My hOtel: Four Seasons Hampshire, UK

Actually, there was quite a bit of banter since the reservation was made and confirmed.

I did and the hotel responded and engaged over time. This continued after my stay, which is something that few hotels do.

Four Seasons know me “reasonably” well and know I love gin. And I doAnd who can resist Oliver? You can even book him for a walkArrival

The property in itself is wonderful. The drive up to the House and the driveway is simply stunning. We arrived and had our car valeted and our suitcases magically disappeared. We were welcomed by the Four Seasons team who escorted us to the reception area.

Very quick and slick. Our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived, so we took a little tour of the hotel, which was very useful as it is a bit of a maze. That saved us precious time during our stay as we knew where we were (the hotel has wings) and where we needed to go.

Absolutely. Ms O’Reilly this and that. But something very “different” happened – Leah and Lauren were booked under “Leah Travels”, for some reason and not under their names. Throughout our 3-day stay, the ladies were always addressed as Ms. Travels. We couldn’t say anything – it was too funny!

We did, and were upgraded to the Belvedere Suite with an adjoining connecting King Room.

Absolutely – everyone went out of their way to make sure we and everybody else was looked after. Everyone wanted a chat and it was great.

We didn’t see our luggage until we got back to our suite.

WiFi is complimentary in the public areas and charged at £12 for standard and £18 for premium connections in the bedrooms. It wasn’t stellar by the pool or in the bar. I did ask about this and was told that the whole WiFi system is being upgraded.

The stunning Belvedere Suite– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor

The bed was lovely – huge and comfortable. I had some lovely and much-needed sleep.

All wonderful and proper (and plenty of hangers too, including the silk ones for more delicate clothes).

I am now on an iPhone 5, which will be a bit of an issue going forward as every hotel will have, at some point to upgrade their current systems. I was quite impressed with the fact that we had lots of adapters already in the plugs (as my friends were American)

I didn’t use them, but it was there.– Coffee and Tea

We didn’t really have an issue as the plugs were relatively close to the bed, but closer would have been better. This is a tough one.BathroomThe large bathroom in the Belvedere Suite– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor

This hotel was a shrine to both brands and it was lovely as everything was very familiar. More modern design is used in common areas like the bar and spa. Very good indeed.– Towels – yes, please! How many and how soft and lovely?

The hairdryer was very good. I also noticed the little note left in the bathroom stating clearly where it could be found.Breakfast

In one of the nights we stayed at the Four Seasons Hampshire, we had dinner at Seasons, the hotel’s signature restaurant. At night, the main restaurant splits into two – Seasons and the Bistro, offering separate seating areas and different menus. We ventured outside the hotel on other nights as there are some great places around too!I have to say we had a great meal (and worth noting that a 3-course meal is £45, which is outstanding value for money). The service was impeccable and the food was very good. Hats off to Rebecca, the sommelier who treated us to some lovely English sparkling and other very interesting selections!

We did spent a reasonable amount of time at the bar, as do most hotel residents. It is a lovely place and it felt awfully familiar. It was when Leah pointed out that the similarity was obvious – it did look like my house (and worth noting, I loved the “art” at this hotel. I did make some mental notes to enquire later about some particular pieces as they would go very well you know where).But on our second night, we spent hours at the Bar 1086. Why? Because this is where we did our tasting. Our 100 mile cocktail tasting. All roads leading to the 22 mile cocktail. It was so good! But before the piece of resistance, we had to try some other drinks. Interesting colour scheme…The cocktails were #lolapink! Bet you Lauren was happy!Before we knew it, the moment had arrived.. it was time for the 22 Mile cocktail… made with Bombay Sapphire Gin infused with Estate Elderflowers, homemade estate elderflower syrup, lemon juice, spicy elderflower foam, red hot chili pepper and topped with Estate’s honeycomb and more elderflowers, it was incredible! If you want to know the recipe, just click here.

The outdoor vitality poolThe hotel has a fab indoor pool, more appropriate to the “normal” British weather. During my stay, which took place in the hottest week in 30 years in this country, everyone wanted to be outside – and it was interesting to see how the hotel coped with this unseasonal demand. The outdoor vitality pool was the place to enjoy a bit of cold water and it was indeed lovely. The hotel does not cater for 200 people by the pool (usually people visit this property for more British activities such as horse-riding, croquet, clay shooting, walking and the lot), so we were very lucky to find some sun loungers every time.It was my first time sunbathing in England (and at the end of it, getting a lovely tan), so I will never ever forget this moment.Not a cloud in the sky!General thoughts– How good and reliable was the wi-fi?

They did and we had a great time!– Location

Absolutely.

Believe me, I will! It will be perfect for a weekend with Mr. O or some close friends year round (and only 45 minutes from home!)Sad to leave the Four Seasons HampshireHave you visited this hotel? What were your thoughts?xoMrs. ODisclaimer: I was a guest of the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire and loved every minute of it. Opinions are, as always, my own. You can find out more about Four Seasons’ food and wine journeys by visiting its recently launched food blog Taste.