they’d call me back in a few mi utes- they never did, so as a result haven’t bothered and my daughter has booked the five star Grove instead.
Really needs improving. Shan’t bother to go there now at all. Really disappointed as reading the website makes one really keen to go and the images, reputation and history are fascinating, such a shame.

Beautiful setting, very attentive staff. However, we went for the ‘festive’ afternoon tea and festive it definitely wasn’t. The food was bland, lacked colour and underwhelming. Nothing like the picture that advertises the tea. Really don’t think it warranted the £70 per person price. Really disappointing … such a shame

Lovely setting and friendly attentive staff but didn’t actually taste nice. Nothing was wow and It was incredibly expensive.
For the price I would expect my palette to be amazed at every bite but none of it tasted that good.
I’ve had better for £25 per head elsewhere

Great location, good staff but afternoon tea was poor and over priced.

Cliveden House, a place of grandeur and elegance, yet my recent experience left me somewhat torn. Almost a five-star sanctuary, it was an exquisite setting marred by a few shortcomings.

👎 While the surroundings were splendid, the devil was in the details. The rooms lacked the opulence you'd anticipate, with sparse toiletries, and a noisy heating system that persisted through the night, disrupting our much-desired tranquility.

🏊‍♂️ Even the spa, a haven of relaxation, fell short with a wobbly jacuzzi handrail. A detail that one wouldn't expect at a five-star retreat.

😴 The sleepless night was especially disheartening. I contacted the staff at 4.59 am, but the response came much later, not aligning with the level of service I had anticipated.

💰 After parting with a substantial sum, the £200 discount offered hardly compensated for the exhaustion I felt, which was far from the relaxation I had hoped for.

🌳 The estate's beauty and charm were the saving grace, reminding me of the potential that Cliveden House holds.

In conclusion, Cliveden House's potential is immense, but there's work to be done to achieve the true five-star experience.

Our feedback is intended to help raise the bar for future guests.

Food is expensive and poor. How can you mess up a jacket potato with cheese? By not making it hot enough so nothing melts. Sandwiches very average and expensive.

Took my wife to Cliveden for a cream tea the food and service were perfect and the view was stunning.

This was intended as a treat for our 25th wedding annivesary. There is no doudt that the setting is splendid - it really is a spectacular house, with great atmosphere. The staff are the soul of hospitality and the suite we booked was enormous and immensely comfortable.

But there are some important failures, which, if you are paying over £1000 for a night, really need to be addressed:
- the food. We ate dinner in the hotel, and for the prices they charge - really very high indeed - they should do much better. I order a halibut, which was a tiny portion size and over cooked. And at breakfast the next day, the cooked breakfast was served tepid - which is unforgiveable. None of this is the fault of the serving staff, who were charming.
- the wring. Didn't work in the room, and was very ugly.
- in the best hotels they should service the room during the evening. Didn't happen here which was a disappointment.

I'm very lucky, as I have a most wonderful daughter, who every year takes me out, during December, for afternoon tea to start our Christmas festivities.

This year, today - 6/12/2021, was the turn of Cliveden House hotel. Whoopee, I thought, great to be visiting Cliveden again. My daughter asked my best friend to join us as she has had a very trying year.

I use to be a member at Cliveden some years ago, prior to moving to Wales. In those years I would have put Cliveden up there with the Savoy and maybe even better. Not anymore

Afternoon Tea : Soooo awful. Sandwiches were not good but I thought they had just been set out to early as the sandwiches at both ends of the plate were dry. Nevermind - let's try the beet root wrap with walnuts and stilton - plenty of beetroot - no walnuts or stilton. Well let's try the sausage rolls - the pastry tasted like cardboard - the filling was even worse and all of us just left these after indulging in one mouthful. All 3 of us had heartburn as a result of this small morsel. Nearly forgot - our choice of tea. We requested a pot of tea for 2 with one teaspoon of earl grey and 1/2 teaspoon of Darjeeling. Waitress came with pot of tea for 2 with just Earl Grey. Then came back with new pot with obviously much to much Darjeeling as you could not taste the Earl Grey whatsoever. Oh never mind - didn't want to risk another go at it, as all staff seemed to be running around like 'headless chickens'. No one came to table to check if everything thing was OK. Well let's have the cossiant filled with cheese. Pastry, once again, tasted like cardboard and where was the filling? Well we have the 'aged Gouda scone' I think it should have read 'aged scone with Gouda' seriously I think, if you had thrown it at someone - it would have knocked them out. Hurrah we now have the fresh scones with cream and jam. The scones were good - although insufficient jam for 3 people. Overall I ate 2 sandwiches, a piece of beetroot wrap and half a scone as I knew my friend really enjoys scones and I didn't want to leave her without enough jam. Five star hotel!! Where was the service? Where was the beautiful food? Why was it not questioned as to why so much food was just tasted, and then left. I am aware, currently, the hospitality industry is having trouble because of Covid. To be honest, my overall impression was, other than the sandwiches, everything else was brought in and not made on the premises. To add insult to injury - this food was inedible which makes me believe it was bought from the lowest end of the food market.

I was so flabbergasted at how bad it was but so much more disappointed that Cliveden just doesn't know how to do it any more. I did complain about how bad it was and would have expected a much better response than we were given. Just want others to be aware - this is really unacceptable from a 5* hotel. Never again will I ever eat at Cliveden if they can't even get an afternoon tea right. I know small local cafés who would have done so much better at a quarter of the price my daughter paid.