Hare & Hounds Newbury

Booked a 1 night stay in a dog friendly room to break a long journey. Arrived and were welcomed warmly by a male member of staff who showed me to the room and gave me information on the bar and restaurant. We’d already booked a table in the restaurant however as my husband is registered blind and it was very busy I asked if we could eat in the bar as he’d likely be more comfortable there and it was probably easier for our dog too. Was assured this would be fine. The room: First impressions were a lovely warm welcoming room. Clean and well presented. However ……. The grouting in the shower was grubby and the bathroom bin was flaking off large pieces of its coating. Grouting around sink also grubby. The website states “Each room is equipped with a cosy doggy bed, a bowl and a welcome hamper filled with delicious treats. “ Not one of these things was in the room. Not even a bowl for our dogs water. Considering they charge £25 per night for the dog I’d have hoped a dish for it to drink out of wasn’t asking too much. We went to the bar for a couple of drinks before dinner. The male who served us there was lovely , friendly and helpful. I again confirmed we had a table booked in the restaurant but asked if we could eat in the bar. He said that was no problem and took our food order. We ordered 2 starters and 2 mains. Around 10 mins after ordering another member of staff came and told us the mains weren’t available. I said this information would’ve been helpful when ordering to which the response was “well it’s been very busy , you should have expected we’d be sold out of roast by now” This attitude was a little surprising so we just chose another main and left it at that. The food came and sadly the alternative mains we’d ordered were not great. Wed both gone for Fish & chips but the fish was dry as a bone and the miniscule portion of mushy peas ( about a tablespoon of them in a little pot) were dry and tasteless. We didn’t bother to say anything given the attitude of the member of staff who had informed us of our choices being sold out. While we were eating a female member of staff came stomping up to our table and asked if we had a table booked in the bar. I said yes but we’d asked at check in and later in the bar when ordering if we could just eat there. She sighed. Rolled her eyes. Said “great” and stomped off. If the fact we were eating there hadn’t been conveyed to her that wasn’t our fault and certainly not a professional way to conduct oneself with guests. We had literally just finished eating , the time was 2014 and we were asked by the bar staff if we wanted any further drinks as he was calling time. At 2014. When we still had plates on our table. I struggled to comprehend how this is any way to run a business. All I’d heard was staff complaining to each other about how “knackered” they were and how busy it had been , not professional at all. I come from a hospitality background. I’ve managed pubs and hotels. To close bar when hotel residents are barely finished eating….? I am just baffled. Breakfast was just ok, we were met and served by a lady who most definitely clearly didn’t approve of their dog friendly policy. We have stayed many times at one of the sister properties in Eashing and have never had a disappointing experience there. We’d hoped and expected this to be to the same standard. Sadly not and we won’t return.

We had a lovely stay, the welcome was warm, staff friendly. The room was clean, comfortable and well appointed with plenty of free on site parking, restaurant and bar, what’s not to love.

My family spent one night at the Hare & Hounds while passing through from London to Wales and we would return in a heartbeat. It is a unique and special small inn, pub & restaurant in a great location near Highclere (of Downton Abby fame) and Stonehenge. We booked three separate rooms and they were each eclectic, beautifully decorated and comfortable, with great amenities and good bathrooms and showers. The staff was wonderful, friendly, and helpful, and the restaurant is fantastic. We enjoyed dinner and breakfast the next morning, and the food, service, and atmosphere are outstanding. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The hotel has the potential to be outstanding, the food is excellent with such friendly staff. Sadly the rooms are filthy, the dust was so thick on the bedside table my partner wrote his name in it. There were hairs on the bathroom floor, thick grime around the shower floor as well as dirt and dust on the Bathroom door. The carpets had so many marks on them, it’s such a shame as the rooms itself are decorated beautifully. It didn’t spoil our night away. Although, as a gift I treated my in Laws to an overnight stay and felt embarrassed by how poor the cleanliness presented in both bedrooms. To the manager… Sack your cleaning staff, invest in a duster and some decent cleaning materials, recruit staff that know how to deep clean hotel rooms only then you’ll be into a winner.

I'll start by saying the staff were amazing ...nothing was a problem for them. We stayed in one of the stable rooms and our initial impression was that it was small but had everything. However... a few little things were amiss or could be improved. Sound from next door could be heard. Cups and glasses were upright but should have been turned over to stop dust. Kettle looked good but would boil over if it was filled for 2 people. Although there was a Nespresso machine, instructions for it would have been good. TV only had main channels when we managed to get it on... I should have got new batteries for the controller! Goodness knows how the radio works but the alarm came on at 7am Sunday morning! The toilet was quite difficult to manoeuvre onto with the door shut! Cobwebs from shower head to screen and more above the bed and lights. The shower was lovely. The bed was really comfortable and the towels were thick and fluffy. The toiletries were lovely. Not sure about the contents of the decanter... Breakfast was ok although... what is wrong with a good full English? Everything seemed very small and trendy with sourdough bread the size a thumb on one plate! Also normal bread would be good as an option... when I asked for it they didn't think they had any but managed to find a slice of medium white! Croissants were fantastic though and the staff amazing.

The staff is very helpful and friendly! The rooms are so quaint.

Our first visit to The Hare and Hounds for a late Sunday lunch was an absolute delight. The setting is charming — a beautifully restored old building with a tasteful equestrian country theme and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. The staff were attentive, courteous, and knowledgeable, and service was excellent throughout. The food was exceptional: the twice-baked cheese soufflé and wild mushroom risotto were outstanding, and my companions thoroughly enjoyed the Sunday roast with its wonderfully light Yorkshire puddings. Desserts were superb, particularly the hedgerow sorbet. A truly elegant country pub with outstanding food and gracious hospitality — we shall certainly return.

This is a really tough one to do a review on. They clearly are trying so hard to make your stay a special one. The staff are brilliant and the food is excellent and really can't fault them on that side of things. The room was nicely decorated and a lovely bathroom area, however the overhead shower had a lot of dust and water marks so clearly not cleaned for a while. The bathroom itself was clean. The carpet really could do with a clean as a lot of stains. The advert says slippers, dressing gown and bottled water of which none could be found. Again nothing major, but without water it is hard to make tea or coffee with machines provided. The part we found most frustrating and it meant little sleep was that our room was directly over the bar and we could hear a group of people downstairs talking until after 1:30am which in all honesty I am unsure if it was staff or guests but either way if they moved to the main dining area it wouldn't have impacted us at all. The other frustration although told all rooms are sound proofed a slight design floor where downstairs bar has a speaker in the ceiling which is directly under the bedroom meaning despite the speaker being low ambient sound you can still hear the music which they turn off at 11pm but turn back on at 7:30am meaning a disruption of sleep. I am sure the staff who open up could select that bar area speaker isn't turned on until later in the morning. For us the pillows were far to hard, but didn't raise this issue.

Lovely room, small but perfectly formed. Comfy bed and good shower. It felt very private and was very quiet. Dog welcome too and had a cute bed to sleep in.

Lovely,really good hotel,very good restaurant,very good staff. Everything perfect. Thanks