Horwoodhouse Reviews 

I think maybe the owners should Google the conditions of a 4 star rating?
Our standard room did not meet the criteria of a 4 star hotel. It was cramped, the bed was a small double.
There was no fridge, warm still water, an over bath shower & tiny bathroom.
My bath towel was threadbare with a hole in the middle! I asked for it to be replaced, never happened till after lunch!
This was NOT a room for 2 people.
To say we were disappointed would be an understatement.
And then, to add insult to injury, our standard of room didn't merit a complementary bath rode for use in the spa!!!
SERIOUSLY????
Over £200 a night?
We could RENT them for a non refundable £10 each? WTAF?
The sole reason for the 2nd star, is because the staff were actually 4* quality & the food was very acceptable.
It portrays the country house vibes in the photo, in reality, your standard room is in a converted computer training centre, and not much better than a dormitory.
Very disapointing.

Very underwhelming.
Whilst the reception, bar, restaurant and spa facilities are all very lovely and aesthetic, the general rooms are no more than a bog standard Holiday Inn…but for twice, if not three times, the price. You have to be given a bit of a4 paper with a map to even find your room and even then navigating the map is difficult and you end up feeling like you’re in some horror film walking up and down endless bland, 2 star hotel corridors, alongside multiple other guests, desperately trying to figure out where the hell you’re going. And if you pass staff and ask them - even they say they’re not 100% sure, they ‘think’ it may be in this direction. Up one set of stairs, down the hallway, down another set of stairs, then across. It felt like being in the crystal maze!
The rooms are ok. They’re not big or impressive and I expected more for the price. We frequent hotels and have stayed in many much cheaper, including even a few Hilton Hotels, and enjoyed much better and larger rooms and overall it just felt very much like a grimy and worn budget corporate hotel, not the countryside house/hotel the website seems to advertise.
Also don’t be fooled by the website - unless you’re paying £200+ for a stable suite, or £700+ for a manor suite, the actual hotel is just your bog standard ugly hotel complex (but they don’t show you any photos of that on the website)
All in all we may as well have saved £100 and stayed in a Holiday inn or Travel lodge.
I can understand paying for treatments and using the spa and facilities, but I wouldn’t be staying here for the night again.

My wife and ispent a night here bank holiday weekend. Overall we enjoyed our stay but noticed some faults mainly down to cleanliness. These were, dirty walls of pool in spa , dirty mouldy showers in spa changing rooms , door from kitchen in Harrys bar( filthy) bathroom tiles in our bathroom and mould again. Food was nice also staff in bar nice.

Disappointing experience, particularly as this was booked as a birthday treat.

I booked a spa experience for my brother which included brunch as part of the package.The booking stated that the experience started at 9am, but no itinerary was provided to me explaining the timings of the individual elements, including when the brunch was scheduled.

Unfortunately, my brother arrived later than expected and, when he arrived, he was told that the brunch had finished and the food had already been taken away. I contacted the hotel to raise my concerns, and the staff acknowledged that an itinerary should have been sent to me. They told me that they would raise an investigation to establish why the itinerary had not been sent.

What I found particularly disappointing was that, despite acknowledging that the itinerary should have been provided, they did not offer any meaningful way of rectifying the situation. The only resolution offered was a complimentary drink.

I paid for a package which specifically included brunch, and that part of the experience was not provided. I appreciate that there are scheduled elements to a spa experience, but customers need to be given the relevant information in advance so they know when those elements are taking place.

If the hotel acknowledges that an itinerary should have been sent and is investigating why it wasn’t, I would expect them to take some responsibility for the resulting situation and offer a reasonable resolution rather than simply stating that the food had already been taken away.

This was intended to be a special birthday experience, so it was disappointing not only to miss an included part of the package, but also to feel that the issue wasn’t properly resolved when I raised it.

I would strongly recommend that the hotel reviews how it communicates itineraries to customers and, importantly, how it handles situations where information that should have been provided has not been sent.

I had also been considering booking a babymoon experience here with my husband, but I have now changed my mind. As a result of this experience, they have unfortunately lost a customer.

Very poor so after waiting an hour for room we decided to cut our losses and leave. We were offered a free drink but already had one wrongly ordered by bar staff and so charged too much. Reception tried to help but cleaning basically said nothing they can do so we left . Awful as we have stayed here 2 years ago and under new mgmt was great plus we had our wedding here hence we were regulars returning each year in top rooms but 2 let downs now is too much to bear. Sorry likely never again.

Did a half day spa with a friend. Cannot fault the whole experience! The pool, steam room and sauna was pretty empty most of the day and place was incredibly clean. We sat down by the treatment rooms for breakfast and went to Harry’s for afternoon tea - great service. Plenty of space to relax, lovely outdoor area that we would have used if weather was warmer. Included in price was a treatment which was amazing. I regularly book spa days and like trying different places and I’d definitely go back here.

A perfect retreat!
The initial welcome and all round service was flawless. They made us feel so special and looked after.
High quality ingredients at Harry’s bar and 1911 restaurant. The breakfast Buffett was also brilliant.
The spa area was surprisingly quiet and I would recommend getting the rural retreat package because you get so much for your money.
Leighton and his team should be extremely proud.
I have a new lease of life after that stunning weekend. Thank you so much, we will 100% be back soon!

Food and service very good, slow if anything but it was busy which is nice to see. Fantastic wedding service and amazing Manor House and grounds. Just the accommodation that let us down. Stayed in better travel lodges to be honest. Very expensive for what it was, basic rooms.

Awful hotel

Do not be fooled by the photos! The hotel is nothing like what it looks like online. The Manor House is pretty, but the rest of the actual hotel, It’s like a travel lodge. The ‘spa’ is a pool overrun with children splashing about and a sauna and steam room which fits about 4 people in each.
Don’t waste your money.

Avoid this hotel at all costs especially if they are hosting a wedding. Under staffed and Harry’s Restaurant is not big enough to accommodate guests, wedding guests and people coming in from outside to eat in the restaurant, as for the standard of service and quality of the food both fall well below the mark. I ordered the chicken burger, when it eventually arrived it was cold, it was returned to the kitchen however the same burger reappeared a few seconds later upon eating the burger I discovered meat that was red and pink. Upon complaining I was told that the colour was connective tissue upon doing my research if the chicken had been correctly cooked there would of been no pink/red as the connective tissue becomes transparent. We were served the wrong drinks and the noise level in the restaurant was unbearable especially as there were children running around screaming and shouting. Table were not being cleared and we had to wait for a table to be cleared. Diners arriving half an hour after we were seated and our order taken were served there food before us. It was obvious the burgers had been prepared and then sat on the server and left to gl cold. A fresh burger should have been prepared and served immediately. The spa area is too small for the number of guests and Healthclub members using the cramped facilities. We had an Executive Room with Terrace upon opening the window and patio doors there was a strong smell from the outside drain. Having complained my concerns have not been taken seriously especially regarding undercooked chicken and I have only been refunded a fraction of the £474 I paid for the one night package I booked. Indeed I have contacted Environmental Health who has assured me that this matter is being taken seriously. The food is overpriced and nothing special, there are no quiet areas in the hotel and the ambience is awful. The pond and fountains in the grounds are dirty and don't work. There are cheaper hotels that provide far superior food and experience than Horwood House.

Dear Maisie



There simply aren’t the words to express our heartfelt thanks to the entire team at Horwood House for making our wedding the most amazing day. Not only did the team at Horwood House surpass our expectations, our guests could not stop commenting on the day and how everything from the venue, to the food, to the staff being exceptional and magical.

The wedding co-ordination team – You were all amazing, responsive and accommodating to our constant changes before the wedding. Nothing was too much trouble and everything was done with a smile on your faces. The hospitality shown to us when visiting Horwood House to discuss the wedding and final details was wonderful. The upgrade to Quainton Manor Suite was a truly wonderful surprise which was the icing on the cake!

The venue – Speaks for itself. Absolutely stunning and beautifully manicured gardens for a wonderful English countryside view from bedrooms and Manor Lounge and bar. Beautifully refurbished and very elegant.

The food – I genuinely have never seen such beautiful food in the colour and presentation. Clearly, a very carefully thought through menu arrangement which not only looked stunning but the flavours were simply top class too. What an amazing chef and team!

The waiting, Operations and Event Coordination staff – The whole team were amazing. From the bar staff who kept drinks flowing to the waiting staff who kept the food coming, served piping hot. The co-ordination and room turnarounds during the day went without a hitch and the rooms were wonderfully laid out each time. Everyone worked so hard during the day and it didn’t go unnoticed. Even down to the lady in the manor lounge on the morning after our wedding who commented on our wonderful guests and how lovely we all were.

It was such a lovely and unexpected bonus to have so many guests comment on how perfect everything was – it really was perfect and we cannot thank you all enough for such a wonderful experience. My only sadness is that its all over and we have no real excuse to come to Horwood House anytime soon. We must find a reason!!

Thank you doesn’t come close to express how we feel about our wedding at Horwood House – you all absolutely nailed it! Happy to talk to anyone considering Horwood House as a possible venue for their wedding.

Have used the spa (not stayed) a few times, and a really great experience. New, neat, tidy, with lovely staff. Pool could possibly be a bit warmer though! Great value for money in a beautiful setting.

I haven’t actually stayed here.. I have a wedding to go too, and thought I would book a few family members a room. And as it’s 12 midday start, thought we could check in and get ready. But sadly reception wasn’t at all helpful and said check in is at 3pm.

The hotel pet policy was horrendous- you had to pay £25 + £75 deposit per pet, no matter the size and type. A dog? £25. A bird? £25. A hamster? £25. A snail? £25. The white-haired lady (supposedly manager?-Watch Out) was hostile and aggressive, leading to our door being remotely locked to prevent us from getting in, banning us from restaurant, and entering our room without permission. Isn't there a better and more respectful way to communicate and ask them to pay, as NOBODY would be happy to be coerced to pay, let alone the guests of your hotel? Most ridiculously, our vehicle was even spied on and looked inside to check the birds.

Please remember, the white-haired lady: it was NOT the money that matters, it was your attitude. It was NOT the policy that we were unhappy to comply with, it was the person applying the policy.

Room was terribly small; no lock on the bathroom door; no fridge, door jarred and failed four times...Four-star hotel? I doubt it. Pool was dirty and murky with very low visibility, only visible with hair floating here and there. The most horrendous hotel experience ever! Would give zero star if it lets me.

Excellent hotel and spa. Stayed there on 31 July this year and enjoyed great service in a beautiful country setting. The staff were really friendly and helpful and our bedroom was spotlessly clean and well appointed. We had a great dinner and enjoyed it in a wonderful outdoor setting as the weather was so good. Overall highly recommended.