I have found what I believe to be the holy grail of family hotels, right here in the UK. Luxury manor style properties that are adult in aesthetic and quality but over-index in making it the most thoughtful stay for your children. Luxury Family Hotel group is hitting it out of the park and here is what I specifically thought about our stay at New Park Manor.
At a Glance
- Two-room family suites
- Heated indoor and outdoor pool
- Free childcare available
- Two restaurants and pool lounger service
How to get there
Whilst you can get a train to the local town of Brockenhurst, via SouthWestern Railway, your best bet is to arrive into the New Forest by car – and watch out for New Forest ponies en route.
When to go
We enjoyed a balmy summers weekend round the heated outdoor pool, and while that is most certainly a draw, I can imagine cosy stays around the fire in the library and splashing about in the pool in Winter would be just as dreamy.
How long to stay
Stay for a weekend, but feel like you’ve had a whole week to switch off, such is the care and attention that’s gone into this family hotel.
The room
We stayed in Henry, a two bedroom family suite with views of the grounds. This was a spacious room with completely separate sleeping spaces – a large comfy double for the parents and a bunk room for kids. Each room comes with a Netflix enabled TV and there is even a cubby hole with a chalk board for entertainment. The bathroom was a checkerboard haven, with stacks of Elemis for parents and Ishgar products for littles. And if you have a four-legged friend? They will feel oh so welcome with their own beds, towels and even welcome pack.
It’s the sort of delightful hotel room where there is no mini bar, just plenty of water, milk, treats etc that you will need for your stay.
The food
Dining here was exactly what we need from a family holiday. An inventive children’s menu offer which can be adjusted to fussier tastes and a varied, gastro-pub style adults offer. We dove into venison loin and mango pavlova while our son tucked into Katsu Curry and a Chocolate Ice Cream sundae.
Breakfast was both served buffet style or a la carte (with no price differential) and everything felt farm-to-table standard, reflective of its New Forest location.
The dining offer doesn’t stop there – you can grab takeout pizza and ice creams around the pool and treat yourself to bags of popcorn each night for cinema time and milk and cookies before bed.
The amenities
We were blown away by the extent of the facilities at New Park Manor, and to be honest it’s hard to know where to start so I’ll just dive in (literally) and talk about the swimming pools. Both the indoor and outdoor pools are heated and there are no swim restrictions on the outdoor pool for kids. Indoors, there’s only an hour in the morning and afternoon where the pool is adults only which is generous compared to comparative stays in the UK.
New Park Manor boasts a library where you can avail yourself of books and games throughout the stay, as well as hire Yoto Mini’s for in-room storytime. There are games dotted about the hotel and as you enter the restaurant, and mealtimes while we were here felt like a breeze. Not least because there is a cinema and games room attached to the main dining room so that restless little diners can peel off while parents finish their mouthful and their sentence!!
There are two cinema showings a day and little guests can also play vintage video games, ping pong and snooker as well as settle down to the crafting table.
Childcare can be pre-arranged and all guests receive two-hours free childcare a day, pre-bookable with the Den for children Age 3 upwards. For littler guests you can hire baby monitors, bugaboo equipment and arrange babysitting services to still avail yourself of the spa…or bar!
With outdoor games such as badminton and archery and an adventure playground the amenities really feel unending.
Is New Park Manor worth it for families?
I had heard about Luxury Family Hotel group for some time before we stayed and I have to say I was skeptical about just *how* good it would be for between £250-£500 a night. But I have to say I was incredibly impressed by the zoning and aesthetics of the space, the warmth of the hospitality and just how thoughtful every little touch was. No it’s not cheap, but it is great *value* for money given the inclusions. We will be returning, that’s for sure.
That Holiday Mum x
(Hosted stay)
Looking for something similar in the North of England? Another Place in the Lake District is GREAT.