Lainston House

Lainston House was an absolutely beautiful stay. The building itself is stunning，full of character, with that classic English country house charm that immediately makes you feel relaxed the moment you arrive. The grounds are just as impressive, beautifully maintained and perfect for a slow walk before or after dinner. Everything about the property felt elegant without being stuffy. We’d happily come back.

Great service at Laintone House, especially from the receptionist Jerry — very friendly. However, the room had loud noises at night, like water or flushing sounds coming from other rooms, which should be improved. Overall, it was a good experience.

A lovely stay in a fantastic room, so relaxing and a perfect setting

十分滿意的酒店

We booked a night to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary and my wife’s birthday and we are so glad we did. The service was exceptional and the food was top class. Set in 63 Acres of beautiful countryside, it truly is stunning. Tom Hamblet the 2023 Master Chef Professional winner is the head chef. We dived into his five course tasting menu and it was amazing! Our room had everything you could ever want & the quality of furnishings, bedding and bathroom was five star. We were so impressed that we’ve re booked again for their Pizza Oven course and we’ve just recommended it to our friends who have booked a stay too.

We stayed at Lainston House as part of a family group trip, which my partner and I then extended for a further two nights. We stayed with our small dog, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. All the staff at the hotel made him (and us) feel incredibly welcome and at home, and I thought the service was excellent throughout. We ate breakfast each day in the bar and the maître d' made sure to set our table ready for us before we had even arrived! We were originally in Oak, one of the Junior Suites, but moved to South Loggia - the hot tub room - as it had air-conditioning, and were much happier after that. The views, scenery and gardens / grounds of the hotel are genuinely spectacular - absolutely perfect with or without a dog! Location wise, the hotel is really close to Winchester but without feeling like it is anywhere near a city while you are there, and also close to a number of excellent National Trust properties like Mottisfont (also well worth a visit!). Overall, the hotel felt incredibly comfortable and relaxing - more like a large country house that we were living in for a few days. We would definitely return, and especially with our little dog.

One of the most disappointing “five-star” hotel experiences we have ever had. Lainston House promotes itself as a luxury five-star hotel, but our experience was anything but luxurious. From the moment we arrived, it was clear the standards simply weren’t there. None of the expected luxury bathroom amenities were provided. No toothbrushes, no toothpaste, no shaving kit, no vanity kit—nothing. Basic amenities that are standard in genuine five-star hotels were simply absent. Finding multiple dead insects scattered across the carpeted floor of our room was simply unacceptable. This is a room where young children crawl, play, and put their hands in their mouths. No parent expects to walk into what is supposed to be a luxury five-star hotel and find dead insects on the carpet. It raises serious concerns about the standard of housekeeping and attention to detail. Despite repeated denials, we have clear photographic and video evidence of the issues. The master bedroom had no air conditioning at all. There was no built-in air conditioning in the room, and the only solution offered was portable fans. That is not what anyone expects from a hotel marketed as a luxury five-star property, especially during warm weather. A master bedroom without air conditioning is simply not an acceptable for a luxury standard. The most alarming part was the attitude towards guest safety. Staff repeatedly carried boiling hot coffees directly over our toddlers’ heads while they were seated at the table instead of serving safely from the side. When we raised our concerns, the response from the staff member was simply, “I know what I’m doing.” There was no apology and no acknowledgement of the obvious risk. To make matters worse, my Dior cashmere jumper was damaged while in the hotel’s care. Instead of resolving the matter professionally, the hotel dragged the complaint out for weeks, repeatedly saying they were waiting for their insurers. After wasting our time, they denied responsibility entirely and offered an insulting £50 “goodwill gesture.” Luxury is defined by standards, service and accountability. In our experience, Lainston House failed in all three. We do not recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a genuine five-star experience.

My visit to Lainston House was a last minute getaway during a 3 week visit to London. Typically, I do a lot of research into an area I want to visit, but not so much this time. I'd heard Winchester was lovely with interesting history and that Winchester was near Chawton, a home of Jane Austin and where she lived until she died. As a big Jane Austin fan, I decided to find quiet, comfortable and relaxing lodging near Winchester where I could visit her home and Winchester! A little research brought me to Lainston House and what a terrific find it was! I booked a cozy beautifully decorated and well - appointed Shoebox Room with beamed ceilings, a lovely bathroom with a terrific large rain shower, and the most comfortable double bed! Perfect for one person! My rate included breakfast, which was made to order. Excellent variety on the menu and for someone who is picky about their eggs, I must compliment the chef on my perfectly prepared eggs! I dined the three - nights I stayed at Lainston House at The Wellhouse restaurant, a stand alone historic property just a few steps away from the main house. All food is cooked by woodfire and their Sunday night steak night offered delicious perfectly prepared cuts of meat. If you love, or even just like steaks, take advantage of their Sunday night menu! My other dinners included a fabulous pork loin roast and when you're just in the mood for a hamburger, The Wellhouse is the place to be! The grounds are simply gorgeous and include walking paths and open fields to explore the countryside. It's a beautiful venue for a wedding, and I was lucky to observe from a distance the festivities of one during my visit. A word and more about the excellent staff. A special nod to Jane and Gerri at the front desk and also another staff member at the desk, but unfortunately I do not recall her name.. hint, she attended university in Los Angles! They and all the staff at the hotel were welcoming, kind and genuinely interested in me, as a person, and in my welfare. Service at all levels was outstanding! This is especially noteworthy as a wedding with overnight guests were at the hotel and, a day later, a Ferrari event, again with overnight guests. These events did not, in any way, infringe on the service and comfort of the guests not affiliated with these groups. I and by observation of others, always felt special. Jane checked me into the hotel, and although my room wasn't ready for a couple of hours (I got in early), she stored my luggage and introduced me to the hotel: its various public rooms, its history and provided a map of the grounds. A kind and beautiful welcome! I arrived by train and had no transportation to get me to Lainston House, Winchester or Chawton. Not an issue! Even before I arrived, the staff responded to an email I wrote with questions re: transportation and they provided the names and contact information for the taxi company they recommend as well as a private car se

This is a lovely building. The staff are almost universally helpful. Despite this being our 5th stay (for anniversaries) over a number of years the manager didn’t even deign to say hello. This stay was a swift mid week overnighter for a special occasion. The fabric of the building is in need of repair eg window frames rotting and peeling paint. The internals are an odd mix of attempts at modern touches and older furniture chipped and dusty. Outside chair cushions damp and grubby. In short investment is needed. Revenue midweek seems focused on corporate groups. During our short stay they held a drinks reception that led to most of the lounge being out of bounds for 2 hours pre dinner. Then a noisy complete take over of the bar for the rest of the night and an entire afternoon with what appeared to be an office running in the bar with laptops and meetings on the phone. We fitted in around them and had to go seek assistance to clear plates in front of us and get drinks. We were in short second class guests. That unfortunately continued with dinner in the Well House which we have particularly liked in the past. There was one couple there when we arrived. After they left there was just us. This was a special occasion though informal dinner for us. Staff started cleaning the kitchen as we ate our mains. We looked forward to the dessert and a leisurely coffee after to complete our meal but the all pervading smell of floor disinfectant reached our table before any chance of a dessert. We had to leave so heavy was the stench. A special night ruined. The response when this was raised was to knock off the service charge. Well we had bought an inclusive dining package so it really left us with a sour taste as well as bad smell! Investment on a major scale is needed to keep this delightful building in a good state externally and internally. Perhaps some staff training too or at least thought given to the balance between good treatment of guests versus corporate groups.