Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons 

It was a birthday celebration. But apart from a card, there was no hint of a celebration from the hotel. I understand that I don't eat cakes, but other hotels/restaurants always manage to do creative things. You could put a candle on the plate, draw Happy Birthday with 100% chocolate and put flowers around it (this is just one example from a Michelin star restaurant we've been to). On that evening I would have even accepted a candle and congratulations on my cheese plate, but nothing came, while people at a table next to us had their birthday candle. Half of my meals from the tasting menu were just raw or slightly cooked vegetables (I went for a regular tasting menu, not vegetarian). I understand that I have lots of dietary intolerances. But I go to many restaurants and in fine dining places they usually deal very well with my list. Even a couple of weeks prior to coming to your place, I had a varied and beautiful tasting menu at another Michelin starred restaurant. Your chef could have been more imaginative and instead of depriving me, could have replaced things. For example, a duck pate could be replaced by a small piece of duck meat (again another restaurant has done this). There was no bread substitute at all for neither dinner nor breakfast. But if you go to any large supermarket or health food shop, you can find gluten-yeast-sugar free bread or rice/buckwheat/amaranth/corn cakes as the last resort (yet again, another restaurant provided me with its own rice cakes, not even shop-bought). Your restaurant knew about my restrictions a month in advance. Surely, something could be sorted. Again, instead of replacing, your chefs tend to opt for removing completely. I believe your restaurant lacks creativity.

Lovely friendly reception staff. On arrival Beth showed us to our room which was Lemograss . We were upgraded as we mentioned it was a celebration when booking. Fresh fruit , cake and champagne was waiting for us.. Each room has a particular style . Ours smelled of lemongrass as we walked in and the bed has pretty curtains around it. We enjoyed looking at the fishes in the fish tank which is an interesting feature in the room. It is between the bedroom and bathroom so you can see through . ( toilet is in a closed off area in the bathroom) . Our shower also turned into a steam room which took me a while to work out but it was nice to have The service is fantastic. I asked for a couple of things Eg/ milk for my tea and it came so quickly that it didn’t matter that it wasn’t in the room already. The food is wonderful. We had the seven course meal, which is a lot so make sure you’re hungry as I felt a bit overly full ! I like the warm relaxed atmosphere there , if you want to dress up then you can but if you prefer to be comfortable and not too fancy then that’s fine too. It doesn’t feel pretentious . The guided walk in the morning is really interesting . I loved that part of the stay. The gardens and sculptures are fabulous. Breakfast was a bit slow . It was no big deal and I totally get that it’s all part of the relaxed experience but maybe they could speed up serving the drinks at least . The staff are all charming . I think they really make it such a wonderful place. We enjoyed our stay very much.

From the moment you arrive you are treated to a luxurious, magical experience. All the staff whether in reception, in the restaurant or around the hotel are friendly, attentive but professional. They work as a team to ensure that you have the best possible stay. Our room decorated with hand painted wallpaper was spacious and extremely comfortable. A great deal of thought has gone into creating the right atmosphere with a lemon drizzle cake, fresh fruit and a well stocked tea & coffee box. There are luxurious touches with the high tech. lighting system, the beautiful toiletries and the Dyson hairdryer. We enjoyed two evening meals, having the taster meal the first evening and then selecting certain courses for the second evening. The staff were happy to adjust the menu which gave us the flexibility to enjoy the fantastic cheese trolley. All food was exceptional, great flavour and well presented. Breakfast was also excellent, with a good choice of pastries, cheeses, meats or cooked items. For luxury and service, the Le Manoir aux Quat ‘Saisons equals if not surpasses other 5 star hotels such as the Gritti Palace, Venice , Browns hotel, London and La Samanna, St Martin, another Belmont property. It is truly a magical place, thank you for a marvellous stay.