Mr & Mrs Smith

Everyone we met at Cliveden was welcoming and friendly, from the moment we arrived to the moment we left clutching home-made biscuits. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived so we went to the spa where we had wonderful massages and lounged in the hot tubs outside. Our room was called Chaplin and we felt spoilt in there. Dinner was good. The puddings were superb and we had a lovely, lazy breakfast with the papers and then a great two-hour walk around the grounds in the autumn sun. Quite frankly a perfect weekend!

The food (other than pudding) was only good. Our shared fillet steak was most definitely not medium rare – and the waiter didn't seem to understand when we explained this to him. However we were hungry so ate it up!

Do take a good walk around the grounds to walk off breakfast – stunning.

We timed our trip well with perfect weather, so we were able to spend both days by the pool, which is a lovely walled-garden affair. The National Trust grounds are of course beautiful and picturesque, especially at sunset.

Rooms we saw were feeling a bit shabby (water stains on the ceiling, bathroom fixtures worn). Spa has definitely seen better days (peeling paint in showers, grubby tiling in changing rooms). We were unable to eat in the main restaurant because it was full both at dinner and breakfast (seems a bit daft to be unable to accomodate all guests at breakfast!) Ate in the carpark of the spaclub. We were removed from the library bar because a wedding party needed it. Billing was inaccurate and didn't take into account Smith Discounts promotions – or even that we were on B&B room rate. The hotel is not somewhere suitable for kids; but the club membership that takes over the pool brings all the kids, making for a very different experience than the rest of the hotel. Poolside service was slow, and forgetful, and overpriced (even compared to, say, San Clemente in Venice).

If it is a sunny day, definitely claim your sunloungers early before the club membership arrives.

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and this really made us feel welcome and at home. Sounds like a bit of cliché but they really did make our stay a success by always being on hand to help with whatever we needed.

The sauna and steam rooms were in the changing rooms which meant we couldn't relax in the sauna together which is a bit of a drawback. Generally the spa could do with a little bit of an upgrade though the outdoor pool is fabulous.

We went on one of the river cruises organised by the hotel in one of their three launches. We went on the Suzy Ann, a beautiful boat built at the start of the 19th century. We had a Rhodesian skipper who really made the journey extra special with his stories and anecdotes. And the champagne was free flowing! It helped enormously that it was also a wonderful evening weather-wise.

What an absolute treat. Impeccable service, stunning rooms, house and grounds. This is the place to go if you would like to give someone a truly English experience. We took our dog and found that the rules of the hotel and the rules set by the National Trust regarding dog access don't quite match, however there are ways around this if you are a bit cheeky.

This was a surprise birthday treat for my wife and Tully, her inseparable, small white canine ball of cotton wool. We had seen from an earlier visit to Cliveden that dogs were permitted to stay, and a quick visit to the hotel's website showed that they provided "Doggie Packages". A late night enquiry on the Mr & Mrs Smith website resulted in an almost immediate response from Lindsay, who made the booking and followed the whole process through faultlessly. The staff at Cliveden couldn't have been more accommodating and we were even upgraded to a suite upon arrival. This isn't a fussy 5* hotel, but the service and facilities were just as you would expect from a stately home. The spa was, so I am told, very relaxing and the restaurant was very good. If you and your canine friend are looking for 5* luxury, then you really should consider a break at Cliveden.

Just had a wonderful stay at Cliveden. If you feel like going to Downtown Abbey for a couple of nights, this is the place! It has so much charm and is so unlike other chain hotels- it might be a bit shabby chic in places (the spa changing rooms for example) but it totally makes up for it in the majestic setting and wonderful service.
Loved it.