Lord Bute Hotel & Restaurant

Wowcher deal B&B ,housekeeping needs attention, pillow cases looked like they had never seen an iron,bathroom heated towel rail not functional and no radiators just an air-conditioning unit which was inadequate to heat the room,left on all night and very little sleep as the light caused us to be awake ! Only couple staying so breakfast was just tea/ juice/ toast and cooked,no cereals offered or a top up tea or toast. Definitely not 5*

The staff were lovely. The heating was adjustable and the room was nice and warm. There was a kettle in the room and a good amount of milks, coffees and teas. The TV was a decent size. There was a safe in the room but we did not need to use this This hotel is rated as a five star on some sites and a three on others. I chose this hotel as I thought it was 5 star. It certainly has that price tag. When I looked closely the carpet in the room was stained. The sink plughole was discoloured, the sink plug chain was broken, the plastic on the bottom of the glass bath screen was slightly mouldy and there was no fridge in the room which I would expect at this price level. The shower mat had a small stain and a throw on the bed was stained. I did not like the super huge cushions on the bed as clearly these are just chucked on the floor at night and then put back on the bed. There was no face flannels, no slippers or robes and the tiniest toiletries provided. The shower gel was so small I had to supplement it with the shampoo provided. I was unable to wash my hair as I had not bought toiletries with me. My friend used the tiny hand soap for his shower. The bed was very squeaky and I did not sleep well in it although my friend said he was comfortable. The room was quite small. At breakfast the tea was lukewarm. I asked for another pot and this was not much better. The cooked breakfast was quite tasty but small. There was one piece of bacon, one sausage, an egg and an egg cup size of beans. There was some mushrooms, tomatoes and toast. The toast was burnt. We had to get our own salt and pepper from another table and had to ask for butter. Breakfast was not buffet style, you put your order in with the staff. However there was no breakfast menu; we were given a verbal list of things we could order without details of what sort of cereals or pastries were available. Juice was not offered although we saw other guests have this. The chairs in the restaurant area were stained. Parking was very limited and being a small car park very difficult to navigate. I had tried calling the hotel many times prior to my visit and there was no answer. My friend emailed with some questions but these were not answered and the response from the hotel was for him to phone. Unfortunately I would not choose to stay here again. I expect far more from a hotel that charges such a high nightly rate.

We’ve been coming to the Lord Bute for 17 years. We always loved Chris and Simon but the food did start to suffer around 2013 and in 2018 we had our last meal there. We then heard of the change and went with probably more apprehensive than we needed. From starters to desserts it was just phenomenal. We spoke to the waiter who was friendly and knowledgeable, and just loved the restaurant and are so pleased “The Bute is back”. To be able to eat that level of food within a mile of our is perfect! We are so happy!! Well done!!!

Had high hopes for this place but it proved to be a real disappointment. Our £195 a night room was comfortable with a lovely bed but failed in lots of others areas. The bathroom had not been thoroughly cleaned with hairs and other debris on the floor. Some mould in the shower needs attention and 3 tiny shower/hair/conditioner bottles for a couple is rather mean. A Nespresso machine is a nice touch but you only get 2 pods. The AC unit blows directly onto your bed and even on low had to be turned off. Inconsiderate guests coming in late at night let the front door slam shut waking us up. This door needs a damper adjusted accordingly and is a real failing. And so to breakfast. Well the dining area decor is not to my taste looking like it has been furnished from B&M with lots of glitzy mirrors, lamps and plastic flowers. Oh well. We sit down for breakfast and our server greets us with "What would you like for breakfast"? "How about a menu " i reply. No they don't do menus so she rattles off a few options and we decide on fresh fruit with yogurt which was actually very nice ,a watery glass of cranberry juice and a full English which i have to say was really very poor. A poached egg which had the palest yellow yolk and was tasteless. A piece of dry thick cut bacon, a sausage ,hash brown, a few mushrooms and 3 tiny on the vine tomatoes. Oh and 2 small pieces of half toasted bread. That's your £15 per head breakfast. Simply not good enough. I cannot recommend this place given the many other better value options available in the area.

Lovely double room, easy to get to, continental breakfast included but paid extra for the full English. Didn’t use the restaurant or bar. Easy access to beach via Highcliffe Castle nearly a 100 steps. There are easier walks down to the beach if preferred.

The staff were lovely, especially the two young men serving at breakfast, on both days clearly understaffed. The rooms were dated & many things were broken like the safe, plug sockets. Room hadn’t been cleaned, which may have been an oversight but with a dated room, carpet stains, small, taps broken & an odd full size fridge in the corner with a towel over it, the experience was one we will never repeat.