Lime Wood Hotel

This Countryside Estate Is the English Manor of Our Dreams - Hotels Above Par - Boutique Hotels & Travel

"Set in the misty sylvan New Forest near Lyndhurst, this butter‑cream‑coloured Georgian country‑house hotel feels like a quintessential English dreamscape — think ponies, hares and manicured lawns rather than ostentation. Although it holds a five‑star reputation among the southern English glitterati, the mood is unpretentious and relaxed, with restrained, tasteful interiors: gilded frames and portraits in the entrance, a regency‑style atrium and saloon by Martin Brudnizki, and walls hung with works by Tracey Emin and Jean Cocteau. The 33 rooms range from bijou Eaves and Cosy Rooms to spacious Forest Suites and a Scandi‑style Lake Cabin, all featuring large beds, clawfoot tubs, generous showers, cosy fires in forest rooms and Instagram‑ready finishes. The Herb House spa is the real showstopper — indoor and outdoor pools, saunas and restorative treatments from new partner GROUND Wellbeing (handmade products from Cork) make it a magnet for couples and house members. Dining highlights include the much‑loved Italian restaurant Hartnett Holder & Co (Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder) that leans on homegrown estate vegetables and handmade pastas, plus Raw and Cured for hearty British staples (the thick fries are a must) and a classic afternoon tea; breakfasts are generous buffets with pastries and full English fry‑ups. Overall this is a place to escape and slow down: simplicity and comfort trump showiness, and miles of walking trails in the surrounding New Forest make it ideal for an off‑grid country reset."