After a long day in the office my colleague and I from Brief2Event and Square Events arrived at Bartley Lodge Hotel. We were greeted by a long, sweeping driveway that perfectly set up the country manor feel of the building itself our check-in was very fast, we were both delighted with the room we were staying in, very clean, modern but still within keeping with the country manor feel.
Shortly afterwards we met the lovely Nicki Smith for a drinks reception and a show round. The Baronial Hall is an extremely versatile space and would serve perfectly as a function room for private dining, meetings or conferences. The room benefits from wood panelling and has a very traditional feel, one of the best aspects of this room is the large windows overlooking the gardens with access to the patio, which would be ideal for a drinks reception in the summer evenings or as an area to unwind in during conference breaks.
Bartley Lodge Hotel has an ‘old’ part and a ‘new’ part to the hotel. They offer four different categories of bedrooms – Keeper (cosy standard), Agister (standard rooms), Verderer (larger rooms with all amenities) and Crown (executive, some with four poster beds and additional luxuries) The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and sauna for all residents to use.
We dined in the Crystal Restaurant in the hotel conservatory and had the opportunity to sample the new menu for the ‘Spring/Summer’ season. The selections were extensive and the food was delicious. The menu would be great for a private dining experience, such as a Masonic Ladies Festival. The hotel had really pulled out all the stops and this was evident with my dessert I had the chocolate brownie which was presented as a New Forest scene with a side of ‘soil and mushrooms’ they had made mini marshmallows and cookies as the mushrooms and soil was crushed up cookies with fennel for grass. It was a great touch and everyone made comments regarding the dessert. The meal was delicious and we were certainly not left hungry!
We enjoyed a restful night’s sleep in our well-appointed bedroom and breakfast the next day really set us up for a day’s activities in the New Forest.
For more information on organising your Masonic event in the New Forest or the UK please contact Guy Mason, Matt Devine or the rest of the team at Square Events and Perfect Weekend using the details below:
01202 400855
