Lady’s Review of Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest

Today I want to bring you my review of Lime Wood hotel in the New Forest. This hotel in Hampshire is one of my favorite places to stay in England. Read on to find out why.

Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest

I have a rule when I travel: never go to the same place twice. There are so many amazing destinations in the world that it’s a shame to always visit the same ones.

I make exceptions for places like Paris and San Francisco, what with the former being my favorite city in the world and the latter being home. Apart from those, I stick to my rule. Well, almost.

In January I went to the New Forest for lunch at The Pig and had such a great experience that when I was invited to its sister property, the Lime Wood hotel, I couldn’t pass up the chance to revisit Hampshire.

How to Get to Lime Wood Hotel

I arrived in the New Forest on a train from London Waterloo. I rode first class on the comfortable two-hour journey to Beaulieu Road station.

Lime Wood had arranged a taxi to pick me up from the station, which was a good thing because it was small and surrounded by nothing but the forest’s signature ponies.

I later learned that nearby Bockenhurst station would have been a better choice, but it was still fun to have the conductor tell me that I was the first passenger to alight at Beaulieu Road in months.

The station was less than a 10-minute drive from Lime Wood, and I arrived ready to explore.

Walks in the New Forest

As if the reception staff read my mind, they had maps on hand with directions for country walks near the hotel. I dropped off my bag, took up a map, and headed out to get some fresh air.

It was my first of two walks in the New Forest, and it served as a great reminder of how enchanting the place is.

On my first trip to the area, I felt like I was in a fairy tale. This visit proved no exception, what with the deep woods beckoning under heavy skies.

My second walk took place the following morning in the thickest fog I’ve seen since I left San Francisco. At first I was hesitant to head into the woods, thinking that the fog would ruin the scenery. But I was wrong.

As soon as I ventured onto the path, I realized that instead of stealing from the ambiance, the fog made the New Forest even more hauntingly beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for a better walk.

Rooms at Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest

Back at the hotel, there was plenty more to keep me busy. I checked into my suite, which was set over two floors.

It had a living room and single bedroom with an ensuite bathroom on the ground floor, and a master bedroom and bathroom on the first floor.

The decor was light and airy, and the suite was furnished with flat-screen televisions, sumptuous Bamford spa products, working fireplaces, and pretty pillows.

Out the windows I could see the New Forest on one side and the manicured gardens and ponds of Lime Wood hotel on the other.

In addition to the building my room was in, there were several others on the premises, including the main house.

In it were no shortage of comfy lounges, an airy interior courtyard with tables and chairs, two restaurants, and a mud room for coats and wellies.

Lime Wood Spa

Next to it was a building that housed the spa. Its small entrance belied the large size of the interior, which had a hydrotherapy pool, a lap pool, an outdoor hot pool, a sauna, a steam room, and spa treatment rooms.

It even had its own restaurant, Raw and Cured, which served a selection of fresh, healthy food for spa-goers.

I spent an indulgent afternoon at the Lime Wood spa enjoying the pools and facilities, which were top-notch and perfect for a day of relaxation.

At the end of the afternoon, I had a Bamford De-Stress Massage, where I found my therapist, Ewelina, to be as expert at massage therapy as she was passionate about physiology and wellness. It was one of the best spa experiences I’ve had in all my travels.

Lime Wood Restaurants

Continuing the theme of indulgence, I next focused on food. In the evening I enjoyed dinner at the main restaurant at Lime Wood. It offered an a la carte menu and a small plates menu.

Additionally, it had one of the most extensive and impressive wine lists I’ve seen in a long time. From my home state of California alone there were big names like Sine Qua Non, Ridge ‘Montebello’, and the elusive, exclusive Screaming Eagle.

I chose my dishes and asked the sommelier to pair a few wines with my meal. I started out with veal sweetbreads with celeriac, pickled ginger, capers, and raisin. That was followed by squid with linguine in an artichoke and white wine sauce.

Both were served with a glass of Mas de Daumas Gassac 2009 from VdP L’Herault, France. The dishes and wine were excellent; I particularly enjoyed the linguine.

The third course featured Cornish cod with roast gnocchi and spinach. It was another winner, as was the glass of Gruner Veltliner 2010 Birgit Eichinger from Kamptal, Austria.

They set the stage for the venison with beetroot and cocoa, which was my favorite dish of the meal. The wine that was paired with it was a Pinot Noir ‘Leah’ Seresin Estate 2009 from Marlborough, New Zealand. It reminded me why Pinot is my favorite grape.

Dessert was rhubarb and custard with tinned milk and spiced bread. It was beautifully presented with swirling pink ribbons of rhubarb, but for the first time in my life, I felt that at least one element of the dessert could have been sweeter.

As a result, I thought the glass of Jurancon 2005 Domaine Bellauc from France was a bit too sweet for the dish.

The food didn’t end at dessert, though. The next morning I enjoyed breakfast at Lime Wood hotel’s casual dining restaurant.

I enjoyed fresh berries and pineapple as well as a blueberry muffin from the buffet. Afterwards I tucked into eggy brioche with maple syrup. It was a great way to start the morning.

Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest Review

Unfortunately the morning had to come to an end. At 11:30, I left the hotel to catch my train to London.

I wish I could have prolonged my stay and spent more time enjoying the Lime Wood hotel and the New Forest, but now that I’ve broken my rule to never visit the same place twice, I won’t mind breaking it again. And again. And again. Spoiler alert: I have.

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