Downton Lodge

Lovely property.

Had an issue with items left in the property from before we stayed set of keys, used tissues, what has upset us the most was we found in the bed my son slept in was under the fitted sheet the top of a diabetic insulin needle top. Luckily I found it as if he did he could have touched the end where a needle was exposed and pricked himself. He then didnt want to saleep in the bed the rest of the holiday. Bare in mind we paid extra for cleaning once we left to be able to bring an extra dog whick i had absolute no issues with at all but seeing the cleaning isnt thorough its abit of a waste paying extra. Be an idea to speak or change who they ise to clean the property Overall place was nice pool lovely.

After reading some of the previous feedback I was prepared for the possibility of some issues when we stayed at Downton Lodge.

. However, I needn't have worried. We enjoyed our stay so much that we are already planning to rebook. The house is indeed a little tired in places, however being a grade ll listed building there will be many rules and regulations to navigate regarding its upkeep, and this needs to be taken into account.. The house was clean, full of character and well equipped. There are many little touches that show that love has gone into the house, and many efforts to make sure that the guests are comfortable. Pros - A lot more privacy around the pool area than I was expecting, aka not as overlooked as it first appears. The owner was lovely, and very accommodating. Especially when it came to use of the pool! The aga was a big plus point for me, having grown up with one I loved cooking on an aga again, and enjoyed showing it to my children who had never seen one. The sitting room, contrary to the pictures, does not only have conservatory furniture - but also has armchairs and a sofa. The showers are remarkably powerful. The best I've seen in a long time. When staying in holiday homes we normally find "bath towels" that don't look big enough to be away from their mother. The ones in Downton Lodge are huge, fluffy and good quality. The location is superb, within easy reach of the beach, shops, local towns and plenty of places to explore. Cons - just the one... The lack of a washing machine! To be fair I did know there wasn't one available when I booked, but I hadn't anticipated how much I would need one. Due to the pool and having 3 girls I found myself doing quite a few "handwashes", and while this isn't the biggest deal in the world - it would be nice not to have had to. Maybe the owners could think about installing one? As there is space... All in all, we had an amazing break away in a tranquil, beautiful setting. Thank you to the owner Karen. We look forward to visiting again soon!

We had a wonderful break at Downton Lodge, the property was delightful, comfortable and well equipped with helpful hosts.

Great position to explore the New Forest and the pool was a special treat.

We very much enjoyed our stay here.

We found the accommodation charming and spacious. Kitchen was well equipped. My only quibble (and it’s a very small one) was that it was advertised as dog friendly but the garden at the front was not enclosed and I could not leave the dog alone outside for any time. Good location lots of easy to reach facilities.

Totally upset with the accommodation only booked because my grandchildren were coming for the weekend and I knew they would love the pool.

It certainly wasn’t the stated 82 degrees they got in but had to get out again far too cold. The house is very basic and needs painting. If my son and grandchildren weren’t coming I would have turned around and walked back out. The house needs help ,as a company I really don’t know why you have given it 4.7 stars. It’s no excuse saying it’s a listed building you are allowed to decorate and boy does it need it. The owner did try to help with the temperature of the pool but the day we left it still wasn’t up to stated temperature. Very disappointed!!!

We have really mixed feelings about Downton Lodge as we really enjoyed some parts (good location - the pool was fab in the hot weather - the showers were amazing - comfy beds etc) but were a little disappointed with other parts (generally it’s very dark throughout - kitchen not well equipped - garden/conservatory furniture used in the lounge very uncomfortable).

Felt like it needed a good clean too - and maybe a bit of an update as it is certainly quite “tired” in various places (which is contrary to the listing which we felt set us up for disappointment on arrival sadly). However we can appreciate that it’s a great house for the right people but perhaps just not for a young family like we have.

Lovely cottage with ample room/ facilities for 6 people.

Owners very accommodating and we were able to use the pool as often as we liked. Parking is a little restricted if you have two big cars. Had never used an aga before so some instructions would have been good. The cleaners weren’t brilliant more care needed in the bathrooms and food was left in the kitchen presumably by the previous occupants. The shower in the main bathroom was temperamental It’s a lovely old cottage with rustic charm and a great kitchen. Couldn’t fault the master bedroom either. Fantastic location for staying in the New Forest. Would definitely go back.

The Owner was extremely helpful and amenable.

The lodge is very well situated for exploring the New Forest area and was very well equipped. The pool was a fabulous attraction given the record breaking temperatures during our stay. The lodge is quirky and lived in but suited our needs.

We had a wonderful stay at the delightful Downton Lodge.

A gorgeous character listed cottage which is annexed to the main house where the owners live. The cottage is very spacious with a large kitchen packed with everything you could possibly need. The beds are v comfy and great power showers! There are plenty of games to play in the Lounge. And there is the added bonus of a lovely pool which we used every day. The owner Karen is extremely helpful and made us feel very welcome. I highly recommend it.

We had a great family holiday at this pretty cottage, which was very well equipped with everything we needed for a really comfortable week away.

We especially enjoyed the pool and I enjoyed using an Aga for the first time and got to grips with it quickly after some instruction from Karen on our arrival! As a party of 6 adults and one infant, the 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2 separate toilets worked very well. Good position for touring the New Forest and the coast. We hope to return.

We had a fantastic time celebrating the Jubilee weekend at this lovely property.

It was rustic and cute and the pool was much appreciated. As my sister said, you should have more pictures to show off how beautiful this property is.

We loved the cottage.

It was such a treat to enjoy the use of an Aga. Our kids enjoyed the board games and the range of TV channels. We really hope to come back again soon.

We really enjoyed our 3 night stay.

The cottage was spacious warm and comfortable. We were very pleasantly surprised as to how well the kitchen was stocked with crockery and utensils. A very pleasant place to stay.

Lovely cottage in great location near to New Forest and the coast.

Having a heated outdoor pool was a real bonus.