Marwell Hotel

We left around 2am with our 3-month-old and missed the breakfast we’d paid for. The room was too hot for us to sleep in, and we worried the temperature wasn’t safe for the baby. We’d already switched rooms once because the TV didn’t work. The next room felt like a loft in midsummer, and we couldn’t turn the radiator off. Even with the doors and windows open, we couldn’t sleep. This is one of the most poorly run and maintained hotels I’ve encountered. Hotels.com have been less than helpful, and the Maxwell Hotel management have ignored my complaint emails and refund requests. Beware of wasting your money in this poorly maintained dump.

The room was good for the price, and the staff were really friendly. Walking around felt a little cold, though I thought it added to the woodland feel. My only problem was that I filtered for hotels with a pool and only found out after booking and paying that it was closed for maintenance. I’d still recommend the hotel, and the breakfast staff were great too.

We slept really well, which we don’t usually manage in hotels. Our family room had a queen-size bed and bunk beds, with plenty of space, and was clean, pleasant and quiet. The hotel itself is nice, with welcoming, clean public areas and friendly staff. I did need a coat when walking around because the public spaces, including the swimming pool area, were chilly. Breakfast was nice and had what you need, though it wasn’t five-star. The location works well for the zoo, Marwell resort down the road, Winchester and Southampton, with plenty to do. Good value, and we’d come again.

The hardest part for me as the groom was seeing my wife so stressed on what should have been the happiest day of our lives. I trusted Marwell Hotel to run and coordinate our wedding professionally, but that wasn’t our experience. Disorganisation and a lack of leadership were apparent from the morning. My wife and her bridal party had to chase basic arrangements, and avoidable issues that should have been handled discreetly weren’t dealt with properly. The wedding breakfast was significantly late, guests waited without clear guidance, and the move into the evening reception was chaotic. Despite what we’d agreed, the bar was understaffed and several suppliers weren’t given food. Delays also took a substantial amount of our paid evening time, including time with our photo booth and audio guest book, so fewer memories were captured than there should have been. Poor contingency planning meant key photographs were taken in a car park instead of the woodland setting we’d discussed. The aftercare was just as disappointing. The response to our complaint felt defensive and procedural instead of taking accountability. Even after we agreed to a reduced settlement just to close the matter, it continued to drag on. I’d urge couples considering this venue to carefully judge whether it can deliver the organisation and professionalism a wedding needs.