Great Hallingbury Manor, BW Signature Collec

The two nights we spent here with breakfast were lovely, and we’d definitely come back. Breakfast was hot and delicious, the hotel and grounds are beautiful, and the stay felt friendly. Manager ..Neil was always ready to help, as were the housekeeping staff and Chef. The receptionist gave us a frosty welcome on check-in day, but the Manager resolved the issues.

The aircraft noise was awful. Commercial flights stop before midnight, then the freight departures take over. That’s not the staff’s fault, but because of where it is, I’d never stay here again. We were only here for one night before an early flight from Stansted Airport, so we didn’t use the restaurant. It was a very warm day in late May, and our first-floor room was extremely hot. We noticed the difference when we came downstairs near the ground-floor rooms, where it was much cooler. There were very few guests that night, so why weren’t we given a cooler, more comfortable room? I wondered if it was because we booked through "booking.com" and were given the dregs.

The service was the highlight, especially from Poppy, and the rooms were immaculate. We stopped here before travelling from Stansted and loved the beautiful hotel and grounds. The restaurant and bar were open and comfortable, and the food was top notch. We also enjoyed the added drama of inbound aircraft passing so close we could see people on board. Brilliant place to stay, and thanks to the team.

The hotel sits in lovely grounds with lakes, fountains, a wooded walk, wildlife, ducks and a resident Heron. It’s a well-maintained historical hotel, with a beautiful restaurant and an outside patio where you can watch planes take off from Stanstead. The planes made some noise at night, as we knew they would, but we brought earplugs and slept fine. The bedroom windows felt a bit rickety and let in a draught, which might be an issue in winter. Staff were friendly, especially in the bar and restaurant. Before we arrived, they communicated well about check-in time and a room type change, which they made for free, and gave us a nice welcome. I’d definitely stay again when using Stansted Airport.