The Ponsbourne Park Hotel proved to be so much more than we expected. We needed to stay in the vicinity for two nights and stumbled across the hotel by chance. The website actually doesn't do it justice - it certainly did not convey the high standard of service that took our stay in this well appointed hotel to an exceptional level. From the very first telephone call to make initial enquiries, every single member of staff we encountered could not have been more pleasant, helpful and seemed genuinely keen to provide service with a smile.
We travel around the country fairly extensively and frequently encounter members of staff in certain areas of an hotel who are very, very good at their job, but we could not remember staying anywhere else where all the staff were quite so consistently good.
The public areas are very comfortable, clean and inviting and the bedrooms are fabulous. We each occupied huge executive rooms that had been considerately modernised fairly recently, whilst retaining many of their original features. If you are staying for more than one night, we'd recommend opting for this type of room - it is well worth the small premium. They all had big windows that actually opened easily - a rarity itself these days - as well as very quiet and efficient air-conditioning; large wall mounted, plasma screen televisions with access to a range of channels and movies, but it was the thoughtful extra touches such cafetieres and fresh coffee and huge bathrobes and slippers, that shows that the management of this hotel has thought about what will make their guest's stay even more pleasant.
The business guest is very well catered for - plenty of sockets to charge the mobile, run the pc, etc. and easy access to the internet. The hotel even recommended a very reliable and reasonable local taxi firm who picked up colleagues from local stations and each day transported us to our business meetings in the area and, in the evening, returned us back to a calm oasis.
The hotel's situation is unbelieveably peaceful and yet only a short drive from the M25! The views are stunning - it was incredibly relaxing to sit out on the terrace enjoying a glass of chilled rose - the stresses and strains of the day soon vanished! And the food in the restaurant was, in Michael Winner terms - historic! And so beautifully presented. Dinner was memorable - we all thought so and even the price is easy to digest!
We were in two minds whether or not to return to the restaurant on the second night but decided to stick to our original plan and try out the newly opened Bistro where the ambiance was more lively and informal. Yet another triumph. There is obviously a very talented chef and kitchen brigade at the Ponsbourne Park. It is a good job that there is a small gym in which to burn off the calories although there is a very good 3 mile run around the grounds (I understand from my more energetic colleagues!) and a golf course. The heated outdoor pool wasn't open at the time of our stay, but I can imagine that would be very popular.
Breakfast proved to be further sensational dining experiences. Each morning there was a delicious display of real fresh fruit - prepared in the kitchen as opposed to a from a bag - attractively arranged on a centre table along with fresh breads, pastries and cereals and yoghurts etc. There was a very good selection of dishes on the menu and the full English breakfast was voted the best ever by colleagues. We were even offered a choice of freshly brewed tea and coffee which was then actually brought to the table by very cheerful, efficient and friendly waitresses. How rare is that becoming these days?
But, as I said earlier, it was the staff who made this an exceptional stay.
We cannot recommend this hotel too highly and cannot wait to return.

Very good wedding venue in pleasant countryside. Everything went smoothly and to plan. Superb food, and very good service with the wedding breakfast, and breakfast the following morning. Pleasant grounds for guests to stroll through, and pleasant public rooms. Good master of ceremonies.
We were pleased with the decor and facilities in our bedroom (in the main building), but were woken early in the morning by noise from the kitchen. Other guests' reactions to their bedrooms was mixed, with those staying in the main building happy but those in the annexe being less enthusiastic. The check-out time was inconvenient for a Sunday.

It's difficult to fault the previous review. This is a Tesco training centre, and any pretence to being a four star hotel is long gone.
On arrival the hotel had lost our reservation, and rude and unhelpful reception staff were only interested in getting rid of our party to some other hotel as quickly as possible. We were eventually and grudgingly eventually parked in an annex. Breakfast was chaotic and possibly the poorest quality I have ever seen in a British Hotel of any rating. However, we were charged through the nose for everything - £3.50 for a small bottle of water, ?! Hotel facilities were non existent.
The only good point was the restaurant food in the evening, however this is run as a seperate operation as far as I could make out. The proverbial wild horses wouldn't drag us back there.

This pile should remain what it actually is... a training center for Tesco Supermarkets, and not advertise itself as a lux 4 star country hotel. Buyer beware, the setting is impressive but the check in staff were rude, there is no help with luggage, no porters, no concierge, no nothing infact. Even the swimming pool was closed... (on a hot May day). Ponsbourne Park is a training center trying to make a quick buck on the side by offering out its rooms to non supermarket (ie non trainig center ) members of the public. The only redeeming part of my (thankfully) short stay was that the evening meal was quite good and the wait staff in the restaurant very charming. Unfortunatley the experinence was let down by members of the supermarket let out for a couple of days to this training center who were drunk and rather loud at the next table.....expected I suppose.. let off the leash for a couple of days. That would be fine if the paying public were not subjected to this after paying good money to stay there.

So its a case of Tesco Towers instead of Faulty Towers... you can imagine what its like...avoid avoid avoid.

Ponsbourne Park ..stop trying to lure the public with your slick web site and own up to what you actually are!!