Lainston House Reviews

Very satisfied with the hotel

Went to Avenue restaurant for the Tom Hamblet experience. Unfortunately it wasn’t for us. Lainstone House itself is tired looking. No one to greet us upon arrival. Eventually taken to our seats. Decor lacked character. No atmosphere in the room. And please turn off the cheap 80’s department store music!!! No explanation on menu. Only a wine menu given for drinks - nothing for other alcoholic drinks or soft drinks. Starters were pleasant although portions very small. With fine dining this is acceptable as you’re often having multiple courses. For me, this was not fine dining, Similar story with mains. I had the agnolotti dish, for me this lacked seasoning and flavour. Very small portion. My partner had the beef which was delicious. We ordered sides (there are only two to choose from) We had the truffle potatoes. These were hard boiled potatoes with a watery truffle emulsion. Insipid tasting - I’m sorry! My partner finished his glass of wine and was not asked whether he wanted another. So he didn’t. We were still hungry by the end so ordered three deserts between us. Saving Grace!!!! Desserts were delicious and very well presented. We were charged an extra £25 for one dessert on top of: £10 extra for beef dessert £12 for potatoes £85 per person anyway + drinks. Service charge. Overall bill came out a lot more expensive then I would deem acceptable for the experience holistically. Other guests were openly making negative comments. With a tweak of portion size, a little more seasoning and a good interior designer the place could be so much more. Toms dessert dish designing overall is very special and a lot of our negatives are outside of his control. Service ok. Overall we would not return.

We were originally given the Oak room and for £400 a night we had high expectations, but the bath tub in the bathroom had some rusty patches and I didn’t fancy giving my toddler a bath in there, also there were some cobwebs around the radiators too and some paint peelings on the wall in the bathroom. Understandably, we were disappointed and wanted to change rooms and the reception staff acted very quickly and gave us the Pine room next door, which was fantastic. Our stay from there was excellent, although I did notice some cobwebs between the wood beams in that room too, so housekeeping should look up more, this establishment claims to be 5* and cleanliness is basic really. Otherwise, it was all good, I would stay again if given the same room.

Disappointing dinner advertised with Tom Hamblet’s name. No time for drinks as we were taken straight into dining room. Food excellent. Portion size underwhelming. Staff perfectly trained if not warm or friendly. We expected at least a visit to the dining room by Tom, given the hype around what we thought was a bit of an “event”. No visit - not even a mention. Just a card on the table. Table also lacking - no white cloth, can’t remember the flowers - were there some? And we were two florists visiting. Just dull. We went exceptionally due to the Tom enticement (had to pay £30 a head on booking grrr) so not sure whether it was more expensive than usual but cost £230 for two of us, including a bottle of excellent wine.

A beautiful hotel within spacious grounds. You immediately feel transported to a special, cosy, cosseted world. All staff are fantastic. Keen to make your stay wonderful as soon as you step through the door. Our bedroom (Acacia)was spacious and beautifully decorated. Pillows and mattress and linen so fluffy and luxurious. Bathroom very tasteful and a great size with huge shower and whirlpool bath and underfloor heating. Food fantastic throughout. Absolutely delicious.

Stunning hotel with amazing grounds to walk around and lose yourself with your thoughts. We spent a night at Lainston and we were not disappointed with the stay. Staff were friendly warm and always have a smile. The room was spacious and beautiful. We cannot wait to return. Thank you all at Lainston for making an incredible stay.!

Attracted by dinner prepared by 'MasterChef the Professionals' winner Tom Hamblet, we enjoyed the dining experience with my siblings at the Chefs Table, facing the kitchens. An excellent and varied tasting menu, prepared meticulously, and full of flavour. The hotel itself sits in expansive grounds, a real country feel with comfortable and very well-equipped rooms

Having watched Tom’s journey through Masterchef Professionals 2023, knowing that he’d be at Lainston House was fantastic news. To sample a young, passionate chefs food, unspoilt by fame and notoriety, was an opportunity not to be missed. So I booked Chefs table for four!! Tom and his team were absolutely epic. Such an amazing evening and not what we expected given the mail earlier in the year suggesting he may not have been in the kitchen on that night. He was, and he personalised the experience completely by pandering to our insatiable request for photos and autographs throughout the four hour meal. The Chefs table was tucked away in the kitchen overlooking the pass where we were able to observe and interact with Tom and team as plate after plate of his improved Masterchef winning menu was served along with a description and wine pairing narrative. Praise also to his sommelier who was delightful assisting us with all our wine pairings. Such a humble guy. Loved every minute of it!

We were fortunate to be able to secure the chefs table and experience the fabulous Tom Hamblet, professional master chef winner. The food, the service and Toms interaction exceeded all our expectations. The overnight stay is a must after experiencing the wine flight, could not fault a thing. It’s a must do experience. Thank you Lainston.

We booked back in Dec 2023 to dine & stay in May 2024 to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We were contacted one week before to say an issue with their reservation system meant that we could not stay but could still eat in the restaurant & they would pay for taxis to & from another hotel (the other hotel being at our expense). Alternatively, we could move our booking to another date - not ideal when you’re celebrating an anniversary & your husband has arranged time off. To add insult to injury we got an email from the reservation system to confirm our booking in the afternoon after being contacted in the morning to say they couldn’t accommodate our stay. We cancelled our dinner booking as there was nowhere else suitable to stay. Have been told if we choose to stay there in the future we can contact them for an upgrade, but we wouldn’t risk booking there again. A shame as we stayed there in the past & enjoyed the experience. We went to Tylney Hall instead & weren’t disappointed with the fantastic service & food.

Just experienced a special evening at Lainston House Hotel dining at the Chef's Table being cooked for by the fantastic Tom Hamblet this year's Champion of Masterchef :The Professionals and Resident Chef at "The Avenue". The six course tasting menus, including vegetarian, showed Tom's approach to fine dining offering so much flavour beautifully presented. Tom was generous with him time and clearly loves what he does, making people happy.

We visited this beautiful hotel for a Chefs table experience. The amazing MASTERCHEF Professionals winner Tom Hamblet has designed a beautiful menu with the most exquisite flavours and mouthwatering plates of food. The ambience, service and location are second to none and make this place a must to visit and experience. We will definitely return

I needed our stay to be out of this world as it was a super big thank you to my other half for being SO amazing… I have to say we absolutely were delighted beyond words. The whole stay from start to finish was totally amazing, incredibly special and huge extra thanks to Maddy on the reception team and Steph our waitress who both did amazing jobs of looking after us. Maddy is exceptional at her job and I am super grateful for all her efforts. Amazing, Wow, incredible… beyond words to sum up our stay and obviously Tom’s menu/food was out of this world… we will definitely be back.

A wonderful couple of nights. The hotel team are fantastic. Very welcoming and go out of their way to make you feel at home. Tom and Louis were both wonderful. The room was superb and the bed very comfortable. Food was exceptional. Even in the rain the grounds are a delight to walk around. Batteries recharged and already thinking about planning a return trip.