Champneys Forest Mere - Liphook

A8078AHlornam

We went without looking much at reviews as the champneys name is so well known. ||Sadly the quality was really very poor. I have since discovered tge company is struggling. It explains a lot. ||Staffing levels are very very low. Phones are literally not answered. Ever. The spa felt rushed. 50 mins is already miserly but seems common place since Covid but when 5 mins is shaved off by them then it’s barely worth the effort. ||The massage itself was very so so. The therapist told me she had been there for too many years. ||||The place is in a terrible state. External door frames and windows are rotting. The bath panel is falling apart. Everything needs to be painted. ||The breakfast room was just plain dirty. The floor under tables and by counters had weeks of grime. Old wrappers and bits of cutlery. It was genuinely appalling. ||||The wait staff were on the whole lovely but there is only so much that can be done on a skeleton service. ||||It’s obvious that in order to generate income they are offering cut price day spa deals which means day guests come in for the day and sequester loungers for the entire day. This means residents have nowhere to sit around the pool or sauna or steam rooms. Not a single space. ||So the idea of having a massage then going for a swim and lounging for an hour isn’t going to happen. ||The kitchen wasn’t functioning for breakfast so we could only have cold foods and although this was resolved by lunch it really was not good service. ||||Outside spaces could have been lovely as the outlook is attractive but again low staffing meant outdoor furniture was in disarray. Left where evening years had left it. Tipped on its side and littered with empty bottles and crisp packets.

Corl

Day spa, so did not have a room. Would recommend day spa. Arrived at 9.15 am had light breakfast choice of
teas, coffee. Bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, croissants, yogurts, fruit etc. Use of all facilities and lunch with good choices including vegan. Lovely grounds with lake. Would recommend.

carolinewZ4835YO

I had such a lovely time here!! the setting by the lake is absolutely beautiful and so peaceful, perfect for unwinding. The massage was amazing and left me feeling completely relaxed. I also made use of the fitness services, which were excellent. A special mention to Kelli, who led the Pilates sessions – she was incredibly attentive and took the time to adapt the exercises to accommodate my injuries, which made a huge difference. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a restorative and supportive retreat.

Joe F.

One of the best spa hotels we have visited and we have been lucky enough to visit many. I'd say the facilities are fantastic, set in gorgeous grounds. The bathroom was a little tired but the room was beautiful and bed very comfy.

All of the staff are very warm, welcoming and friendly and we were very impressed.

One of the nicest spa breaks we have ever done.

Awesome and very large indoor pool, heated outdoor pool, loads more to enjoy.

Highly recommend.

903lottiep

The drive up to the spa, through the grounds is absolutely gracious, it is calm, peaceful, everything you need to an ideal spa day. The check in took a little while but was very friendly and informative. I do have to say the spa is looking a little tired now, although it is still lovely, for the price you pay, I would expect it to be cleaner, with no water stains etc. It could genuinely do with a refurb. The staff over the treatment side, very attentive and polite, then you move over to the restaurant side. No water top ups, no cups. Ignored when they see you waiting, the lady in the orangery huffed when we politely asked for a water top up. Then left it to the young man to sort it whilst he ran around. ||Now on to my treatment, I do have to say amongst all of the negatives, the treatment was the best I have ever had. My therapist Glen, was lovely, friendly and made me feel at ease. I do have to say he is a credit to champneys. Thank you Glen for making it worth while, and I hope your employer see this message and take note of what a fantastic therapist you are.

shaminib

I have been coming to this Champney for over 13 years, and it used to be a wonderful place to escape. However, my last few trips since the covid years have been such a disappointment. I emailed before leaving this review, but the customer service is just not there, and they didn't care about my complaint. The latest stay is why I finally leave such a poor review.||I came here for a Hen do, on my recommendation, which I now feel embarrassed about. Prior to our stay, about a week before, I emailed to request a dinner reservation for 7.30 for our group so we would have to eat too late. However, I never had a reply or an acknowledgement to this email.|When I arrived slightly before the rest of the group due to being a member and having this advantage, I asked about dinner booking only to be told we could only have 8.30 due to it being full. Then I was told that if I had emailed , the lady then stopped as I had told her about the email and lack of response. It's not great to start. Then I was asked to choose my dinner meal, which I had never done before at check-in. Apparently, it is a new policy for groups.|After leaving my bags in the room, I awaited the rest of the party and when I went to meet them, it was busy in reception and my party was flustered at being made to hurriedly chose dinner with a queue behind them. It was such a poor idea to do this and to be rushed, and when we said this, it fell on deaf ears.||After getting changed and deciding to head to the spa to relax, we then found there was nowhere to sit. All bed, deckchairs, and rooms were occupied. Towels just left on some, with no one occupying them. We walked around for 30 minutes, debating where to go. We couldn't even go in the hot tub, whirl pool, or outdoor pool area as that was full. People were not leaving these areas. Probably because there was nowhere else to go. It is all about money for Champneys now, just trying to get as many people on with no regard for the actual reason of people coming to relax, swim, and use spa facilities.||After not being able to use any of the facilities in the spa area, we finally gave up and went back to our rooms to relax and get ready for dinner. I finally paid attention to my room, which had a can of hairspray left under the chair and no shower curtain, which means having a shower, the bathroom got soaked. After telling reception this, all I got was thank you for telling us.|I used a spare towel to mop the floor and just left it for the morning, seeing as no one was coming to sort it out.||We went down for dinner at 8.20, a little bit early, and after being given menus, we told the lady we had been told to pick our meal at check-in. She then went to check.|At 8.50pm, 30mins later, someone came back to us to say they couldn't find our dinner choices, could we look at the menu and pick our meals. By this time, we were getting more and more angry and fed up. Our stay was being ruined by each step of the day.|We didn't eat until 9.30, and by this time, they had started clearing to room up and setting it up for breakfast.||So all in all, a very disappointing stay. When I emailed more details about our stay to Champneys, they just replied , " They hoped I would visit again."||I am gutted and so ashamed to have brought my friend to this place, and them noting being able to have any treatments due to it all being booked. The Hen actually woke up at 6.30am and went down just after 7am to be able to have somewhere to sit and use some of the facilities before it got busy.||So no, I would not recommend Champneys anymore for a stay until they stop overbooking themselves so people can come and have a relaxing spa and use the facilties.

Natasha B.

I must say that this Spa exceeded my expectations, booked the half price Spa day from 9am-6pm, arrived early signed up to the yoga class at a bit of an extra cost but very much worth it. There was so much to do that they have not listed on the website, including bike hire and express massage which is only accessible on the app. There are tennis courts and some classes are included with the package such as a walks and aqua fit. With the deal they offer a breakfast snack option and buffet lunch which was lovely. As the weather was lovely it did not feel too overcrowded lots of space and chill out areas. Loved that there was a sauna and steam room in the ladies changing room as well as others in the main pool area which were mixed. The staff were really helpful and made me as a solo visitor feel at ease. Overall a great experience, perfect day and I would definitely go again.

John M.

The spa feels like it was renovated to a high standard 15 years ago but has since been neglected. It’s a real shame as this place really could feel premium, but it doesn’t. The saunas (shared and male) don’t get remotely near the temp they should, the steam room door doesn’t shut (and apparently hasn’t for years, but they aren’t fixing it) and the male steam room was out of action, again, apparently for some time. We had lunch which was nice. The spa is so close but so far from being what it could / should