The Poacher Inn
Location: Alton Road, Hook, gb
Star Rating: 2 Stars
Property Type: Hotels
About this Property
Charming Countryside Retreat
Fine Dining and Traditional Pub Menu
Indulge in a culinary experience at The Poacher Inn with options ranging from fine dining in the contemporary restaurant to a traditional pub menu, all crafted with fresh, local ingredients.
Convenient Location and Nearby Attractions
Explore the historic market town of Alton, the home of Jane Austen, and the heritage railway at Watercress Line - all just a short drive away. Don't forget to visit the home of Gilbert White in Selborne, a mere 20 minutes from the hotel.
Comfortable Accommodations
Relax in modern rooms featuring a TV, private bathroom, and simple yet stylish decor. With free Wi-Fi, a large garden, and a children's play area, The Poacher Inn ensures a comfortable and enjoyable stay.
Book now to experience the perfect blend of countryside charm and modern comforts at The Poacher Inn.
Important Information
Full English breakfast is GBP 9.00 per person.
Please note that we've changed our breakfast offering to a cooked breakfast available 0900-1100 on Saturday & Sunday. Monday through Friday we offer a packed 'Breakfast Bag'. Neither of these are included in the room rate.This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.
Policies
Check-in: 02:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Amenities & Facilities
- Non-smoking rooms
- Restaurant
- Pets allowed
- Darts
- Non-smoking throughout
- Shared lounge/TV area
- Kid meals
- Cashless payment available
- Free wired internet
- Playground on site
- Internet access
- Housekeeping on request
- Japanese garden
Rooms Available
-
Double Room with Private Bathroom
A flat-screen TV with a DVD player are included in this room, which has a simple but modern decor.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Desk
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Shared toilet
- Additional toilet
- Private entrance
- Electric kettle
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Toilet paper
- Chocolate or cookies
- Trash cans
- Cots
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
- Window
-
Twin Room with Private Bathroom
A TV with a DVD player are included in this room, which also has a private bathroom with a hairdryer.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Desk
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Shared toilet
- Additional toilet
- Private entrance
- Electric kettle
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Toilet paper
- Chocolate or cookies
- Trash cans
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
- Window
Guest Reviews
- David (5/5): - Staff were very pleasant and the bed was comfortable. Bathroom was very cramped.
The breakfast menu was very limited
Better windows needed as the road noise was intrusive.
- Peter (8/5): -
- Louise (9/5): Just what we needed following a wedding nearby - Very comfortable room and bed, excellent breakfast
- Robert (4/5): I wouldn't stay here or eat here again. It's a lovely place for a drink but that's it. - The location was ideal. I was at an event near by. This place is poorly run. The staff were nice people but overall is was not what you would expect from any accommodation.
For the food, I ordered a salmon, potatoes and vegetables. The dish came without potatoes. When I asked where the potatoes were, she told me that they hadn't been delivered that day. She didn't tell me that when making the order or when bringing the food out. So, I asked for chips instead, which they were able to do. These were added to the bill as an extra cost.
The salmon wasn't cooked through, 1/3 of it was raw. Salmon shouldn't be served raw, it can contain parasites.
I booked here for 3 nights. When I checked in, I was just handed a key with no explanation of anything, no one showed me to my room.
When I got back at 11:45 one night, the whole place was closed. I couldn't get in. I had to shout at one of the windows. Thankfully, one of the staff who probably lives there was able to let me in. She explained that one of the keys works for the fire exit at the back. I wasn't told this on check in.
The second day that I went down for breakfast at 8am. No one was there, I couldn't find anyone in the whole pub. Other people had left their keys on the counter and checked out. It didn't look like they had done breakfast for anyone that day.
There was a bit of a smell in the bathroom and the shower drain was partially blocked, the water wasn't draining properly.
I decided to check out early and go home. I didn't stay in the final night that I had booked.
I slept reasonably well. I could hear the other guests opening and closing their doors at 6am. My door was too wide for the frame and had to be pushed quite hard to close it.
I wouldn't stay here again. This place isn't run properly. There are that many issues, I'm sure that the people running it are aware of it.
- Rebecca (10/5): Cosy, luxurious, fabulous nights sleep, very kind and helpful staff! Highly recommend! - everthing!
- Oswald (7/5): -
- Hayley (7/5): -
- walton (10/5): Lovely weekend in a stunning location - Its a beautiful little country pub with gorgeous rooms and great facilities
- Chris (5/5): Barely satisfactory - Excellent location No hot water
- Mick (8/5): -
- Marina (9/5): Enjoyable and very comfortable stay. - Great location really lovely room. Comfortable bed. Food in the pub was great, sadly no breakfast, but a lovely café in the village sorted that out! Lovely,,helpful and friendly staff
Will definitely stay again. Nothing.
- Andrew (10/5): -
- Janette (10/5): Lovely stay. - Very friendly and helpful staff. Room cozy and clean. Food good too. Would recommend.
- karen (3/5): Staff great but needs some changes to breakfast and rooms and most of all booking.com - Zero rate for breakfast because we were held up on travelling to the inn and wasn’t told you had to pre order breakfast before 8.30 and we didn’t get there until 10.20 pm due to delay The mirror in the bathroom too high. Poor lighting no mirror at the vanity unit but it had the coffee tray on it. Staff were excellent. Shower didn’t work right and filled up with water on the shower tray. Most of all don’t go through booking.com because I had so much stress with them having my payment for 20 days
- Long (10/5): Would recommend! Amazing staff and good atmosphere. - Very clean. Nothing
- jennie (5/5): -
- walton (10/5): Stunning accommodation and lovely area - Beautiful little country pub with lovely accommodation, breakfast was gorgeous and very prompt and we had an evening meal too and that was very nice and also reasonably priced. Will definitely stay here again the owner and the staff were all lovely too
- Deborah Grant (10/5): - Lovely Friendly and very Welcoming, food was fantastic. Such great value for money rooms perfect plenty of parking . Fantastic would definitely stay again and hopefully soon . Nothing
- Shahi63 (10/5): Fantastic staff and a fabulous place - The poacher inn is an excellent choice for a stay or a place to visit for meal/ drinks. My stay was for a convention so a three night stay was very comfortable and a bit luxurious. The room was fully facilitated and so cosy to relax, I must say I had a good night sleep. The location was just perfect for me as car park was right next and easily accessible to public transport with lovely friendly drivers.
The staff at Poachers Inn are exceptional I must thank you to Oli who confirmed some important services to make sure of my comfortable stay at the booking time. They even accommodated me for the last minute booking for an extra day. I’m pleased with the price I paid and the services ce I received
The manager Kate was so welcoming and friendly. Her bright smile and a great communicator to make me feel welcomed. I had a great conversation with Lola and Oli. They all had a great public relationship skills and the chef Roary was an another star to the team who catered the best breakfast to start our day with. The breakfast (vegetarian option) was excellent and presented to a Michelin star selection. The sausages were cooked to perfection and the mushrooms just exquisite. I have to say the decor and ambience was amazing. The decor gives you the feel of a unique suttle old castle style which made the ambience so appealing and inviting. Very impressive and hats off to a person who planned and designed well. Interior is a winner in that environment
Thank you to all the lovely staff and to this wonderful place which tells a history of the past N/A
- Pennygm (5/5): Passable - Pleasant country style pub with lovely garden Bed uncomfortable very soft mattress.
- Steven (8/5): great place for some good beer and food and some great staff - all staff are great. food was nice shower in room not great at all
- Mark (10/5): Exceptional -
- Jagraman (9/5): Pretty, peaceful and cosy establishment with access to good walking routes. - It’s an old building but within the constraints, it is a very tastefully decorated place, very clean and all essential amenities are provided. Staff are very helpful and engaging. Nothing in particular - I was very content with my stay.
- Jane (8/5): Good thank you - We missed breakfast as we did not see the instructions on the second page of the welcome that it had to be requested the evening before The above could have been highlighted at check in, although, to be fair, we were in a rush
- Philip (9/5): Great country pub - fabulous breakfasts gardens could do with some tidying
- John (8/5): Pleasant stsy - Great customer service from kate Shower
- John (8/5): Good value for money - Breakfast very good .
Nice bedding .
Kate’s customer service was excellent and she was very helpful Shower could be better.
- Kenneth (9/5): Thanks Katie for a most enjoyable stay! - Katie, the very new owner of the Poachers is so enthusiastic to improve all the facilities, working so diligently, to offer a clean and friendly service. It’s a pub with rooms, so don’t expect the Ritz, we loved our stay, clean room and shower room. Comfy bed, and over the w/e delightful hand cooked breakfast served in the spacious dining room. Throughly enjoyed our stay. The pub is friendly too, we enjoyed our game of darts ( hadn’t played for decades)
Would reccomend without hesitation. The outside tables were in the process of being tidied up, Katie knows this is the next area for her improvement plans! But a large peaceful and sunny beer garden is another fine addition to the Poacher.
- Edward (8/5): Great quiet location. Nice comfy bed in a good value pub. - Good location, comfy bed, quiet, nice pub downstairs with fast service and better than average pub food. Ideal. The door locks in the room. Ive stayed twice now and they're need immediate attention. It's an easy fix. They don't feel secure or safe.
- Frank (8/5): An enjoyable and comfortable stay in a much improved inn. - The location was perfect for my wife & me and the Poacher Inn proved to be much better than we had expected from the previous Booking.com reviews. It transpired that this inn is under new ownership and clearly they have made a massive improvement in a short space of time. Our en-suite bedroom was a good size and was very clean. The staff were all exceptionally helpful and friendly and we had a nice evening meal and breakfast. Thank you for an enjoyable stay. There was nothing we didn't like. In terms of improvement suggestions: some refurbishment of the pub and bedrooms would upgrade them further. As noted above in things we liked, the meals we had were perfectly OK but probably not yet of a standard to make this a 'destination' pub. However, also as noted above, we were impressed by the attitude of the new owner and her staff and they are definitely heading in the right direction.
- Loes (8/5): - Great night at the inn.
Our room was at the back overlooking the beer garden. Was very quiet at the inn so no noise outside during evening.
Sliding door if ensuite entrance needs some serious lubrication.
Staff were super friendly and food was excellent
- Daniel (7/5): Good -
- Ian (6/5): Pleasant -
- Nick (3/5): Poor -
- rob (4/5): Not brilliant. - Bit disappointing. Emailed the property requesting a table the day before upon booking. Didn't get an answer and told we would have to eat in
the bar which on itself wasn't the end of the world. Then told there would be no breakfasts.
Just after finishing the main we asked for dessert and told too late. It would take seconds to put a slice of crumble in a dish. Especially as the chef was still there.
The milk in the room was three weeks out date. The food we did have was quite nice. But all in all the hospitality left a lot to be desired.
- Adrian (10/5): - Great place to stay.
- Verified traveler (6/5): - With the exception of Laura, who was excellent, the remainder was average at best.
- Robert (7/5): Good -
- Verified traveler (6/5): Wouldn't stay here again - The room wasn't clean, the bathroom sink and table with the kettle hadn't been cleaned since the last guest. I asked for more teabags and got a handful presented to me in a dirty hand.
The food was poorly cooked pub style, straight out the freezer. I was there a few nights and had a pizza delivered the last evening.
I wanted to like the place but couldn't
- Verified traveler (8/5): - Overnight pub stay was fine
Food good decent pint
- Stephen (10/5): Very good value for money ideal location and excellent service and great food - The food was excellent and very friendly locals plus plenty of parking all staff were excellent and very helpful
- Alba (8/5): Very good - The location is ok if you go by car. It was nice and comfy.
- Emilio (7/5): Good - no breakfast available .
- Lisa (4/5): Disappointing - The room was very dusty and we are both allergic to dust so we weren't very comfortable. Bit disappointing that it isn't kept cleaner.
- Vicki (3/5): Poor - Food quality wasn’t great I couldn’t eat any of the breakfast in the morning.
- Christine (5/5): Okay for one night -
- E (8/5): A pleasant stay and conveniently located to a nearby wedding venue. - The rooms were comfortable with en suite bathrooms. Fine for a short stay. The pub landlord was welcoming and friendly and ensured we were able to gain easy access out of hours when we returned from a wedding. The entrance hallway to the rooms and surrounding access from the pub was a little worn and tired. The breakfast on both days had been prepared in advance so was warm rather than hot, but good portion size.
- Vicki (4/5): Disappointing -
- Kiriakos (4/5): Disappointment - Excellent location, lovely garden at the backyard , very quite! English countryside , surrounded by lots of green.... We visited this pub hotel 2 years ago and we were delighted by it , so we wanted to come back. Unfortunately, the owner had changed as well the service and the quality. Broken toilet seat ( we asked for a fix but no luck)- no emptying the garbage bin for 5 days( we did it ourselves) and as for asking for clean towels....... they were brought right by the door, on the carpet but without collecting the old ones. Staff very impolite and unfriendly,Abolute no maintenance the past 2 years and signs of wear very visible in the bathroom !We hope to see some change otherwise is a no-go!
- Jennifer (9/5): Superb -
- June (8/5): Relaxed, comfortable stay -
- Neil (8/5): Very good - Spacious clean room with a very comfortable bed.
Delicious cooked breakfast. Location was a bit out of the way.
Busy road noise
Seemed like a recent change of staff who tried their best but it appeared very quiet with very little atmosphere.
Be aware tea/coffee/orange juice charged as extras ( not included with the breakfast ) This wasn't explained to us
- Andrew (5/5): We stayed in this place because the location was perfect, probably wouldn’t stay here again. - Clean sheets and a comfortable bed. Broken shaving light. Broken shower head rail which wouldn’t stay above the bottom of the rail. Large cobweb in the corner of the room at neck height containing a large spider, which must have been there for some considerable time.
- Thomas (4/5): Uncomfortable - The location and the barman was friendly letting us park during the day whilst we travelled to a venue The constant banging of some door or window making sleep almost impossible. We all weee shattered in the morning. The shower is useless , rather well overpriced for the amenities
- Alan (8/5): - Nice clean comfortable room. Good food.
- Daniel (7/5): Good -
- Gavin (9/5): Soon good just shower was poor. - Lovely pub with rooms. Staff were lovely and attentive The shower head needed replacing. It leaked badly and was blocked with timescale. Apart from that the room was nice.
- Leah (4/5): - On checking into our room, we found there to be only 1 towel despite the booking being for 2 guests. On requesting another towel we were told that they would have to put 1 in the dryer & we could have it ‘later’
One of the pillow cases on the bed was soaking wet & the extra pillows had no pillow cases in them.
The toilet seat was not fixed to the toilet so was dangerous.
Many items were unavailable from the menu & breakfast was only served from 9am-10am.
On the whole a very disappointing stay which we will not be repeating.
- Lynn (9/5): Superb -
- Claire (8/5): Very good -
- Les (9/5): Superb -
- Diane (9/5): Great place for a nights stay. - Location was great. Quirky Nothing
- Edward (7/5): Great quiet pub in lovely area. Staff Lovely. Good budget base for Ascot week. - The staff were lovely. Pub and area was nice and quiet. Restaurant was nice. Great base for Ascot (30 mins away). The menu was very limited and different from the online menu. That needs sorting. The food arrived suspiciously quickly. Had barely sat down and it arrived - microwaved? It was nice enough though. The bedroom doors do not feel secure. The mattress felt like mash potato and need a new one. The corridor upstairs stinks of dog.
- Andrew (5/5): Won’t be going back - Handy location To the older generation reminds me of faulty towers
- Stewart (6/5): Pleasant - Shower was broke so couldn’t adjust height. Seemed like the drain needed clearing as water was not running away, did think it was going to go over edge onto bathroom floor. Toilet bowl was stained and dirty.Had to sleep on a towel as there was a stain on the bed sheet, didn’t notice till bedtime, which was too late to find someone to get changed. Also found someone’s false eyelash on bedside table,must have been missed when they cleaned. Kettle in room but impossible to get kettle under tap to fill so kettle useless unless you have a bottle of water with you See box
- James (6/5): Rather underwhelming I'm afraid. - The location suited us as a small group and the staff were very friendly. Supper was good with excellent quantity and quality. The rooms were tiny with showers almost impossible to get into. A smell of disinfectant in the rooms and stale beer as you enter the garden didn't help. The lawn was unmown and uneven - ok for us but not great if you were unsteady on your feet. With no breakfast you leave your key on a door hook and hope!
- Fredrik (7/5): A good B&B pub and restaurant -
- Paul (8/5): Very good -
- Megan (8/5): Very good -
- Michael (6/5): Average - Location Not very clean in the bar and restaurant
- sadegh (8/5): - Nice people 😊
- Linda (6/5): Pleasant -
- Alex (10/5): Exceptional -
- Valia (5/5): Passable - The room was beautiful. The hygiene and cleanliness of the bathroom was not at all up to the standards of how a hotel room bathroom needs to be.
The service at the pub is very slow and the food not good.
- Lois (10/5): Exceptional -
- Toufique (9/5): Just a lovely stay - no problems other than guests slamming doors but that's not the pubs' fault - Food was amazing. well prepared. Just great chef - Daniel was great as was the bar staff :) The only thing I didn't like was people in other rooms were slamming their doors up until 11pm with no consideration for other guests and a note could be put up for that... just to say respect other guests.
- Sanderson (5/5): Passable -
- Mabbutt (2/5): Very disappointed - Bed comfortable Carpet very dirty and stained
WC stained
No milk left for drinks in morning
Fire escape door locked
- Trevor (6/5): Pleasant -
- Susan (10/5): Exceptional -
- Suzanne (7/5): Good -
- Virginie (9/5): Very nice place and great welcome - A charming inn, a delicious restaurant, pleasant rooms and a very nice pub. The garden is a plus, although we didn't take advantage of it in winter. The boss Pierre and the staff are very attentive and welcoming and we had a very good evening with our two daughters. We recommend.
- Gunter (6/5): We loved the style but we won’t return in future due to comfort lacking bathroom and bedroom. - Nice location and setting and cozy restaurant, nice style of room with soft furnishings Little things started to annoy during our stay and in reference to the price we would have had better quality. Room was small, bathroom very small. Bed itself very small for 2 people. In shower someone didn’t flush before we arrived what never had before. The shower head was broken and could not put it on the height. Breakfast very poor take away croissant and an apple. Restaurant food was nice and convenient downstairs. We stay often in this area for driving southwest but we had more spacious and better quality rooms for that price.
- Dennis (7/5): Good place but needs to be cleaned better. - The location is good, noisy road though. Bed very comfortable. Sufficient storage. Shower hadn’t been cleaned, lots of hair in the base. No one around to give the key to on departure.
- Mandy (6/5): Pleasant - Nice atmosphere. Very thin walls between rooms. Could here everything. No breakfast.
- Tim (7/5): Good -
- Richard (8/5): Good value but but lacks “warmth” - From the outside, it has great character. The staff are friendly. The room is clean and good value and well supplied with teas/coffees. The bed is comfortable. Inside, it could do with being more cosy. Internet is poor by any standards and unacceptable nowadays. Weird to come down in the mornings to find the place locked up, even thought it advertises breakfast at the weekend.
- William (4/5): Disappointing -
- Mel (8/5): Very good - Very good value room, clean and had everything we needed. Chris was friendly and helpful throughout our stay. Good spot for walks and tourist trips.
Had a tasty meal there too.
I would recommend this as a really good place for a weekend away. The shower could do with a new shower head but I think Chris is onto that 👍
- Stuart (2/5): good bed no cooked breakfast as per previous stay - food was appalling food
- Victoria (5/5): Lovely pub but unacceptable experience on this occasion. - The food in the evening was lovely and the staff very friendly. The rooms were clean and cosy with tea, coffee and biscuits in the room. When I arrived and checked in to my room, I immediately noticed that there was no toilet roll in the room. I asked a member of staff if I could have some placed in the room and I was informed that ‘she was trying to look for some as none had been ordered’. There wasn’t even any in the downstairs toilet in the pub. We were eventually given a box of tissues but this is unacceptable for a pub and B&B establishment with paying guests.
I asked about getting a cooked breakfast in the morning and the response was ‘I don’t know if we do that’. After saying I’d find out on my own, I found multiple things around the pub, stating cooked breakfast started at 8am. The board outside of the pub said 9am. When the morning came round, there was no sign of anyone. The pub and kitchen were closed and no members of staff to speak to. I decided to go to the local shop down the road to get some food but quickly noticed that if I left, I wouldn’t be able to get back in as it was a coded entry and no code had been shared with me. Luckily, I had other family members staying who could stay behind and let me back in when I got back but if I hadn’t, even going out to find my own food would not have been an option.
11am came and it was time to leave to get to a family wedding. The bar now was open but again, no one to be seen to speak to or hand keys back to so I had no choice but to just leave the keys on the bar.
It’s a shame, the pub is lovely and the accommodation very cosy but these aspects of the experience really let it down and was very disappointing.
- Carol (9/5): Superb -
- Roy (6/5): A very strange stay! - Although the room was small it was very clean and comfortable We checked in on Friday at 4.30 by a young man for the next 48 hours of our stay we never saw or spoke to another member of staff in fact when we got up Saturday and Sunday morning the pub was in complete darkness it was like we was the only people there! It was all very strange !!!
We knew the room was on bed only but had seen on there site that they did breakfast 8/10 when we asked the man at checkin he didn’t really know and said he thought a branch bag would be put in the fridge at the top of the stairs! Nothing ever arrived.
This was one of the strangest stays we have ever had.
- David (6/5): Pleasant -
- Anonymous (9/5): Perfect stopover on route to Devon. Very friendly, welcoming staff. - Warm welcome, comfortable bed and nicely decorated. No breakfast option for mid-week break.
- Martin (6/5): Poor to fair - Friendliness of staff,Location, IDirty toilet pan and vanity bason loose fitting of tumbler holder no tumbler to clean mouth,could not fill kettle with water direct from tap in bathroom loose and worn door handle and lock .outer emergency door lock worn to excess that it stayed locked key would not open or close emergency exit door.Evening meal for all seven of my family only average not outstanding.power cut for hours on The Saturday.notification stated no breakfast facilities monday to Friday, cafe 100 metres away .weakends full breakfast available plus continental breakfast bag if requested.
Not value for money at 187.00 for two nights could have stayed in hotel for much less.
- Carolyn (9/5): Much enjoyed, will be back when we come to visit our friend in Haslemere. - The meals we had were excellent, dinner and breakfast. Location was ideal for us, a short distance from the M3 and close for a visit to Haslemere to visit a friend. Our room and beds were very comfortable and well decorated. We were in Room1 We found the floor in the shower room quite slippery when it was dry. Think it would be even worse if it was wet. The spray from the shower head was not very good, but I guess it is because you are in a hard water area and the holes get a bit bunged up with calcium deposits
- John (10/5): Enjoyable - Friendly and welcoming Old fashioned but clean and relaxing
- Peter (9/5): Great place with friendly staff. - Room a little on the small side but very comfortable. Good choice of food on the menu, cooked well and arrived quickly. Friendly staff, very helpful.
- Carol (8/5): A lovely inn in a lovely Hampshire village. - Rooms were lovely and comfortable. Lovely walks around the area. The room could be brighter.
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