Macdonald Elmers Court Hotel and Resort
Safe Hands For Cancer Accredited
With its proximity to both the coast and the New Forest, there is something for everyone with this hotel as your base. However, with its cosy interiors, landscaped gardens and a stunning swimming pool and sun terrace, there are lots of reasons not to leave! At the Elemis Spa, Vital Health & Wellbeing Club, you can choose to be active in the gym or on the golf club and tennis courts, but just as lovely is relaxing in the Jacuzzi and steam room before heading for a luxurious spa treatment.
Spa and hotel facilities
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At a glance
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Safe Hands for Cancer
Accredited by the SATCC and part of the Spabreaks.com Safe Hands for Cancer Collection, this spa welcomes people living with or beyond cancer and offers a number of specialist trained therapists.
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Activities
WIth 23 acres of grounds to roam, there’s plenty to do at the hotel including bike hire, tennis, table tennis and a pitch and putt.
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Groups
For groups and hen parties, there’s a choice of one, two and three bedroom apartments and two bedroom cottages to stay in, complete with a fully equipped kitchen, smart TV, hospitality tray, hairdryer, laundry service and space to unwind together.
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Family Friendly
With beautiful gardens, plenty of local attractions and a separate pool for children, Elmers Court is particularly adept to catering for families looking to get away. Apartment and cottage accommodation also makes family escapes more relaxed with space to be yourselves.
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Local Attractions
The New Forest is one of the largest areas of parkland in the UK, so it’s worth some exploration in its own right. However, you can also head to Marwell Zoo, Beaulieu Motor Museum and Winchester Cathedral amongst other attractions.
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Architectual Excellence
Dating back to 1820, the main building of the hotel retains many of its original features.
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Hotel Spa
With a range of rooms in the main hotel as well as apartments and cottages within the grounds, Macdonald Elmers Court Resort welcomes all guests including families and groups. The grounds and range of facilities provide plenty to see and do, while the spa is a space for gentle pampering in a separate building within the grounds.
Spa & Leisure
Location can be so important and the New Forest’s untamed natural beauty is a great setting for a relaxing break. So add onto that a comprehensive range of facilities that include a sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, children’s pool, manicure and pedicure stations, relaxation room, a gym, squash court, two tennis courts, and an outdoor pool for summer months, and you are on to a winning formula.
Favouring Elemis and Jessica products, the treatments list is equally extensive offering pre-natal options, anti-cellulite treatments, facials, massages, packages for men, reflexology and pressure point therapy, manicures, pedicures, waxing and make-up, there is something for every guest and every occasion.
Hotel & Accommodation
Once a spy training school on the edge of the New Forest National Park, today Macdonald Elmers Court Hotel and Resort is a welcoming retreat in 23 acres of private grounds. The three-star hotel enjoys views of the Solent coast and dates back to 1820 with many original features including fireplaces still sitting in pride of place. While the main building of the hotel has its roots in history, the rooms themselves are contemporary and cosy and located in their own courtyard. Meanwhile, in the grounds there’s a choice of one, two and three bedroom apartments and two bedroom cottages to stay in as well - perfect for groups, hen parties and families.
With views across the Queen Mary Lawn towards the coast, no hotel is complete without a decent restaurant, making the Waterford Restaurant a welcome addition to the venue, offering organic ingredients and a classic menu with inspired contemporary accents.
Location
Macdonald Elmers Court Hotel & Resort,
South Baddesley Road,
Lymington,
Hampshire,
SO41 5ZB
Lymington, Hampshire, 19miles SW of Southampton, 19miles east of Bournemouth.
Spa & Hotel Reviews
Condition of Spa
7.4 out of 10
Quality of Treatments
8.0 out of 10
Staff
6.8 out of 10
Quality of Food
7.6 out of 10
Quality of Facilities
7.0 out of 10
Value for money
7.0 out of 10
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Our stay included two 25 minute treatments and I must say the massage I received was second to none 😊. The second treatment (facial) however was not as good. The lady asked what my skin type was (dry, sensitive) and then proceeded to give me exactly same routine as my friend who has totally different skin ie, gave me a harsh scrub and a mask that really stung. The spa is at basement level and as such is very dark and claustrophobic. Massage definitely won the day.
A delightful day overall but some of the Spa facilities need attention. Steam room intermittent a member advised it had been like this for some time! Behind Reception are all the used towels messily visible to users and also hugely from the pool itself - just a shame. Only two loungers and 4 chairs around the pool insufficient given it was fully booked. Treatments amazing shout out to Paige a great massage and facial - thank you. Disjointed tea at the main hotel where we waited for some time after being directed into the bar area and then 20 mins later told they had our table waiting in the dining room, if only someone had acknowledged us! It was however delicious when it came. Booking process done with ease thanks to Matt at SpaBreaks telecom centre.
Excellent afternoon tea. Spa staff were very accommodating and friendly! Had an amazing massage. Leisure facilities wasn't too bad, just a little bit small- would have been nice to have had a hotter proper jacuzzi otherwise relative standard.
There was some confusion in terms of communication with the initial spa staff- we didnt get a robe like we were supposed to and there was a mix up regarding times after the staff member offered an earlier therapy time which clashed with the afternoon tea. But otherwise was a lovely day!
My friends and I celebrated a 50th surprise birthday . There were 10 of us in the group in total. Due to one of the therapists being sick they had to reschedule the morning but accommodated us all and the treatments were amazing. My friends wanted to make more use of the pool but it was quite cold ...so that would be my only criticism but apart from that we had a great day. Well done to all the team down there.
50/50 - spa is very dirty and the steam room smelt vile however the sauna was lovely. The outside pool is quite a walk away which wasn’t explained. And no beds to lay on at the spa so not much of a relaxing day.
However, food was nice and our massage was lovely.
Overall, wouldn’t pay the amount we did to go back. Much better looked after spa’s for less money.
Don’t bother with this spa.
It’s basically a leisure centre with a treatment room. Freezing cold pool. Jacuzzi is part of the pool so also freezing and not relaxing at all, you actually have to heave yourself out of the pool to turn it on each time it turns off as there’s no ladder near by. Gaggles of hotel guests inside the relaxation room shouting and drinking wine, not actually using the spa, there’s just no where else to sit round the pool. Screaming children on body boards in the pool, splashing and running in and out of the steam room. Filthy changing rooms that smelt like mildew, needed mopping and only 1 in 5 lockers actually work. Waited an hour for some sandwiches to be served in a near empty cafe which ate into our spa time. I was promised something special as it was for my birthday, didn’t even get a happy birthday greeting. The only good thing was the treatments themselves, the ladies were excellent and the products lovely. All in all AVOID so disappointing as a birthday spa treat
Been to Elmers court a few times previously, but quite a few years before. Overall for the price, quite a good day. The spa was nice, clean and quiet considering it was the school holidays, friendly staff and very helpful. We had a 25 minute back massage and the quality was good although it only lasted 20 minutes. Also as the day was so hot we wanted to sit by the outdoor pool, but unfortunately the problem was not the children in the pool, but the adults leaving towels on the (too few beds) when they weren’t even there. We tried to sit outside the bar but they had no umbrellas so we spent more time inside than we would have liked. I don’t think we will return as there are lots of other places to try in the Bournemouth area.
The Spa has great facilities but let down by pool indoor pool clarity/calorie levels and steam room cleanliness smells of mould very bad experience. The massage experiences one was good other very disappointing as for firm got soft, most of the time was doing the back very little communication on muscle areas to be worked on, a little disappointing for the money spent on birthday treatments and overall package. Spoken to management Reference issues and was going to discount but already paid never got anything in compensation for the areas which they agreed where very disappointing service needs to be looked into.
The treatments which were included were very good. The pool area was very poor there was no where to relax and sit and read. All very well having these pool areas with hotels but they need to provide lounges and an area you can relax. We did sit in the spa room but very dark so we went up to the café. After our treatments we were lucky the weather was pleasant and we went and sat outside by the outdoor pool but if the weather was not good there would have been no where to go so that was quite disappointing.
The Spa was very good, pool, sauna etc but we were stuff in traffic and arrived 5 mins late for early checkin (ie 30 mins before treatment) to be told one of us had 5pm booking not both at 5.30 as per my email info. The staff were off hand and blamed us and your systems rather than apologising and taking responsibility....not impressed. If you’re going to give one time, please make it the early one as we both ended up missing 10 mins of the 30 min treatments
We were a group of 6 and whilst we enjoyed lounging in the relaxation room, there was no seating around the pool, sauna & steam area so there was a lot of going back & forth. The 30 mins treatments were in reality 25 mins including de-robing time, and 2 ladies in our group had disappointing ‘one handed massages’ - the therapists were possibly on/checking their mobile phones? There did not seem to be any other explanation...the spa reception was not manned when we left so we could not bring it to their attention.
We booked our spa treatments as a group & got a good deal with our hotel stay however, having viewed the price list I would be appalled if I had paid full price for these. There was no one on the spa reception when we arrived, we were then guided through to the relaxation room which was dark but had no water left to make tea or in the water jug.
The therapist was lovely but I felt she was rushing through the treatments as she had two other large groups that day.
The pool was larger than I expected but quite cold after the treatments!
We were really disappointed with the pool & lack of spa facilities. The pool was freezing cold & the whirlpool was also cold & nothing like a jacuzzi. There was no loungers or seating around the pool. The sauna & steam room were ok.
The changing rooms were busy and not very clean at all. The toilets in particular were dirty & no attendant around.
The spa itself was nice but not enough hot & cold drinks & no relaxing music. I also had to ask for the magazines.
our package included 2 treatments & we picked to have our nails filed & polished. We were very disappointed to find out this was not gel polish & that evening our nails had smudged & chipped.
The bedroom was outside the hotel & was very nice & comfortable although the tv was not working properly.
The evening meal was delicious & the waitress was very good & knowledgeable. They catered for my gluten free diet & there were no problems finding something to eat.
The “cafe” was a joke. It is nothing like a cafe - it is just a room with a few snacks behind the counter & a coffee machine. The male was rude & quite abrupt when asking for decaf coffee which he said they do not serve. This was nothing like costa coffee or Starbucks.
The breakfast was good & had gluten free bread & cereal. The waiter however was the same male in the cafe who we found quite abrupt.
On the whole we won’t be coming again. This is no Careys Manor or Old Thorns!!
The pool is starting to look a bit "tired". We enjoyed using the pool, jacuzzi and steam room. There was a very nice lady, I think called Jane, who gave us a tour of the facilities and nothing was too much trouble. When we arrived for our treatments we were shown to the relaxation room but, although tea was freely available, there were no clean cups. The treatments themselves were lovely but we were not asked if we wanted to know what was being used so we had no idea what products were used. Jane was very helpful and told us about the various products after our treatment as she was showing our friends around.
The spa experience was a little disappointing. There was a lack of communication on what to do and where to go, leaving us feeling a bit lost and forgotten, but we managed to figure it out and find where we needed to go.
The treatment - Although the massage was very good and she tried hard to help with muscle release, upon completion of my massage there was no communication to state she was finished and leaving the room, leaving me feeling a little baffled what/where I should be doing next.
Again without knowing the layout and not having been to our room yet, no idea when the free gift promise would have been presented do hadn’t asked until departure which the spa staff were occupied and we had to leave without.
On arrival restaurant didn't seem to know about us although there was no one in the restaurant we still waited over half an hour for our afternoon tea, however when it came is was superb. The hotel is a little tired but the spa building is newer and the facilities are good. We felt it was let down by 2 things cleanliness could have been better and there was no socket in the changing room for plugging in straighteners or anything else.
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Staff
8.0 out of 10
Room Comfort
8.2 out of 10
Quality of Bars & Restaurants
7.2 out of 10
Location
9.4 out of 10
Quality of Facilities
6.8 out of 10
Value for money
7.2 out of 10
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Our stay was disappointing as we were expecting to stay in the advertised Macdonald Elmers Hotel but upon arrival we were directed away from the hotel to some other apartments located at the back of the hotel. The apartment had a balcony but we couldn't use it as there were no table and chairs. The apartment was comfortable.
The hotel is set in lovely grounds but is in need of a refurbishment. Public areas are very tired. The staff are very friendly but there is not enough of them and they were struggling to cope with the number of guests at breakfast and in the bar. The buffet breakfast was disappointing with lack of choice and there were no Clean bowls, glasses etc. available. But the staff were great despite this pressure.
The room was spacious and clean but again needs modernising. Had a portable heater as the room got so cold.
Lovely hotel and location. We unfortunately had bad weather, so couldn't appreciate the grounds and area as much as we would have liked.
Room was spacious and well presented. Great facilities, tea, coffee machine and loved the nice touch of the swan towels on the bed. My only gripe was the shower. It was a lovely room and spacious, but for some reason the pressure drops out a few seconds after switching it on. There's no temperature spike, but a strong shower is always preferred in my books.
The staff are very attentive and helpful. We ordered the vegetarian option for dinner one evening and then the morning after, the same waiter asked whether we wanted the chef to put on vegetarian sausages for our breakfast (baring in mind it is a buffet set up).
All in all I was very impressed. Just a shame about the weather.
We booked a 2 night spa break, there were 4 ladies and we hade a adjoining twin rooms, which were big had a small fridge freezer, tea/coffee facilities, sink, the adjoining room had bunk beds and en-suite so a little different. The hotel was a nice country hotel with grounds to walk around, tennis courts, outdoor pool. Staff were extremely helpful and very informative.
The restaurant dinner was lovely just fried gnocchi for my vegetarian meal wasn’t to my taste!
Small dining area which could get overcrowded at busy times!
Location great- close to coast and walks, small town with few eateries and pubs, not a lot of nightlife.
Thanks goodness the weather was good, which enables us to spend our 2 days by the outdoor pool. The indoor spa facilities- I wouldn’t say are good enough for a spa break. 1 sauna, 1 steam room and no room For loungers around the pool!!!
The spa treatments themselves were great.
Overall a lovely hotel but you’ll be disappointed if you’re going for a spa break.
No air-conditioning in the room. No advice that room was only accessible by stairs. Rooms separate from hotel without covered walkways or other facilities to protect from the weather. Meals over priced for the quality and quantity. In all a big let down on impressive location and previous sa experiences.
Although the website makes this hotel out to be amazing it is far from that. It is a comfortable hotel but the quality is not of a 4*. I booked a spa weekend for my husbands birthday and our first night away from our daughter since she was born. We were told it was a good hotel for couples, but when we arrived there was a wedding on which had more children than adults. All the staff were consumed by the wedding. We missed our first spa and then told it was impossible to rebook, so we said we'd go to the outside pool but no towels, no slippers and both indoor and outdoor pools were just a goat children's nursery. We had a meal booked at 8pm, didn't get our food or drinks until 9pm, chose a dessert and didn't get that until 10pm, we didn't get back to our room until 10:30pm. There was only 1 waiter to serve about 7 tables, dirty tables were left for over an hr before cleaning. Several staff members passing by but only dealing with the wedding. When we asked what time breakfast was wee were told 10:30 till 8....??? Go figure... So we asked again, what time was breakfast and we were answered with oh 8 or 8:30 till 10....so which one... 8 or 8:30 and the staff member said well if you arrive at 9 then you will be safe...... NOT Happy. The 2 course meal was not all included, only up to £25 pp and when 1 main averaged between £16 and £22 it became a very expensive night. The next day we went to breakfast, which was OK and service was slightly quicker. We had our 2nd spa treatment and the ladies were lovely and the massage was good. So after paying over £339 for a spa weekend the additional costs were £75....and a missed spa treatment. Overall not happy and an extra £75 down. Never again.
The Hotel and Staff were excellent and I will definitely want to visit again. The offer price was very good value, especially compared with Hotels own price. Food standards fab too. Room service snack menu could be a little more extensive to include crisps/ nuts but otherwise excellent. WiFi very poor though as difficult to register, then have to log on each time to access-not modern business practical or for those needing to use WiFi regularly or for emergencies
We had a 2 night stay which included a meal on the first night, a treatment in the spa, afternoon tea and a bottle of Prosecco. The rooms were really comfortable and the robes and slippers were excellent.; The meal we had on the first night was very good but the breakfast was outstanding. The choice was really good and everything was very fresh. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay and I will definitely be back
Interconnecting rooms were perfect for our friends gathering. The evening meal was excellent, but we were extremely surprised at the cost of the wines - on average they were £35, we found one at £22 so that was what we had! I took a photo of the wine cabinet and the mark up is ridiculous.
Puddings at £8.50 also seemed a bit steep....Afternoon tea was superb, and blessed with 25 degree weather made our stay even better, lounging round the outdoor pool until 6.30pm it was so warm.
The Spa manager Jane could not do enough to help us, though she seemed to be everywhere and doing everything! and a mention of a younger man Wjcheck who served our tea - he was delightful.
We had a great stay & enjoyed heading into Lymington on the train for lunch. We came as a group of 5 ladies & had adjoining rooms which made the weekend really fun as we could get ready together etc.
There was a big wedding on the weekend we stayed which took up a lot of the attention of the staff - this meant when we had dinner the restaurant was pretty empty & service was slow! Despite this all staff were helpful & friendly.
Beautiful hotel. Amazing staff, very attentive. Jane was extra welcoming and made you feel relaxed, as soon as you arrived!
Great treatments. Wish I had been explained what each of the products were, used on my facial, as I had no idea. Other than that, fantastic stay. Just what I needed for my pending wedding.
We were really disappointed with the pool & lack of spa facilities. The pool was freezing cold & the whirlpool was also cold & nothing like a jacuzzi. There was no loungers or seating around the pool. The sauna & steam room were ok.
The changing rooms were busy and not very clean at all. The toilets in particular were dirty & no attendant around.
The spa itself was nice but not enough hot & cold drinks & no relaxing music. I also had to ask for the magazines.
our package included 2 treatments & we picked to have our nails filed & polished. We were very disappointed to find out this was not gel polish & that evening our nails had smudged & chipped.
The bedroom was outside the hotel & was very nice & comfortable although the tv was not working properly.
The evening meal was delicious & the waitress was very good & knowledgeable. They catered for my gluten free diet & there were no problems finding something to eat.
The “cafe” was a joke. It is nothing like a cafe - it is just a room with a few snacks behind the counter & a coffee machine. The male was rude & quite abrupt when asking for decaf coffee which he said they do not serve. This was nothing like costa coffee or Starbucks.
The breakfast was good & had gluten free bread & cereal. The waiter however was the same male in the cafe who we found quite abrupt.
On the whole we won’t be coming again. This is no Careys Manor or Old Thorns!!
Not the best experience at all. The rooms were average and in a chalet which was not to my liking. Not much reception in the room with regards to the internet as I had to go someway from my room to get some sort of signal. The food at the hotel was below average and given in very small portions both at breakfast and dinner.
Our room was brilliant, we stayed in room 2a and thoroughly enjoyed our overnight stay.
Bed was very comfy, room was very spacious and the staff were friendly and polite. Especially the main man in the steak house restaurant at breakfast. Extremely helpful and friendly, he made us laugh and feel very welcome, nothing was too much trouble.
Would definitely recommend and will be back to stay again in the future!!
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