as all the other reviews have said - this is a class operation in the middle of the countryside...the rooms are huge, loads of cowshed products and the Spa and pool areas are amazing. Staff are friendly, courteous and efficient. The toasted cheese/ham sandwiches are perfection, and the breakfast is full on! Can't complain about anything - not even the fact that the guests are primarily London weekend-ers who treat the 'house' as if it is their very own Notting Hill digs... on a cold, sunny winter day - with fires roaring in the hearth, Babington delivers the quintessential English country home experience. For a break you can't go wrong if you can afford it.

I had only one night at Babington House, in cold and sunny picture postcard weather. The location is fantastic, the design of the overall complex beautiful, making it easy to feel like the lady (or lord) of the manor. I had a mezzanine room in the coach house - fab mix of old (original wooden floors), new (flatscreen TV) and luxurious (bathroom). It just felt a little worn around the edges - the windows dont close properly, the heaters make funny noises, lots of flies in the bedroom, slightly smelly shower. Everyone is a critic I guess...
In contrast to some of the previous reviewers I found the food abolutely delicious though - we didnt order a la carte as we were a group, but this way we all shared several mains and startes / deserts for lunch and dinner, and every dish was a delight - simple, fresh, perfectly executed chicken, pork belly, beef, sea bass, brownies, bread and butter pudding - I wished I could have eaten more!!

An unforgettable experience. I regularly stay at boutique hotels but Babington House beats them hands down. From the sleek and fast service to the wonderful outdoor pool - not mentioning the stunning rooms - Babington House exceeds its high expectations.

The restaurant food was unfortunately bland - I did return my main and was offered an alternative that was a little better - but I would definitely return and would have stayed another night if I didn't have work the next day.

Go and you might just find yourself making Babington House an expensive habit!

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I had always wanted to stay at Babington House, having heard good things about it in the past and so when my husband surprised me with a break at the hotel for my 40th birthday, I was delighted! I am sorry to say, however, that the hotel did not live up to expectations.

Positives were the staff, who are all very helpful and pleasant, and the standard of accommodation. We had a generously proportioned attic room, nicely decorated with two TVs, an open fire and lots of lovely Cowshed products to sample in the bathroom! There was also a Cowshed gift bag, fashion mags to read and a welcome tea tray with china cups and saucers, a tea pot and lots of speciality teas. These thoughtful touches go a long way and overall we were very impressed with our room.

As for the negatives, well, firstly we were encouraged to leave the bar early evening, when the furniture started to be removed! We were unsure of why this was and so asked one of the staff, who informed us that a band was appearing in the bar early evening! Oh well, we thought, positively, a small jazz band may be enjoyable later in the evening when we retire to the bar post dinner for a drink. We were, however, under a huge misconception!! We had dinner, but the food wasn't great or at least not the standard one would expect from a rather expensive country house hotel. Also, a word of advice to anyone embarking on a stay at Babington, the dress code in the restaurant is very casual. As the sister establishment of Soho House, predictably, the hotel appears to be full of media types and so converse trainers and jeans seem to be de riguer! We then thought we would go to the bar for the small jazz band experience however, as we tried to force our way through the crowd of people in the hallway (mainly non-residents) we realised that the small jazz band was in fact a rather noisy folk band and that the bar was packed out, with 6 deep queuing for drinks (more converse and jeans!) Unable to fight our way into the bar, we decided to retire to bed...... at 9pm on my 40th!! Needless to say, the revellers partied well in to the night, shouting and laughing outside our bedroom window in the early hours. The next day, we complained to the manager who was extremely apologetic and offered us a 50% discount on our room tariff. He did say, however, that we should have been informed about the band on booking the room, as the entertainment is a regular occurrence.

I do feel that most people visit country house hotels as a retreat from city living, expecting a peaceful and relaxing break. Our stay at Babington was more like a mini break in a trendy and noisy hotel in the West End. To conclude, Babington is in my opinion vastly overrated and is more suited to large groups of young friends looking for a fun break in the country, rather than couples or families seeking the typical country house experience.