If you are looking for a hotel as a base for your visit to Paulton’s Park and Peppa Pig World, then take a look at the Forest Lodge hotel. We stayed one night at this hotel and really liked the fact that it was small, friendly and in a great location for exploring the New Forest and for visiting Paulton’s Park.
Background and location
Background and locationWith only 36 bedrooms, this townhouse property is steeped in history. Built in 1820 as the Dower House of the Northerwood Estate it was historically used as hunting box by King George IV.
In terms of location, the Forest Lodge hotel is hard to beat. Located in Lyndhurst, a beautiful little village in the New Forest, Hampshire with independent stores, tearooms and restaurants.
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Arrival
The hotel had a very homely and welcoming charm to it. I really liked the public spaces at the hotel which felt more like staying in a stylish country residence rather than being in a 4-star hotel.
Leading off from the main entrance hall is a well-stocked and cosy bar, and a separate lounge with feature fireplace. Car parking was complimentary and there were lots of spaces available.
The service at the Forest Lodge is impeccable. From the moment we checked in to the time that we checked out, all of the staff members here were eager to ensure that our stay was a memorable one.
Rooms
We booked this trip last minute so there was limited availability and reserved two of the hotel’s classic rooms, which were very cosy and provided us with more than enough space for our overnight stay. The hotel also offers deluxe rooms which look a good choice for families with younger children as they come with sofa beds or bunk beds.
The girls bedroom had twin beds whilst ours had a king size bed with lovely views over the courtyard. The rooms had a classic country house style and while they weren’t overly-opulent they were perfectly fine, clean and comfortable for an overnight stay ready for our trip to nearby Paulton’s theme park the next morning.
Complimentary water was provided along with welcome gifts of New Forest shortbread, which was a lovely welcoming touch and just what we all needed when we checked in.
The girls in particular were more than happy to relax in their own room, using the free high speed wifi for their iPads or watching their favourite programmes on their TV.
Given the age of the property, don’t expect air conditioning which could make a stay in the summer more bearable, but our rooms had fans and almost everything you need in a hotel room for a comfortable stay – local information, coffee and tea-making facilities (although no fridge), flat screen TV and high speed wifi.
The bathroom could have done with a little modernisation, I’m not a fan of a shower curtain and these were present in the two bathrooms with a shower over the bath. I really liked the toiletries by Damana and it was the first time in a while that we had the miniature bottles in our hotel room, which I prefer over the communal wall mounted toiletries.
Dining
Although the hotel is only a short walk away from numerous restaurants in the village of Lyndhurst, after a busy day we didn’t want to venture out again and chose to make it easy dining at the hotel’s restaurant, 1820 Pizza and Grill for our evening meal.
It was really family friendly with a children’s menu to choose from and the staff were so welcoming and friendly toward the girls, with attentive service. Prices are what you would expect at a 4-star hotel for evening meals and they also had family pizza meal deal which I thought was good value.
Freshly baked breads were served to the table which was a nice touch before our meals arrived.
For mains, my husband and I both chose the sirloin steak served with chips and sides of seasonal vegetables and battered onion rings. The girls selected from the hotels artisan pizza menu and both opted for the classic, mozzarella, tomato and basil pizza with a side of chunky chips – all of which were delicious.
To finish I chose the White chocolate brownie with caramel sauce and my husband had the Rhubarb & ginger cheesecake. The girls opted for a selection of ice creams.
Afterwards we had a post-dinner walk through the village of Lyndhurst – it really would rival any of the charming Cotswold villages – and climbed into our really comfortable beds for a good night’s sleep.
After an excellent sleep, we were looking forward to breakfast at the hotel’s 1820 restaurant, which didn’t disappoint. While our cooked breakfasts and buttermilk pancakes were being prepared we tucked into the selection of cereals, pastries and fruit on offer.
The breakfast and service here was impressive and set us up perfectly for a day at Paulton’s Park.
Facilities
A reason why this hotel would be a draw for families is its indoor pool and our girls couldn’t resist it. As soon as we had put our cases in our room the first thing Chloe and Holly wanted to do was to check out the swimming pool.
The swimming pool was large enough for them to have fun and it’s a little hidden gem for families to have enjoy before or after a busy day at Paulton’s Park and Peppa Pig World.
As you would expect in an old property, the warren-like layout of the hotel ensures that there are lots of snug corners and areas to chill out, relax and play, providing a real homely feel.
The lounge area was a favourite of ours, with a wide range of board games to choose from and a large flat screen TV to stream Netflix on. Playing traditional board games was one of the girls favourite things to do here, either challenging each other at scrabble or connect 4 – it was so nice to see them away from their phones and technology.
As well as being family friendly, the hotel is also dog friendly – we loved this little touch just off the hotel lobby.
Overall and is it family friendly?
Definitely, from the moment we arrived the whole family was taken care of. The level of service received during our stay was exceptional and this high level of customer service is a credit to the hotel management because it really does make a difference during your stay.
Don’t let any of the minor niggles put you off from staying, because this is a good choice for families in a great location for visiting Paulton’s Park and the New Forest – we really enjoyed our stay here.
Ready to book?
Prices at the Forest Lodge Hotel booking direct at New Forest Hotels start from £160 per night for family deluxe room.