Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve

Superb

As always a very pleasant...

Liked: We love the Hotel, the architecture, the gardens, the decor and was more than happy with the beautiful view from our very nice room. Breakfast was very good in The Garden Restaurant.
Disliked: We were a little disappointed that functions were causing certain areas of the hotel to be off limits. Of course part of the experience is getting the buggy and driving around the reserve but picking it up at 3pm and taking it back at 11 am the next day means that you actually have it for a very short period of time. By the time we had eaten dinner the animals were all in their lairs and then in the morning you cant enjoy a leisurely breakfast.

Fabulous I

Liked: We have stayed at Port lympne mansion four times now. Each time we have had different rooms and all of them were outstanding. How many hotels have a fabulous zoo on the door step, acres of stately gardens to wander around, and a golf buggy to use, all for no extra cost . Probably the best hotel breakfast we have ever had and it is waiter service and freshly cooked to your own wishes . This was also included in the price of the stay. There are several on-site restaurants, bars and cafes. Initially the room may seem a little pricey, but when you think about how much you get for it , there is a lot of value .
Disliked: There was a bit of building work going on in the grounds , but it didn't really spoil the experience.

Very good

Liked: The room was conveniently located, clean and bright. The staff were helpful and polite. We were given a golf buggy as part of our stay so were able to zoom around the park in the morning before we left and see all the animals.
Disliked: There was a swarm of bees outside our window, which we had to shut to prevent them coming into the room.

Great experience with the animals,...

Liked: The hotel is v comfortable
Disliked: The fact that they had two weddings during our stay meant the staff, particularly in the bar, were stressed and unable to cope. However, the staff at dinner, breakfast and lunch in the garden room restaurant were excellent as was the food

Very good

Liked: Beautifull outlook, peaceful.
Disliked: Price of food and drink around the zoo is very over priced and isn't that good. We were prepared and brought picnics and our own drinks for the stay. I noticed many others came prepared with cool bags. If food was sensible priced and more appealing (F&C Maybe)I expect people would buy more. Breakfast was okay but we always feel the garden room restaurant is Not set up for couples, you don't get much space! Families however get masses of room with kids/babies having plenty of room to spread out toys everywhere. The tables need to be spaced out better to make couples not feel squashed in and on top of each others.

Very disappointing for the cost...

Liked: Beautiful old property
Disliked: Staff doing the minimum. No bar open in evening. Felt like we were being processed. Breakfast was not good as we kept on having to ask for everything which made us feel awkward. No paper. No assistance with luggage. A big que to check out because of lack of staff. For the money we paid it was extremely poor. We will not return.

Very disappointing

Liked: Port Lympne is a unique and significant installation in the world of animal conservation. The Aspinall Foundation divides its audience but it is on a mission of passion to achieve a good end for animals which may allow for the fact that its focus never will be and maybe never should be on the extent to which it provides good accommodation, food and board for pampered human beings. One young man I met was enthusiastic and helpful in showing us around. However...
Disliked: I remember Port Lympne from my last visit 28 years ago, a sumptuous building interlocking Dutch and Palladian style architecture, the interior sporting significant and important murals by Rex Whistler and Arthur Spencer Roberts. Though the vistas and gardens are much as I remember them - a delight - it was dismaying to find this house (which is now a hotel) in such a miserable state of disrepair. The common areas were in the main shabby and grubby. Floors were left uncleaned and unhoovered. Windows were left blown open, well into the evening, when there was rain about. Our bedroom was a decade or two overdue a renovation and update. The bar was a total shambles, ill-stocked, the seating area scattered with outsized, ugly furniture. The interior was draughty, with cardboard boxes and mops all over the place. What counted for staffing was minimal, going on invisible, average age 19 I'd hazard, everyone seeming half-trained if not totally disinterested. The customer service which I received both prior to and during my stay was surly and perfunctory. Whether the Aspinall Foundation is on its uppers or has bigger fish to fry, there can be no excuse for such woeful standards and negligence - especially in a building like this, and for those of us who know the hospitality industry, it can only be down to poor management or otherwise an absence of management altogether. As a fee paying customer, I felt disregarded and taken for granted. As a native of England proud of his national heritage, I was actually ashamed. I should say that the staff in the restaurant were fine - no flies on them - the restaurant itself, a bright and breezy breakfast, lunch and dinner venue - but the food was just plain pub grub, suitable enough for day trippers to the animal park, yet totally out of keeping with what should have been an altogether better hotel experience. A Travelodge/Harvester combo would have done it better. Not good.

Our Experience at Port Lympne

Liked: Staff were very friendly. Our room was in the Mansion House, very clean, comfortable, and spacious. Lovely complimentary toiletries, nice selection of teas and coffee in the room.It was great being able to walk around the park and see the animals and to learn about the rewilding of animals. Also, the views across the downs to the coast were amazing.We would highly recommend the afternoon tea. It was slightly different and absolutely delicious. Breakfast was also really nice. Lots of options were available to choose from. The food was fresh and served hot
Disliked: Unsure why you couldn't use the allocated golf buggy until the 3pm check-in time. As visitors are encouraged to come early to make the most of their time staying there, it would be great to have access much earlier. Check-out is 11 a.m, and you have to hand the golf buggy back at that time, so there are plenty of golf buggies available before 3 pm.We found the food prices in the Garden Restaurant extremely expensive for what was on offer. May also want to consider having more fish options as well as simple vegetarian options and not just chickpea, sweet potato or butternut squash ingredients