Whittlebury Park — Hotel in Great Britain

My advice for anyone looking for cleanliness and a relaxing stay, especially if you have any dietary requirements is to simply avoid and save your hard earned cash.

I booked this stay for my husbands birthday for relaxation after renovating our home and to relax away the daily stresses of life and usual workload. Which I am sure this is perhaps the reason for many bookings.

Our experience was far from relaxing and unfortunately we came away more stressed and wished we didn't bother.

After spending a while in the spa, we got peckish and decided to order some lunch. As I have a strict gluten free requirement, I had a conversation with the gentleman behind the counter of what my options were to eat. This was either a sandwich with gluten free bread or a salad. I opted for the salad, knowing that gluten free bread usually isn't the best. When the food arrived, my husband pointed out to me in disbelief that there were croutons on my salad. I took the salad over to the counter, and informed a young lady that I am gluten free and that I had already informed the gentleman when placing the order. She replied saying perhaps they are gluten free croutons, and she would go and check. When she returned, she returned with a new salad minus croutons. To point out the severity I have a chronic disease, and gluten is my trigger for this.

When checking into our room number 220 after 4pm, after spending time in the spa, I wanted to freshen up and take a bath. The bath tub was filthy with scum and grime. My husband called down to reception and we were promptly sent someone to clean this. Although, spent 30 seconds wiping the taps and then left. I called to reception this time to say the bath hadn't been cleaned and we were upgraded into room 254. Let me tell you, I do not use the word disgusting lightly, but this is what it was. This room should be taken off the system and not given out to any customer. The bath was in the same condition of that of room 220 although complete with stains on the furniture and carpet with the added bonus of hair and missing handles off of furniture. I took some photos of all of the above, which I will give you the pleasure of looking at.

I went down to reception and showed these photos to the gentleman. At this point, I wanted to go home and asked if I could have a full refund, cut our stay short and leave, even though we had a dinner reservation at Astons at 7pm. Unfortunately, due to there non-refundable policy, this was a no-go. The gentleman was very helpful and he said I could go and check a few rooms for cleanliness due to the troubles we faced. The room we ended up staying in, was lovely and upgraded to a suite, however as you can imagine, after moving rooms twice and the aggro, my husband and I were left feeling stressed and it had already ruined our stay. It did not matter on the room size, just that it was clean, which you do expect it to be. He mentioned I could email guest relations with the issues.

On the plus, the food at Astons was beautiful and the service was fantastic.

Upon arriving home, I did comply an email to guest relations with our stay with the troubles I have stated above.

This is a part of the reply I got from the gluten free issue: ' we have taken this incident exceptionally seriously, thoroughly investigated it, spoken with all the kitchen staff and re-addressed all out actions to remind staff of the seriousness of food allergies and dietary requirements. Your safety and well-being are our top priorities. I am relieved your husband was on the ball and noticed our mistake. It is up to the guests with severe allergies to check what they eat and equally, our staff must ensure the dietaries are clearly on the tickets for the kitchen staff.'

I have posted this to make customers aware that even if they have stated there dietary requirements when placing an order, apparently it is up to us to check.

It doesn't fill you with confidence, does it?

Think twice before you book. This was my first time at Whittlebury hall and it comes to no surprise...

In short: Whittlebury Park Hotel and Spa offers a relaxing and enjoyable spa retreat with excellent facilities and friendly staff, though the decor could benefit from modern updates and more natural elements.

Longer Review:

Whittlebury Park Hotel and Spa offers a myriad of experiences, and I am delighted to share my comprehensive review based on a recent visit with my wife. We opted for a relaxing spa weekend, steering clear of the golf and hunting activities to focus entirely on unwinding.

Leisure Facilities:

Upon entering the leisure area, we were greeted by a bustling atmosphere featuring a café/bar dining space, a 19m pool that sidles of into a smaller pool with a small hydrotherapy seat, a crystal steam room, salt sauna room, and 2 jacuzzi whirlpools - one of which was currently out of order. When you register your arrival, you are given a towel, robe and electronic band for keyless lockers - this was complimentary as part of the price paid for the day. The cleanliness was impeccable, and the poolside seating added a touch of comfort, though it was quite busy on our Sunday afternoon visit, with not a single lounger available. Despite the crowd, we enjoyed a refreshing swim. The male changing rooms were notably spacious and well-equipped, with staff diligently maintaining cleanliness throughout our visit.

Spa Facilities:

The spa is undoubtedly the jewel in Whittlebury Park’s crown. The reception area exudes a calming ambiance, with ample seating to set the tone for relaxation. Stepping into the spa room, we were instantly drawn to the hydrotherapy pool—a massive jacuzzi with powerful jets that provided an invigorating massage. I found the jets’ strength particularly therapeutic, especially the high-pressure water from large taps that soothed my back and neck. The spa also boasted hot beds, foot spa, a salt steam room, saunarium, calderium, crystal steam room, sauna, and my personal favorite, the ice cave. The exhilarating transition from heat to ice-cold showers and buckets of ice was a unique and invigorating experience.

Our Room:

Our standard room was spacious and well-appointed, featuring all expected amenities. The TV, connected to the internet, allowed access to streaming platforms, which was a nice touch. Although the room was clean and fresh, the heat was quite intense due to the ongoing heatwave, which slightly impacted our comfort. Our room overlooked a courtyard, a lovely and safe play area for children, but the artificial grass used in the landscape seemed out of place and somewhat jarring, hinting at potential environmental issues in the future.

Food:

The dining experience was a highlight, with delicious, high-quality food. We chose to dine late, enjoying a quieter atmosphere. The hotel bar served delightful cocktails, setting the stage for a lovely evening. Breakfast was equally impressive, with a varied selection. My wife, a vegan, was particularly pleased with the plant-based offerings.

Overall Experience:

We thoroughly enjoyed our retreat at Whittlebury Park. The staff were welcoming, professional, and friendly, contributing to a pleasant stay. While the decor leaned heavily into the masculine world of the Grand Prix, giving the space a slightly dated feel, it likely appeals to the typical clientele. Notably, management has addressed past criticisms by eliminating unnecessary plastic waste, demonstrating a commitment to improvement.

For future enhancement, I’d suggest incorporating real or indoor plants into the spa and leisure areas to mitigate the otherwise sterile atmosphere, bringing a touch of nature that enhances relaxation and tranquility.

Overall, Whittlebury Park Hotel and Spa provides a delightful escape with a few minor areas for improvement, ensuring a rejuvenating and...

Absolutely awful afternoon tea.

After arriving to the facility, we were seated in the tea room which was extremely pleasant and grand. Although the architecture was admirable, there was a severe lack of atmosphere in the room with no music so every conversation could be heard hence we had to mind our voices and it resulted in my mother and I not being able to talk comfortably. We were seated on uncomfortable sofas that sank too far back in, leading us to crouch over the table to eat our food properly. We ordered the Vegan afternoon tea for 2, and when we received the tea, it was, at best, lukewarm. The tea had absolutely no flavour, and there was not a wide selection at all. After being disappointed by the tea, we were looking forward to eating our food, however, the experience only got worse. We received 1 finger sandwich, with the other savoury snacks being a soggy ciabatta soaked entirely through with vinegar, a crumpet, and a disgusting 1/4 of a wrap. On the contrary, the scones were absolutely beautiful which (if Google had allowed 0 stars) is the only reason why I rated this experience 1 star. The deserts were either not accurate to what was described on the menu, or clearly not fresh at all. We later asked for a replenishment because having paid £27.99 per person, we expected the food to be replenished as we wished, similar to all the other fantastic afternoon teas that we have been to. We were told that the afternoon tea is not replenishable and only the lukewarm teas were. After having told the waitress that this was unacceptable as it said nowhere on their website that we would not received another round of food, (particularly the scones which were the only thing we liked), we witnessed the waitress bringing a tray of food to put behind the desk which were our afternoon teas. AFTER that moment she came back to us to say the kitchen will be able to make the food for you, but be aware that it will be an extra charge of £6.99 per plate. We realised that the waitress had already brought the food out, so asking us for more money was not acceptable and we told her so. It was absolutely horrendous, and we left early but packed the food we hadn't eaten to take away for other family members to not let it go to waste. Whilst everyone received boxes handmade for them by the waiters and waitresses, we were given cardboard cutouts to fold ourselves instead. It was an incredibly disappointing time, especially having wasted alot of money on an experience we thought would be memorable for all the right reasons. Overall, the place was beautiful but the service was terrible, having had noone in the tearooms for up to 20 minutes at a time so if we wanted something, we would have to go to the front desk and ask, the food was revolting and not at all what was promised on the menu, not replenished and the tea itself was awful. Not to mention how sick we felt on the way back home. I would not recommend this to anyone who wants an enjoyable afternoon tea that is worth...