Fanhams Hall Hotel in East Hertfordshire

My relative stayed in Room 37 for 2 nights on 23/8/2024. The room is not properly prepared. There was no shower gel, no shampoo. The shower cubicle's drain was totally blocked. It's impossible to have a shower. They have to go the nearby relative's room to have a shower! They told me till they checked out! Please make sure the room is well prepared and ready for the guest for future. Thank you.

We went here for dinner one evening. Fanham Hall is set in very nice well kept surroundings which you can walk around freely and the food was amazing and not badly priced either ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As Fanhams Hall was recommended to us we looked forward to taking our friends there for afternoon tea. The building is lovely but everything else was a terrible disappointment. The sandwiches were few and tasteless and the scones were dry. The tea was weak, even after leaving to brew for several minutes. And as for the service, it was very poor. Nobody came to ask if we wanted more sandwiches and we had to go to find someone both to ask for more tea and to get the bill. Ar £45 per head, a complete rip-off.

Daughter took me for afternoon tea for my birthday, very impressive room and lovely looking afternoon tea but, sadly didn't taste as good as it looked. Sandwiches are all hard/stale as it they had been left out too long. I did ask the server if we could have some more to which she got two extra sandwiches and they were nicer but still disappointing. Cakes were ok but again they were hard. The nicest was warm scones which were delicious. Such a shame as its not a cheap treat.

Absolutely amazing service from Luke Was celebrating my in-laws 60th wedding anniversary He was so friendly helpful and polite He couldn’t do enough to make their experience so special. A real credit to your company Great customer service Food was also amazing Thank you again Luke for making the evening so special

Had a family meal here recently. Food was fine, not exceptional. Menu fairly limited. Service poor for the kind of place it is. For example had a bottle of wine which was just put on the table unopened. Waiter didn’t pour. My beer, a peroni, hadn’t been in the fridge and was therefore served warm. Location is however beautiful and a walk in the ground recommended.

An afternoon tea to remember. Brilliant food, excellent service and a beautiful drawing room to sit in. It breathes history and we will definitely be back!

Afternoon tea was OK… nothing special. Setting was beautiful, sandwiches and scones were wonderful but cakes were fussy and overly fragrant so we didn’t eat them. One of us doesn’t drink tea so ordered coffee, which arrived stone cold. Our original table offered was a very low coffee table surrounded by sofas, not ideal for comfort or digestion so we moved to a proper table with chairs. When we paid they tried to add a £40 service charge for our table of 6, we declined to pay as the service was mediocre at best.

During my stay on the 11th of February, I had dinner just before 8pm before the restraunts closing time.I found a large piece of plastic in my lamb kofta and the hotel couldn't care less. The compensation offered was tea . Therefore, they value my life at 2 pounds.

We went to Fanhams Hall for afternoon tea to celebrate my wife’s birthday. We were really looking forward to it, but were a little disappointed. The sandwiches and scones were nice, but all the cakes were overly sweet and actually quite samey. For £38 a head (inc. a glass of Prosecco), it didn’t feel like good value. We were also disappointed by the children’s afternoon teas. They had a similar issue with the cakes, but - for no obvious reason - the kids’ afternoon teas come in cardboard boxes (at £15 a head), rather than on a nice, fancy stand. This caused two problems: 1) our children felt less special; 2) their cakes were covered in grated cheese from sandwiches put loose into the boxes. Service also felt quite functional.Overall, nice sandwiches and scones, but room for improvement with the rest.

We went here for Sunday lunch with friends. Both the food and service was excellent. There were quite a few large groups in the restaurant and it was very busy so I would recommend booking in advance.

Can’t fault the hotel, but the food and drinks are expensive,We had a whiskey and coke and a hot chocolate it was £9-80?We had a meal of a burger with cheese and bacon, we said no relish, lettuce, or gherkin, it arrived with relish, so we said sorry the person took it back, it came back again having been scraped off the bun, ( you could still see it ) it then had mayonnaise on it, no where did it say mayonnaise on the burger menu, I don’t mind but hubby scraped it off, for £14 you would have thought they would get it right? The chips were the same ones so Luke warm by the time we got them back, Lovely room, comfortable bed,

We spent new years eve here and it was lovely. It is such a charming place inside and out and the bar food and breakfast were lovely. The staff could not have been more helpful and pleasant, All in all a fantastic place to stay! Will definitely be going back, in fact we have booked to go for a lovely sunday lunch this weekend.

Food good and ambiance lovely but a waiter kept coming to our table who did not clear away any of the main course plates. Eventually we had to move them ourselves to another table.When we came to pay, this same temporary member of staff was keen to help us to pay and was expecting a tip. Felt pressured to give a tip but it was not deserved. Did tip but irritated by this time wasting staff member who then went on to complain that time was dragging! If he had been more service oriented he might have found the time to clear the table.

We stayed for the night after attending a wedding anniversary party. The rooms are on the small side and very hot. You will need to turn the radiator down or even off! Very clean and a great breakfast! Try to allow time to take a walk in the grounds

We celebrated my mums birthday with a family afternoon tea. The building is lovely but the toilets let’s were very dirty. The young man who served us was very friendly but unfortunately the number of savoury options was very limited. The price for what we got really was staggering. The children got the equivalent of half a sandwich comprising of cheap, poor quality fillings. Quite a disappointment overall . I basically paid just short of £150 for a 2 adults and 2 children to have a sandwich & cake and total of 2 glasses of prossecco.

Booked to have a Sunday roast with family and friends for my Dads 60th birthday and we were all very underwhelmed with the lunch. We felt that there wasn’t a great deal of choice considering if was a buffet and the food itself wasn’t great. We booked Fanham Hall as it was for a special occasion and the venue and setting is beautiful however the food just doesn’t match.

We came for food this week for my Aunt’s 70th, the staff were polite and attentive. Beautiful setting. Our food was lovely and staff even went to the trouble of preparing a happy birthday treat for my Aunt. Thank you Fanhams I’m sure we will be seeing you again in the near future.

We joined our family for breakfast this morning at this lovely hotel . The breakfast was so mediocre . The waitressing staff asked for our room numbers 5 times ! I

We’ve just come back from the best afternoon tea. Excellent young man served us, who was very helpful about the property and gave us a map to walk around the venue. Wonderful grounds and loved knowing the history or the venue. By far the best grounds we’ve ever been to for afternoon tea, can’t wait to return. 5* service, food, atmosphere and grounds.

I went to Fanhams Hall for a family meal after a recommendation from friends. A plentiful and varied carvery with all the trimmings was on offer which was delicious. I also had some very fussy eaters and children with me who were more than satisfied and happy. The staff were friendly and attentive. The setting was beautiful and I felt that the value was exceptional. Well done Fanhams Hall! Would whole heartedly reccommend and will be a returning customer. A+

Lovely day, perfect service, amazing venue. We had afternoon tea over a couple of hours. We were looked after and made to feel special. One of our group has quite a list of different dietary requirements and they couldn’t have done anymore to ensure this was catered for. We’ve been a few times and this was by far the best, all the items on their new menu was delicious. We finished off with a walk around the stunning grounds. Thank you Fanhams Hall we’ll be back soon

When my friends told me we were going to a buffet style Sunday lunch in a hotel I’ll admit I was a little sceptical... I could not have been more wrong.

Recent visit was rather disappointing unfortunately.

Recent visit was rather disappointing unfortunately.

Four of us had Sunday lunch here today. It truly was wonderful,not only the food but the magnificent building and its history,the grounds it's set in but most of all the staff! We were very much looked after by our waitress Margaret and a big thank you has to go to Johnathan too. You all made a very special lady's 80th birthday even more special! Thank you!!!

Visited Fanhams Hall for a family birthday. Beautiful setting and stunning gardens. Afternoon tea was lovely and we were well looked after. Will definitely be back!

Had afternoon tea with my mum and sister, The food was great, our server Luke was very attentive and couldn’t do enough for us. The grounds were lovely and all in all we had a fab experience!

Really great food in fantastic surroundings. Great service. Perfect to have dinner, go for a stroll in the gardens, then come back for coffee and dessert.

6-days stay for business reasons

We visited the pavilion restaurant for the Sunday buffet lunch. The booking was easy to do online and they called back to take s deposit which was fine.

My daughter treated me to Afternoon Tea as a Mother's Day present on Saturday. It was my first visit and we were warmly greeted by the reception staff and again in The Lounge where the Tea was being served. Whilst I was waiting for my daughter to arrive Luke our waiter was very friendly and gave me lots of information regarding the History of the House and Gardens. I concur with the previous review by Heather W The lounge was perfect setting for afternoon tea with its fireplace, ornate chairs and wood paneling – plus a great view of the gardens. The waiting staff explained the menu and promptly brought the tea, sandwiches,cake,scone stands . We had a most enjoyable afternoon in lovely surroundings. Thanks to all the staff for making our first visit an enjoyable occasion. Will definitely return to explore the House & Gardens a little more.

This used to be the place to come for a delicious afternoon tea. Not now, very poor selection of food and very little of it and certainly not worth the money. Took a friend here with a voucher given to me by another friend. Bit embarrassing actually, the scones - very tiny - were served with cream and stewed apple/apple purée - bit bizarre as it’s always been proper raspberry or strawberry jam. The selection of cakes was pathetic, unimaginative and sickly. One appeared to be a small hard biscuit smothered in chocolate butter cream - yuk. Not again, wouldn’t recommend unless they up their game.

the food was cold i must say, i also didnt like the food in general so that was another issue. the chairs were dirty too, so thats a third issue. i felt i was being stared at too. if that counts, the food wasnt so good. thanks.

If I could've given minus stars I wouldve done!

Abbiamo cenato nel bar dell'hotel. La qualità del cibo è buona e il servizio è buono. Forse la possibilità di scegliere la birra alla spina sarebbe gradita. Hanno solo Stella Artois..... Come prezzi siamo nella media.

Having been here a number of times I found this time extremely disappointing and disconcerting. A group of us were having private dining - a carvery. I hadn't noticed at first how dusty the serving tables were due to the food on them - you could literally write the word 'dusty' on them. When I pointed it out to the waiter, he insisted the two tables had only got like it today. A friend used a white napkin to wipe it and the napkin was black. The Choice of meats was down to either gammon or turkey with just one thin slice each. The vegetables had run out thus the remainder of our meals were getting cold and dry whilst we waited for more which took about 10 minutes or so. I was offered the last few dried peas in a bowl. Really? Not exactly cheap. The desserts were totally disappointing. A chocolate fountain consisted of melted white chocolate in a bowl - not what I call a fountain. Would you like cheese? Ok, well eat it with a spoon as you aren't getting a knife. When I asked for a knife they wanted to argue about giving you one. Coffee took ages to arrive. There was no table service for drinks. I found this difficult as I am suffering with atrial fibulation and was unable to go back down the stairs. For the money they charge, give me the Toby Inn any day. Totally totally disgusting, dirty, bad service, rude, no etiquette. DON'T GO THERE. I certainly won't again.

Just had an enjoyable afternoon tea at Fanhams Hall with my friend and (despite negative reviews on here) we had a wonderful time!

Stayed here for a 2 day conference , the meeting room though full of character was cold & dark , most of us had to put our coats on to keep warm , & surely they have some portable lighting they could have bought in to brighten the room , we had private dining in the same room which looked very nice but the food & service leaves a lot to be desired !! I met a colleague for breakfast the following morning at 7.45am , returned to my room to pack , check out then returned to the restaurant to meet up again & my plate was still on the table this was almost an hour later . The hotel is nice , fantastic grounds but they really need to up their game when it comes to food & service , shame it could be so much better !!

Having only visited here once before many years ago, I was looking forward to coming to celebrate my parents golden wedding anniversary. There were 17 of us.

We have returned from our friends lovely Wedding at this very interesting location.The event took place on a Sunday and was conducted by the Japanese Pagoda in the beautiful gardens. We were lucky with the weather and thoroughly enjoyed the Reception that followed; The whole Menu was devoted to Gluten Free food owing to the Bride's dietary requirements. Fanhams excelled themselves with the quality of the foods offered and the service provided by their staff was brilliant throughout. We thought that the design of the Building was unusual and very interesting and it was clear that a number of different events could take place at any time in the main building. We were a little disappointed with the standard of the room we were allocated for the night. It was spotless and fairly well equipped. However, the overall effect was somewhat spartan and we were not surprised to hear that the venue had previously been a training establishment for the Management of a major supermarket group.

We were here for a family celebration. The setting is very nice, a bight dining room, overlooking water. The meal was great value, under £30 for three courses. The starters were excellent, the carver good and also nice puddings. It was all self service and you could take as much or as little as you like. The roast potatoes were a bit of a disappointment and the starters and pudding buffet ran out of plates. However, these were relatively minor, I would recommend this pace for Sunday lunch.

Lovely setting, air con very good in such hot weather. Variety on starters table was good, but have seen it better. Main carvery is good, nice veg but the roast potatoes are dry (i made a comment about them being Aunt Bessie, not think the chef was impressed). Desserts are plentiful, service was very good.

We usually go to Hanbury Manor for tea but we thought that this time we would try here instead. A lovely setting and a pleasant drawing room with comfortable seating greeted us but after waiting for several minutes we then had to actually go and find someone to serve us (it was the same later when we wanted the bill). the food supplied was pretty good as was the breakfast tea but the coffee was disappointingly weak and not of the quality you would normally expect from a four star establishment.

Ho fatto due cene e due pranzi a Fanham hall. I piatti sono sempre gli stessi, molto banali, porzioni piccole.

Such a lovely place to walk around! The gardens are beautiful and the location is so quiet and nice! We take our dog there for walks all the time, it's just lovely for couples!

If you have an important family event you have to come here. We had an 80th party and the staff were so lovely, organised, dedicated to our needs and understanding. The bar service was also amazing. The food was to die for, even though it was a bit pricey - £45 a head approx. The grounds are stunning on such a gorgeous day, the wisteria was out and the courtyards are beautiful for pictures. We did share the venue with two other weddings; we felt a bit out of place amongst the revellers but its so beautiful we didnt mind and there was no noise encroachment from other parties. Stunning views, stunning food and great staff at a gorgeous location. Who could ask for more?

I wanted to give my granddaughter a really special treat, so booked afternoon tea for her, my daughter & my husband &I.; When I booked for today (Sunday April 22) I was quoted a price of £26 per adult & £20 for my granddaughter, with no other info given. On arrival & ordering our tea I was told that it would be full price for my granddaughter unless she had hers in a box in which case it would be £20. This totally defeated the object, as we wanted her to have the whole Afternoon Tea experience - why wasn’t this explained when I booked? The Afternoon Tea itself was ok, I’ve certainly had better - the sandwiches very uninspiring, just ham & egg mayo & cress, but cakes & scones were nice enough & the waitresses were pleasant. I chose to add a glass of Prosecco to one of the teas. However, when I paid, I was surprised to find that I had been charged £30 each. I queried this & was told that it was the weekend price! I pointed out that when I booked it was made clear that it was a Sunday & I was quoted £26 each. I have no quibble with the waitress who said that she would adjust it & not charge me for the Prosecco - I had expressed my disappointment regarding the price discrepancy for my granddaughter. Why though, were these things not made clear at the time & in fact, the wrong information was given re the adult price. Having said all that, we did all enjoy our tea & the lovely grounds but not sure that all things considered, I would return.

Good hotels exist all over the place but Great hotels are made by the staff. Fanhams staff made the place and our stay special, managing themselves expertly the service given by Jess, Murray, Andrea & Fred was first rate. They were fast, friendly, efficient and fun. A great combination and a credit to the organisation. Hope they are justifiably recognised.

From the moment we looked around we felt the hospitality was great quality, both from its beautiful and well looked after facilities as well as the service and attitude of the staff. They host many weddings but Lauren from the wedding and events team made us feel like we were the only one she was looking after, always interested in our plans, replying to emails instantly and nothing was ever too much trouble. She made the planning process a breeze.

We booked to stay over the New year weekend. The staff were all extremely polite and helpful. The room was clean. The shower had a ceiling head and 4 jets coming out from the wall, although it did flood the floor a bit. The grounds were just beautiful to walk around. We went to a bar on New years eve. There was a wedding in the next bar that kept spilling into ours but the staff directed them back, so our bar was just for non wedding residents. We sat on a sofa in front of a fire. The bar staff were polite even when people of a certain class clearly thought them lower and spoke to them disgracefully. Breakfast is 8-10 which was nice. There is a whole selection of cold options, including fruits. You could order tea and a cooked breakfast one morning and it was buffet style the next which didn't taste anywhere near as good but I think it was to cater for such a large party. Overall, this is the first hotel I said I will take a break at regularly. Very impressed.

We had a lovely lunch in your bar next to that cozy open fire this afternoon. My field mushroom soup was very tasty.

Came here in Nov for an early work Xmas do. The service here is amazing, your glass is constantly topped up during dinner, the starters, mains and desserts arrive in good time. Overall a really good service. Only negative was the turkey main was a bit dry, but hey, the excellent service made up for this!

I hadn't been to Fanhams since my daughter was a bridesmaid as a toddler, and she is 23 now!

so the Venue is lovely, GORGEOUS grounds and some pretty rooms. The afternoon tea was shall we say light in terms of the amount of sandwiches you got compare to other areas I've had,the cake selection was fine my bug bare was that they used blackcurrant jam rather then strawberry jam,service was fine no issues there but with other hotels they is a offer (free usually) to top up the cakes and sandwiches and it surprises this wasn't offered here,if your passing then please visit otherwise i wouldn't make the effort to go.

i'd just like to start this review by saying we didn't actually stay and have our afternoon tea so this is purely based on venue and atmosphere ...

Afternoon tea on a Sunday afternoon for a birthday treat Excellent venue but really disappointed with afternoon tea Sandwich Bread...

A decent spread on the menu for all meals and all at a reasonable price. The kitchen is happy to...

Una gran experiencia el té de la tarde temática fanhams hall alrededor de los jardines. Tener una experiencia diferente en una cesta de picnic. Uno para ser disfrutado por todos.

Loved it here. A good sized room with country views. Beautiful gardens to wander in. Comfortable bar area. Would definitely stay here again if in the area.

I visited Fanhams Hall at the weekend to enjoy their afternoon tea with my wife. From first impressions, a lovely venue and beautiful setting. When entering the venue, we were directed to the Drawing Room by the welcoming reception staff.We were greeted by Emily who took us to our table. She explained the theme of the afternoon tea which was the Gardens at Fanhams Hall - we could explore the gardens afterwards. Thought that was a great touch and not just the run of the meal afternoon tea you could get anywhere. Staff were very attentive to ensure we were okay for drinks and that everything was okay with the food - which I must say, was excellent. There was a great vibe as it was busy but was handled excellently by the staff. They were always available and nothing was too much bother if we wanted anything extra.The best afternoon tea I have had by a long way - it's not just an afternoon tea there, it's more of an experience. I would highly recommend Fanhams Hall if you are looking for an afternoon tea to remember!

The afternoon tea experience in this wonderful venue equals that in the "great" London hotels at a significantly lower price - and with easier parking! The tea is all you could wish for, with the delicate sandwiches, warm scones, impossible quantities of clotted cream and jam and those delicious speciality cakes - wonderful, wonderful. A special touch is the inclusion of award winning English sparkling wine if you want it. It gave me a chance to taste it without the need to buy a bottle. The garden is well worth a wander as well. We will go again!

the staff are significantly helpful,and the food are very good and the hotel itself are cleaned and tidy most of it the sorroundings are excellent

We got married here last year and for or first wedding anniversary we went back for afternoon tea. When we arrived we were told that afternoon tea was in the great hall which was perfect for us as that is where we had our wedding reception. We sat down at the table and quickly began talking about the memories from our wedding. Then we noticed the table with dead flowers-guess from the day before wedding and several tables where the afternoon tea had not been cleared-the floor was really dirty too. It took ages for anyone to serve us our afternoon tea-the food itself was great and well presented but the service was awful. When we had finished we had to go to reception to ask where to pay as no one had come into the great hall for over half an hour! I'm sad to say after the most wonderful wedding here we won't be returning for afternoon tea :(

The wife and I redeemed a voucher for afternoon tea at Fanhams Hall. I had heard that it was very good and that one would get far better value than at the big swanky London venues which offer the same sort of thing. That said, we have visited the Ritz in London which although is more than twice the cost, proved to be better value for quality, quantity and that certain extra for which the Ritz is renown.We were directed to proceed to the Drawing Room and found our table which was reserved in our name. It was so low that it necessitated lifting ones plate to ones lap to proceed with tea. I suppose we could have requested a move but tables were in short supply.The waitress was charming but timid and we were very much left to our own devices. We were not offered hot water for teapot top ups nor were we offered a fresh pot which is pretty stingy considering the cost of the 'afternoon tea' against the cost of a couple of extra tea bags. ( NB - tea bags, not loose tea )The sandwich fillings were tasty, the bread had the crusts removed but we were both surprised that the bread did not either feel or taste fresh.The cakes and the scones were okay but, yet again, nothing special.If you've been to the Ritz don't go there unless it's a freebie.The 3 star award is pretty generous but 2 star would be too harsh.

I booked this visit for my mum for a birthday treat. We arrived a little earlier than our booked time but got seated straight away. Was waited on by Billy who was very friendly, helpful & chirpy!Had a wonderful selection of tea on offer along with a beautiful array of sandwiches, cakes & scones. We had a menu so we knew exactly what we were eating. Tea was topped up as required and we left there feeling very full & satisfied. Food was fresh & tasty & all was polished off. As it was a nice day we walked around the gardens which are truly amazing and so well kept it was well worth having a look around. We can see why people would want to get married here the lawns & patio areas are beautiful. We had a wonderful afternoon & would definitely recommend.

I took a party of 12 ladies to Fanhams Hall for a celebration afternoon tea. The panelled drawing room and squashy sofas were lovely but the star of the afternoon was definitely the fabulous tea. To start there was a glass of fizz, followed by dainty, tasty sandwiches, light as a feather scones, a selection of unusual cakes and a miniature strawberry jelly each, all washed down with an individual pot of tea of choice. Nothing was too much trouble for the attentive and entusiastic staff. All my friends have written to say what a wonderful afternoon it was and several have said it was the best afternoon tea they have ever eaten. A bonus was that my wheat and dairy intolerant friends had their own special tea.

Where do i start?! I booked for lunch today at 2pm, i even got sent an email confirmation but when we got there the first girl on reception looked at her list and then told us to go straight through to the restaurant. Clearly she could not see our name on her list.When we arrived there and gave our name again the young lady looked surprised. " Are you sure its Woollcott?" I think i know my own name!"Does Grant ring a Bell? " she asked.I showed her my confirmation email and she told us to take a seat while she finds us a table! She kindly bought us a drink while we were waiting. We were then shown to a table near the desert table. No cruets so we had to ask for them as my husband's soup was absolutely tasteless!!! The selection on the starters were very poor. Mostly pulses which my husband does not eat. The main course was a choice of Turkey or Beef I asked for a slice of each which was also small. The main course was just warm. Served with Tasteless gravy. The deserts- well what can i say?! Everyone was breathing on them. I saw two children put marshmallows on their plates then put them back again on the buffet. There was dried up mint leaves decorating the green coloured meringues. We were in and out of there in 35 minutes. I could not find the girl in charge so i gave my dining voucher to one of the girls on the bar. It was very amusing and an eye opener but that was all. Good job i did not have to pay £25 a head for it. We dine out a lot but I would not return here!

I spend 3 days here for a seminar. The garden and surrounding were absolutely fantastic. The hotel itself was in a traditional style made of wood. The meeting room was furnished with flatscreen and videophone. You can enjoyed cosy and confortable lounges located in different areas. The breakfast is a buffet with fruits, dairy, breads, eggs, bacon, baked beans...

My daughter bought me an afternoon tea gift for Mothers day. We were really looking forward as this was a real treat.There was an Alice in Wonderland theme which made for some of the cake decorations to be really pretty and to that theme.Our main gripe was that there was no decaf tea. we all have an inherited condition and are unable to have have normal tea and coffee. Now in England renowned for tea drinking and for an afternoon tea I would have expected it to be on offer, it is not difficult to obtain.There was and slightly older lady who was really helpful and explained there had not been a delivery but w were very disappointed. Now she did manage to find enough to make one pot from a member of staff that happened to have some but one pot between three was not enough. It was a poor show, and the cakes were bland and tasteless to boot, even the scones which were so dry we certainly needed more than one pot of tea to swallow them. The sandwiches were fine, but we will not be returning.

Attended a friends wedding and paid £99 for a very basic double room. Bathroom was lovely HOWEVER the water pressure broke and we were left without any running water on the morning of our departure so no shower, bath, taps etc. Reception a very small apology and said that maintenance could fix it but 30 minutes before check out was not really good enough. No form of compensation offered - not impressed. I would expect to be able to shower in a hotel room which cost just shy of £100!

Myself and 2 colleagues pre booked one night at Farnhams Hall hotel to allow us to attend a business meeting in Ware the next day. Our plan was to work all day in our West Yorkshire office and travel down to Hertforshire early evening planning to arrive at the hotel around 8:30 pm in time for a few well deserved pints and then dinner. First impressions upon arrival was the hotel complex was absolutely stunning and we all questioned how we had managed to secure single rooms each including breakfast for £70 per person. We checked in no problem dropped off our bags in our rooms and all commented how good the rooms were. We met in the bar and ordered drinks this is where it all started going wrong! Very limited selection of draft beers - nightmare! We all chose boddingtons purely because this was the only draft choice and commented I"it must have been 20 years since I last drunk boddingtons" we also endured the story of beer chillers breaking down blah, blah, blah, from the barman. We requested menus and sat down at a table in eager anticipation to order food. We noted the tables were very dirty but as per chance the waitress turned up with spray polish and duster and sprayed the table and us before polishing the table. The menus did not turn up, we had to go and find them because we had all ready been informed of the timing of last orders. We chose from the menu only to find there was limited choice as they had run of of several options, but no reason for concern, we were late arrivals therefore it is inevitable that Fish and Chips had run out!! We finally ordered food that would at least nourish us if not be the meal of our choice. When the food was delivered there was only two meals which one was a steak that was cooked polar opposite of what was ordered - why ask?As I said we only received 2 out of 3 meals leaving one of our party in desperation for sustenance not having eaten for over 12 hrs" We challenged the waiter as to where the third meal was and informed him that the the £18 steak excluding sides not being cooked or cooked anywhere near as requested. The waiter dissapeared through a single door into the kitchen and we heard him launch a volley of verbal and unsavoury abuse at the chef. The third meal turned up about 5 minutes later without the sides. We ordered two more pints of boddingtons, both were delivered cloudy and hastily rejected. We were offered alternative bottled beers but We declined purely due to exasperation of the poor performance of the hotels staff. We quickly negotiated deductions from food and drinks bill without challenge from the staff and dissapeared off the bed. The next morning we ate breakfast, looking out at the beautiful views happy to say no problems here..

My nephew had his wedding here recently.The ceremony was perfect then we had drinks and photos followed by a sit down meal.The sit down meal was delicious We had a three course meal and not only was the food good but so was the service.We later had a buffet which was also really enjoyable followed by staying the night in the hotel and a lovely breakfast the following morning.

Staying for business. Room has all the standard facilities. Plenty of communal space to sit and relax. Nice to walk around the gardens early morning or evening. The hotel has even identified a 1.2 or 1.8km run route for those early risers!

I have taken the family many times to Fanhams for the Sunday lunch buffet - usually for special birthdays etc. In the past, I had always been impressed by the quality and variety of the food. This time however, I was a little disappointed. The range of starters was particularly poor, with an absence of smoked salmon in any abundance, and pathetic looking prawn cocktails in a container little bigger than an egg cup. The main course was fine, but the cuts of meat were thin, and only two slices offered. I know that one can ask for more, but how much more pleasant it would be if the server asked if sufficient had been carved. Overall, I felt that the food was OK, but over - priced.

This is a wonderful setting Which we choose for a family get together pre Christmas. We met in the bar area with the fire for drinks lovely welcoming atmosphere. Our table was a bit squashed as set for one less and by the door so when people go out for a cigarette it was a bit chilly. Our meal was 2 pm. We all went up for the starters which are help your self. As we were the last to eat the fish had not been replenished so we missed out on that.,The cavery was nice 2 meats to choose from beef or turkey. Lots of vegetable choices. Yorkshires and roast potatoes. The roast potatoes could have done with more cooking.,They had run out of prossecco but they did look after us offering champagne for the same price. Obviously it was a busy Sunday before Christmas. There were a couple of things not quite right but generally speaking they did go out of their way to put things right. We would return,

Booked afternoon tea for my Mum's Birthday as Fanhams Hall is so local to us. We were seated in the Library which is in essence a very dark wooden room, the room shown in the promo for afternoon tea was next door. It turned out you had to request that room, and as they were fully booked there was nothing they could do. The woman serving us was genuinely apologetic about this and advised it happened often, so they should definitely make this clear at the time of booking. Afternoon tea was decent, not amazing. Shortbread quite tasteless but the scones, tea and other cakes were nice. Overall was OK, probably wouldn't go back, but for the price you can't complain.

Stayed there over night for a friend's wedding. Room and breakfast were both to a very high standard. Plenty of parking and a very reasonable room rate. Thank you !

I treated my friend to an afternoon tea at Fanhams Hall and we were not disappointed. Nice selection of sandwiches and scones and cakes with plenty of tea and coffee refills. All staff were very friendly and professional. Tea was served in the Drawing room and the room was beautifully decorated with Christmas tree etc.

I've had rate my most recent visit as poor, based on the food, which is for me, what the visit was all about. We went for a Sunday carvery and had to be seated in an annex room, which I did know about at the time of booking. Starters where fine, but the main meal was just not hot enough, plate she where not warm and this didn't help the temp of the food. The yorkshires were deflated and somewhat rubbery and gravey only warm not hot. For me they have sacrificed quality over quantity by adding an extra room of tables. Clearly the plates weren't warm enough and the food just hadn't stayed warm from its journey from the kiitchen and it serving area. The has happened on a previous visit, we were in the main room and the food was Luke warm. I had put that down to a quiet sitting on a bank holiday weekend, which I assumed the food was sitting around and not being replaced often. I'm so disappointed, as I enjoy going, but if they can't get a very basic thing right, like food temp, then they need to go back to basics. There happy to take our money. We did mention it to our server, he suggested he have another plate of food, but sadly it wouldn't have made a difference as it was the same food we would have had to have. Come on Fanhams get your kitchen act together.

Was there for the evening of a wedding reception in the great hall, the bar area was very loud whilst we waited for the main room to be cleared, but the venue was amazing. The car park was not very well lit not helped as it was raining and it was quite a distance. The buffet was lovely, but the drinks were quite expensive.

We hadn't been to Fanhams Hall Hotel before but we shall definitely use it again - the gardens are so beautiful especially when as on 11 December the sun was shining all day.

A fantastic setting but the Sunday lunch didn't matchA Carvery lunchA good selection of starters, eat as much as you like Two meats for main, both over cooked and dry, cauliflower cheese under cooked, gravy thin and tasteless Deserts very good with lots of different choices

Nice venue, lovely breakfast, strange lunch odd options, lovely restaurant lovely view, would be beautiful in the summer. Hotel room basic but clean. Afternoon tea was nice could have done with more sandwiches.

Its a nice place to have your Sunday lunch but you must book the lunch is only about two hrs. it starts about 12.30 till about 14.30 but you can keep going back as many times as you like. A nice Three course meal.

We took my Mum here as a remembrance as it was a year since losing my Father. They had an Alice in Wonderland theme. As it turned out we were the only ones in the room which due to the occasion was fine. A young girl from Hungry served us and she was excellent and always seemed to be there when you needed her and made sure we had all we needed. The sandwiches, cakes and scones were lovely and the bubbles and tea went down a treat. It is a beautiful setting and I would definitely come back in the summer or when there is snow on the ground.

We had five nights at Fanhams and some friends came to the hotel to have dinner with us one evening. Considering there were two functions that evening, there was no problem finding us a table in a separate dining room. The service and food were very good too.

I have been to afternoon tea at Fanham's twice, to celebrate a 60th and a 70th birthday respectively.The gardens are well maintained, and the venue, provides you with a "sense of occasion."Afternoon tea is held in the library, with refined architectural features.There is a menu, from which you can select from a variety of teas, with regular top ups.At booking I explained that one of the party was a pescatarian, and I even explained what dietary restrictions they had. When the sandwiches arrived, they offered beef instead of pork for this person!The cream tea scones,were delicious.The waitresses were polite and helpful. On my second visit there was a concurrent wedding party, and after our initial tea and food had been served, the waitresses seemed to disappear, for long periods of time, and I wonder whether they were busy attending to the wedding at the same venue?To their credit, they provided a little box of leftover treats to take home with us.So why the low rating?Well, when it came to pay, there is an additional 20% tax which is added on, than the price that is advertised. I subsequently found out, from one of our group, that apparently on the menu it states that service is already included. But there is an additional space on the bill for further service charge, (without making it clear that it has already been included)The bill is presented to you only briefly at the till which has the extra VAT added, and then gets whisked away, to be presented with a generic receipt. I have looked at prices for afternoon tea at the Fanhams' website, and at the time of writing, the prices quoted do not indicate that there is an additional Tax.Afternoon tea, probably has a high profit margin for the hotel.I just feel that management are trying to hoodwink the public, by quoting a lower price.

Lovely building. Staff not trained. no side plates for butter and bread and soup carried down stairs with butter balanced on your soup spoon. Carvery only warm and yorkshire puddings hard. no plates for puddings and then given hot dishes. Didn't really want hot trifle. Napkins contained white powder.

We ate outside, it was a nice day and the staff were extremely pleasant and helpful people, the food and drink were to everybody's satisfaction. the price was reasonable

Omg went here for family lunch with my godmother, she said it was nice it was fanatic. Super selection at starter table salads fish cheese cold meats Choice of two roastsAnd huge selction of deserts Drinks are expensive, but worth it for a treat. Super family meal in a great place

Attended the Oak room for a Birthday luncheon, perfect size for a group of about 40 to 50. Carvery lunch was very nice, lovely views of the surrounding gardens. Staff very attentive, would highly recommend for any special event that you want to do in style.

I came here for a family wedding. The hotel itself is beautiful and a walk round the grounds is a must if the weather is good. Our room was very comfortable, nice bed, pillows, all clean, decent shower and towels. My only quibble would be the lack of net curtains, I could easily see into other people's bedrooms and I am sure they could see in to mine. Yes I could draw the curtains but it's much nicer being in natural light. The staff were friendly and helpful, the breakfast was very tasty. Again another minor quibble is the staff were very slow at clearing away our breakfast plates. We were sat at our table for nearly and hour while the plates built up around us. However these are two very minor faults considering how good everything else was. If we are in the area again we will definitely return.

We have had Sunday lunch here before but this time most of us agreed it was not as good as before.The venue is lovely. If the weather I good its lovely to walk around the gardens and build up your appetite before the all you can eat roast lunch. book is essential as you wont get a table just turning up. We had a little booking issue this time as we called up and added four people the booking. The front desk was aware of the change but the restaurant was not so we had to wait whilst they sorted out the tables for us. Luckily they were able to squeeze in the extras.According to the staff this happens quite a lot, with the reception not advising the restaurant of changes frequently.The roasts are lovely but the rest of the food is lacking or just missing. For example the only bread on offer was chunks of bread by the soup. No rolls, no slices of nice breads, that was it. This is not what you would expect at this level catering.There were two roasts beef and turkey both excellent and the trimmings were very nice too with good Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and vegetables, cauliflower cheese etc.. According to the website there were fish and vegetarian options too but we never saw them.There is a central island where the salads and starters are. Some of these are easily identifiable but others are not. There is a card on the island listing all the dishes that are on offer which helps for some but not for all. The identification was lacking. Individual cards on each dish would have been much better.The cesar salad seemed to just be lettuce and dressing, not even croutonsBeside the wall there are the sweets where again there was a card listing them all but some you could identify and others you couldn't. In fact asking the staff didn't help as they really didn't know either. I asked the staff which was the berry cheesecake and was pointed to a particular desert. Then a short while later another person asked the same question to another staff member and was pointed to a different desert.The service was very good with the waiter costantly checking if we needed anything.All in all a lovely venue with good servce and fair food but not as good as it has been in the past and lacking in a fe areas.

Myself and my boyfriend attended a wedding here on the 24.08.2016, the venue is beautiful, everything was very well organised, the staff couldn't do enough for you. An amazing day had by all and the bride and groom were over the moon with everything!

Room very pretty but we were seated on an incredibly low sofa which was very uncomfortable. Service ok, but a bit of a shambles trying to pay at the end. Food very disappointing, sandwiches lacked filling and cakes were overly sweet and very bland. Would not return or recommend.

Went for our third visit to Fanhams today, for afternoon tea and it did not disappoint. Have also been for Sunday Carvery - a must do!! Brilliant food at brilliant prices. Make sure you visit soon - you won't be disappointed.

This was a formal dinner for about thirty on the hottest day of the year so far - although that bit isn't essential to the story. This is. I ordered the vegetarian meal (because there is only so much meat one can eat in a week) and a pretty bland and nondescript mushroom risotto (I think) eventually arrived. I put a forkful into my mouth, as you do, and discovered what risotto tastes like at 100 degrees C. Someone had obviously stuck it into the microwave and just left it until it boiled. Needless to say it burnt my mouth and, tellingly, didn't cool down to edible temperature until everyone else had finished their meals. Worst dining experience in a long time and I now have a blister on my lip. Maybe it was just an accident and a one-off, but it was sufficiently bad for me to take the time to write this.

Took my mum here to celebrate her 80th birthday beautiful surroundings in a lovely hotel in the comfortable drawing room and a walk around the gorgeous gardens. Good service friendly staff and affordable delicious tea definitely recommend a visit already planning a couple with other friends .

After 5 months recovery, this was my mum's first trip out after surgery to remove her stomach due to cancer. Eating has been a struggle and she had really lost confidence to go out. Fanhams Hall staff could not have been more kind and the location was beautiful. The drawing room gave nice privacy. The afternoon tea was gorgeous! Didn't expect Mum to eat much but she ate it all. The mint choux buns are delicious. Her grin as she finished off the last piece of scone, jam and cream was priceless!! Thank you Fanhams :)