Highcliffe House

What's to be said about Highcliffe that hasn't already been said? For us it was the detail the owners Richard & Robert put into everything; the very best of views; the art adorning every wall gathered during winter holidays, the eclectic mix of furniture; the sheer brilliance of the breakfast and its setting. And my ultimate test of any place - the quality of the marmalade. Sharp, thinly cut orange peel, absolutely hit the spot. And yes, it obviously has to be up a hill for those views!!

The stunning view, the decor was aesthetically pleasing, near to shops and eateries.

Wonderful character, original features like oak floors, a beautiful staircase & balustrade. The room was so lovely with the furniture in keeping with the character of the house. Amazing views from our balcony. Breakfast of superb quality & presentation. Amazing & attentive hosts, nothing was too much trouble.

There was not one negative. The house is named Highcliffe so there is a short steep road to the house but there is private parking right outside.

The property is absolutely beautiful and the location is stunning. The whole thing is curated wonderfully. The breakfast was delicious. The location is on a very steep hill, but everything is around there, it's part of the charm.

We ended up feeling uncomfortable. We got the sense from the host that we didn't really belong at the hotel and weren't really welcome. This tainted our whole stay. The service was provided, but all felt a little grudging. The breakfast selection process was over-engineered and faintly ridiculous, but the breakfast itself was delicious. We have stayed at hundreds of hotels of all sizes over the world and this check-in experience was unique and just weird and awkward. So, it was a difficult stay for us. We really wanted to like it but came away feeling like we weren't really good enough to stay there, which it's hard to look past if you are supposed to be enjoying yourself. Oh, and make sure you are comfortable with the width of your car as the road up to the hotel and the parking on the drive is tight.