The Falcon

This is a magnificent and quite unique hotel - in the grounds of Castle Ashby estate. The entire environment and decor is restful and relaxing. Staff are very friendly and helpful. The food is healthy and delicious. This was our second stay and we are already planning our return. Open water swim and yoga were enjoyable and reviving.|Definitely worth a stay - if you are UK resident you will wonder why you've never visited Northamptonshire before - if you're from abroad this is a magical part of the UK. And the Palace Gardens (Capability Brown designed) are absolutely magnificent with free entry for hotel guests - a day out in themselves.

We have just returned from a one night stay at The Falcon. For me, it was a trip down memory lane as I grew up in a neighbouring village, and worked here whilst studying as a teenager. I then know it fell into disrepair which was extremely sad to see.||It has had a much needed update and this has been done with great sensitivity and with no expense spared. The hotel and gardens are immaculate and offer a wonderful oasis in the heart of some of Northamptonshire's loveliest countryside (I know I am a bit biased as a once local!).||Our room was spacious, the shower and toiletries were perfect. The bed was extremely comfortable. We had drinks in the garden - try the vodka based Blueberry cocktail - delicious. We dined in the Eyas restaurant and we had a really wonderful meal - the food was delicious.||The service was very good throughout. Our one negative view was that the lady receptionist on our arrival was somewhat lacking in charm and a smile - a little on the perfunctory side and lacking in warmth. It is such a vital position as this is the first interaction on arriving and can set the tone of one's stay.||However, we thoroughly recommend this lovely place and despite living a long way, away, when travelling through Northamptonshire in the future, would easily find an excuse for a return visit.

We thoroughly enjoyed our two night stay at the Falcon. We decided to take the bikes out to explore the local area which was great fun, followed by yoga and an open water swim. We also took advantage of the complimentary visit to the Castle Ashby gardens.||The rooms are luxurious and the hotel as a whole is very well looked after. Every meal we had at the hotel was amazing including at the Eyas restaurant.||The staff could not do enough to make our stay enjoyable and went above and beyond in every aspect. I would highly recommend a visit to the Falcon, you will not be disappointed.

Eating: |Cocktails in the bar were lovely.|EYAS. - extreme lack of vegan options for such an ‘acclaimed’ chef. Staff were lovely but for the prices we expected more. |Breakfast was ok but a slab of tofu isn’t nice and so not thoughtful. So many other fantastic breakfast options for vegan protein - again from such a chef we expected more. ||Stay: |Cottage room was stifling hot even with the Dyson fan. |The shower pressure was pitiful and badly designed - you can’t turn the taps on without getting wet and the shower screen bangs the sink |The bed was comfortable |You could hear the doors slamming of the other rooms and communal doors which was jarring an not restful |We were invaded by a HUGE spider |No SOYA or alternative milks in the room (despite pre warning of dietary) |All in all, for the cost we expected a more luxurious stay. Basic improvements that Air bnbs offer unfortunately

We had a fantastic couple of nights stay here. Jackie and Mandy went above and beyond as well as the rest of the team - thank you! Room was lovely and the bed was very comfortable. Style of the hotel also beautiful along with the grounds. The food in the Eyas restaurant was a very special treat and delicious! The East Wing Lounge food was also fab. Breakfast was also a nice experience, new lovers of chai tea!! Castle Ashby gardens is also a short walk and free admission for guests - absolutely stunning and worth a visit. Would highly recommend the Falcon to anyone looking for a mini break and escape. We will be back again in future! Mollie and Josh x

Super disappointed to receive a call last week to be told my New Year's Eve plans had been cancelled a month before they were supposed to happen...||It was expected to be a gift for my partner for us to have a lovely night away for our first visit to The Falcon and enjoy a dinner in the restaurant only to be told that they're closing for renovations of some sort. Very unsure as to why they were offering a luxury New Years Eve celebration package that was purchased months in advance just to cancel it the month prior to the event. It screams disorganised and I'm thoroughly disappointed. I wouldn't expect this kind of let-down from such a highly-rated establishment. ||I received a refund for my deposit but it'll be very difficult now to find a sufficient replacement activity to reign in the New Year with such little notice. Why were these 'renovations' suddenly scheduled to happen during any booking times, never mind those across the festive season?||It truly is a shame as I'm not sure I can say I will attempt to visit The Falcon again now due to their unpredictability and I warn others to think twice before making their plans here...

the best hotel we have stayed in for a long while.|The room was lovely - absolutely spotless. Every member of staff was brilliant - friendly and informative. The restaurant was outstanding. The choice of two restaurants and 2 styles of eating was brilliant. We are already planning a return visit.

A weekend visit for lunch. The grounds and buildings are quite beautiful and well presented. The restaurant itself is calm and has a good if quiet atmosphere. 5 star place. 2 star food. Staff and service were good. The difficulty is the mildly disappointing food. The menu is simple and not overly complicated. It's well presented. It's cooked well enough. It's just not particularly flavourful. It was all rather one dimensional. For £30-35 a main, it underwhelmed. It was all soft and lacked any variation in texture. And likewise, the taste was the same. Subtle, but one dimensional. The pork lacked saltiness and crunch. The vegetarian options likewise were all very soft and mildly one-flavoured, without any variation in texture or taste. Promised much and with a little more effort with the food, could have delivered a really lovely experience. But it didn't. Still nice enough. Just not nice enough to go back for seconds.