Cliveden House

Another fabulous property taking into account the age (charm) of the buildings. Actual antique furnishings and original art work throughout. Fabulous history as the site of many a frolic, much in keeping with the origins of the property as a home built by the Duke of Buckingham to enjoy with his mistress. All well detailed in the book describing the history of the property, which is surprisingly well written and found in each room.
As I have found throughout my visit, the service was exquisite just as it was at the other properties reviewed during my sojourn in England. This one was property had a bit more stuffy/​older clientele but I would not let that stop me. Grounds were magnificent so a walking tour is a must. Take the map from the front desk as there are 300 acres to explore.
The Restaurant was excellent with an incredible wine list and very knowledgeable sommeliers. Convenient to Heathrow so excellent place to relax at the end of any visit to England.

Amazing is the only way to describe this National Trust listed house. Steeped in history and having hosted many a famous people from Royals to commoners you feel special being here.
Beautiful grand interiors, splendid rooms with antique furniture and great service. The grounds and gardens are amazing and you feel like you are in a different place. Food here is also good.
Would come back here in a heartbeat.

Fantastic– my wife and I had our joint 40^th birthday celebration here and it was amazing. Truly a luxury experience
Great room great food and great service!

So, its one of those days when you are going to a fancy place to eat. And this place is steeped in history and of course the profumo affair. There is no doubt that the décor is amazing, it’s the giant pictures on the wall, the high ceilings, the mega cars parked outside. But what is the food like.
Well the first thing i was amazed at was the price, this stuff is amazing value. 3 courses for £69 and you know its going to be good food and it was.
Scallops for starter, perfectly done and one of those sauces that is teased over the dish but so perfectly compliments everything. Lamb with a simple mash is perfect and you could pick any desert really — it all looks good.
Good whisky selection if thats your tipple with some good aged single malts. They even had my favourite rum from Anguilla (ever get the chance to try — its called PYRAT RUM — the best in the world).
Great service, great location.
Its simple stuff but well presented — want to impress somebody then bring them here, if its your mistress then this is perfect place and links nicely with the history

Cliveden is an unbelievable stately home which has been converted into an exquisite luxury hotel. Surrounded by beautiful countryside and easy to get to, you are guaranteed a wonderful experience here whether you’re taking a break here, staying for business or simply going for afternoon tea. In addition, it is home to events such as the Open Air Theatre where you can watch the most wonderfully produced plays with a sumptuous picnic. Just gorgeous in every way!

Lovely property on the bank of the Thames with a long history.
Popularised by the Profumo affair from the 60’s this is a splendid house with lovely grounds and great opportunites to walk along the river.
Saldy the House is a fully functioning hotel and you can only wander around the interior as a National Trust visitor on certain days (and obviously there is limited access).
The old greenhouse provides a great place for the café which serves standard NT fare.
To be brutally honest I always feel I have missed something when I visit Cliveden as I feel it’s smaller than it looks.
It’s a nice property in a great location but the fact that you cannot freely view the interior is a let down.

Cliveden is sometimes described as the best hotel in the world. I don’t know enough places which might fall into that category to judge, but it’s certainly the finest I’ve ever stayed in. The glorious Italianate façade which greets you at the end of the magnificent drive is spectacular, but intimate — and indeed Cliveden still feels like a large country house rather than an hotel. An additional wing overlooking the famous swimming pool adds a number of more standard-​sized rooms, but if you stay, take one of the rooms in the main house with their beautiful views across the front garden down towards the Thames.
You enter through the main hall — a marvellous panelled room dominated by a huge fireplace and hung with tapestries — and the original portrait of Nancy Astor. It’s a perfect place for tea — or drinks before dinner.
You can have dinner in the Terrace dining room overlooking the garden, and it’s now done up like a pudding in an overrich terracotta but still lacks intimacy. Moreover, the chef still seems to think that the type of nouvelle cuisine where you need a golf trolley to find your way to disparate scraps of food on a vast plate is ‘le mode’. The ‘haute cuisine’ restaurant Waldo’s in the cellars is more interesting. There are also some fascinating portraits and photographs in the corridors — including a fine one of Christine Keeler. Breakfast can be taken communally at a huge table in a magnificent room at the end of the house, just as it was when a private home — but sadly now only if you book for a party of ten or more.
The pool area behind a lovely old wall has been converted into a full spa with a heated indoor pool, but it’s still very easy to imagine the the beginnings of the famous Profumo /​Keeler scandal there (for those who don’t know about it, there’s a brief summary here
)
Despite the grandeur of the house and its associations, it’s marvellously relaxed and one quickly settles in to the lifestyle. Surrounded by a large park and formal gardens which are beautifully looked after by the National Trust, there is much to see before returning to the comfort of the a chair by the fire in the library to contemplate starting some scandals of your own.