Le manoir

[David A]

Le manoir aus quat’saisons of course. Has anyone been and more importantly has anyone been and used a nearby hotel that isn’t 4 figures a night. I get it would be part of the whole experience but I’m currently think I’d rather upgrade to better wine etc. maybe maybe not it just feels a lot for one night.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

We had a works do there many years ago. It was all a bit King's new clothes for me.

We didn't endear ourselves when they were serving some aspic dish & I said "Wibble Wobble jelly on a plate"

I stayed at an hotel a short LDV minibus ride away. Can't remember what it was called.

[Harry Flashman]

Yes, for a friend's 40th in the summer.

Amazing gardens, but interior very dependent on which table you get, and personally I think the food at Waterside Inn and even Ledbury is better. Came away feeling it was lovely, but not the best value.

[FunkyGibbon]

We stayed at what is now the Doubletree by Hilton Oxford Belfry - easy and cheap taxi ride away.

Amusingly (and unlikely to be repeated) the hotel was taken over by My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (or equivalent) and was trashed. Taxi refused to take us back until police had cleared the scene.

Staff at Le Manoir kept us warm, fed and watered (Gined!) until 2AM - gratis.

Le Manoir is IMHO a lovely experience.

[David A]

Harry Flashman said:

Yes, for a friend's 4pth in the summer.

Amazing gardens, but interior very dependent on which table you get, and personally I think the food at Waterside Inn and even Ledbury is better. Came away feeling it was lovely, but not the best value.

Thanks. First world problem but I’ve done the waterside enough

[Tin Hat]

Harry Flashman said:

Yes, for a friend's 40th in the summer.

Amazing gardens, but interior very dependent on which table you get, and personally I think the food at Waterside Inn and even Ledbury is better. Came away feeling it was lovely, but not the best value.

Same circumstances, same experience, the cooking course my wife had the day after the stay just about made it special enough for the money

[David A]

Le manoir aus quat’saisons of course. Has anyone been and more importantly has anyone been and used a nearby hotel that isn’t 4 figures a night. I get it would be part of the whole experience but I’m currently think I’d rather upgrade to better wine etc. maybe maybe not it just feels a lot for one night.

[Doofus]

I've been a few times, and stayed there twice. TBH your best bet is in Oxford itself. It'sonly a fewmiles away, and there's plenty of choice, from Premier Inn upwards.

[Caddyshack]

I have been there, it is lovely and as you say, the rooms are a big part of the experience. 4 of us had 2 suites, tasting menu, wines to go with it and pre dinner champers….we got through just over £3k in one night…luckily we had a note in our rooms to say it was all on the house as my friend had put the owner up in his hotel before and comped him.

I much prefered it to chewton glenn.

I was up there recently and saw quite a few nice pub hotels around the area.

[rallye101]

Yes,
Beautiful... the big man's signed off his book....
Obviously!! It's stunning but you will pay for it.....

[Gunk]

Caddyshack said:

I have been there, it is lovely and as you say, the rooms are a big part of the experience. 4 of us had 2 suites, tasting menu, wines to go with it and pre dinner champers….we got through just over £3k in one night…luckily we had a note in our rooms to say it was all on the house as my friend had put the owner up in his hotel before and comped him.

I much prefered it to chewton glenn.

I was up there recently and saw quite a few nice pub hotels around the area.

We did the same after our Wedding 20 years ago, stayed with some friends of ours, we both had junior suites and the Menu Gourmond, the bill was mind blowing back then. Personally I prefer the Vineyard at Stockcross.

[LooneyTunes]

Went earlier in the year, food was nice but not overly memorable or adventurous by Michelin standards. Cheese trolley was good.

Wine markups are painfully high (think multiples rather than percentages).

Aiui, it can be harder to get a table if you’re not staying there, but have stayed in better rooms for the sort of money they charge.

Don’t regret going, but not in a rush to go back.

[Doofus]

LooneyTunes said:

Don’t regret going, but not in a rush to go back.

I tend to agree. I've been four times, and stayed twice, but only one of those I paid. I was a guest on the other occasions, so I gritted my teeth and somehow got through it...

[Nemophilist]

The crazy bear stadhampton is near by and if you look online for deals can usually get something for around £300 which will feel a bit more special than the Belfry

[Caddyshack]

Gunk said:

Caddyshack said:

I have been there, it is lovely and as you say, the rooms are a big part of the experience. 4 of us had 2 suites, tasting menu, wines to go with it and pre dinner champers….we got through just over £3k in one night…luckily we had a note in our rooms to say it was all on the house as my friend had put the owner up in his hotel before and comped him.

I much prefered it to chewton glenn.

I was up there recently and saw quite a few nice pub hotels around the area.

We did the same after our Wedding 20 years ago, stayed with some friends of ours, we both had junior suites and the Menu Gourmond, the bill was mind blowing back then. Personally I prefer the Vineyard at Stockcross.

The best bit was a tour of every significant room to show us the differences…quite amazing. The fish tank room is very popular. We stayed in leather and lace which was huge.

[Gunk]

Caddyshack said:

Gunk said:

Caddyshack said:

I have been there, it is lovely and as you say, the rooms are a big part of the experience. 4 of us had 2 suites, tasting menu, wines to go with it and pre dinner champers….we got through just over £3k in one night…luckily we had a note in our rooms to say it was all on the house as my friend had put the owner up in his hotel before and comped him.

I much prefered it to chewton glenn.

I was up there recently and saw quite a few nice pub hotels around the area.

We did the same after our Wedding 20 years ago, stayed with some friends of ours, we both had junior suites and the Menu Gourmond, the bill was mind blowing back then. Personally I prefer the Vineyard at Stockcross.

The best bit was a tour of every significant room to show us the differences…quite amazing. The fish tank room is very popular. We stayed in leather and lace which was huge.

Our friends stayed in the old Dovecote which was pretty amazing, we had the Lalique suite which was superb, complete with Bang and Olufsen HiFi back then

[LooneyTunes]

Caddyshack said:

Gunk said:

Caddyshack said:

I have been there, it is lovely and as you say, the rooms are a big part of the experience. 4 of us had 2 suites, tasting menu, wines to go with it and pre dinner champers….we got through just over £3k in one night…luckily we had a note in our rooms to say it was all on the house as my friend had put the owner up in his hotel before and comped him.

I much prefered it to chewton glenn.

I was up there recently and saw quite a few nice pub hotels around the area.

We did the same after our Wedding 20 years ago, stayed with some friends of ours, we both had junior suites and the Menu Gourmond, the bill was mind blowing back then. Personally I prefer the Vineyard at Stockcross.

The best bit was a tour of every significant room to show us the differences…quite amazing. The fish tank room is very popular. We stayed in leather and lace which was huge.

By coincidence we also had Lace. It was a good sized room, perhaps a little faded, but in some ways a bit annoying to be “upgraded” from the one-bed suite we’d booked to a room that doesn’t have a separate sitting room (I’m a much earlier riser than MrsLT). Worth the specifying no upgrades if this sort of thing is important to anyone else booking.

[Russ T Bolt]

David A said:

Le manoir aus quat’saisons of course. Has anyone been and more importantly has anyone been and used a nearby hotel that isn’t 4 figures a night. I get it would be part of the whole experience but I’m currently think I’d rather upgrade to better wine etc. maybe maybe not it just feels a lot for one night.

Crazy Bear at Stadhampton used to be great, really quirky rooms.

Edit, Nemophilist beat me too it.

[Countdown]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

We had a works do there many years ago. It was all a bit King's new clothes for me.

We didn't endear ourselves when they were serving some aspic dish & I said "Wibble Wobble jelly on a plate"

I stayed at an hotel a short LDV minibus ride away. Can't remember what it was called.

Probably a Convoy or a Maxus. I remember ordering a fleet of 10 for my company years ago (£24k each. I was informed that they used Ford Transit running gear (although I'm not sure how true that was).

[Caddyshack]

Countdown said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

We had a works do there many years ago. It was all a bit King's new clothes for me.

We didn't endear ourselves when they were serving some aspic dish & I said "Wibble Wobble jelly on a plate"

I stayed at an hotel a short LDV minibus ride away. Can't remember what it was called.

Probably a Convoy or a Maxus. I remember ordering a fleet of 10 for my company years ago (£24k each. I was informed that they used Ford Transit running gear (although I'm not sure how true that was).

Brilliant!