Hotel du Vin, Winchester

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	They ask you to take the  ` freebies `  away  !
Disadvantages:	Gets very busy and may need to book well in advance .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

History :
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Many years ago when I was a young under age alcohol drinking teenager living in a small village outside Winchester, Hampshire my friends and I would go to what was then called the `Southgate Hotel` to sneak inside the stale smelling bar to pretend we were 18 and sip martini and cinzanos believing we were the height of chic......................

In 1994 some one had the good heart to transform my illegal drinking den into the first Hotel Du Vin, a hotel built on its reputation of quality and turn it into something so chic, smooth and luxurious that I had to pinch myself the first time I revisited it.

This is now one of several Hotel Du Vins and has been an adult retreat for me for 3 times now - I like to think that both myself and the hotel have improved with age !

Location:
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The Hotel Du Vin Winchester is located at Southgate Street.,Winchester - the catherdral city of Hampshire. It is walking distance from the train station and only 5 minutes from the top of Winchester High Street.

The hotel itself has one of those rare luxuries city accomodation - lots of parking ! This is to the side and behind the hotel and we have never had any problem in finding a space.

From the car park you walk into the rear courtyard area of the hotel. I have stayed twice in the summer and this is a gorgeous area with good quality seats,tables and umbrellas and where you can take coffee or an evening drink. The hotel itself is a lovely georgian building with all the brick work showing and period features like sash windows. As you walk into the back of the hotel and through to the reception you are made to feel like you are entering an old friends country house ( if I had any such friends!). The floors are old stained wood and there are tables with books and flowers on here and there. The reception desk is just that - a nce old table not big imposing desk. Staff are smart but not too imposing and they always take the time to comment on where you have come from and information about what Winchester has to offer.

The Rooms:
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All rooms are individual and have the names of wine regions.
The first time we stayed here it was as a wedding present from some very good friends in 1998. We stayed then in one of the garden rooms. These are located away from the main building and through the garden - they are obviously the old stables for the property. These are like small bungalows with two windows to the front and a vey imposing georgian style front door. These are ideal for the summer as you get your own courtyard garden to the front sectioned off from those next to you with tables and chairs. It is lovely to sit out here with a glass of wine reading the ample amount of free quality magazines that they provide for in the rooms.
The garden rooms are large with and bright. They have a large bed full to the brim with eqyptian cotton and soft pillows. The decor is chic and understated - arm chair, small table, desk, wardrobe...but you also get a TV and CD/DVD player which is a bonus. ( The hotels has DVDs for loan but you need to bring your own CD`s).
The bathroom is large with the deepest longest bath I have ever seen - I think I could have swam 20 lengths in it ! The shower is above the bath and the sink is one of those quality huge square ones that are about the size of my bath at home. There is the normal supply of whte soft towels and robes.

I have stayed in a garden room twice now ( the last time only this summer) and it was as good as I had remembered and hadnt seemed to be subject to the normal wear and tear expected.

I also stayed last winter in one of the superior rooms. This was on the first floor and was amazing. It has the normal huge bed and gorgeous bedding - whilst at the end of the bed infront of an old victorian fire place was a free standing bath. The room was so large that it all just fitted. This room also had an amazingly large old looking wooden wardrobe and a state of the art plazma screen on the wall - a strange mix of the very new with the very old...but there is something very decadent about watching a plasma screen whilst in a bath drinking wine !

One of the best things about this hotel are the small touches - like fresh mlk in a jug to have with your tea , and a coffee pot rather than a frieze dried tube of brown granules. PLUS all the `freebies` are very much for you - there is a sign in the rooms asking you to take them with you !!!!!

Restaurant:
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I have only once used the restaurant facilities and that was on our first stay. The restaurant gets very busy with non residents - a friend recently had to book some 10 weeks in advance for a Saturday night. It is still very much wooden tables and floorboards and lots of bookcases stuffed with old books in a realistic way rather than reproduced.

I cant give you any real guidance on the food as all I recall is the dining room being very smokey - although this may well have changed now . The hotel is renown for its wine and so if you are a conoisseur no doubt you would enjoy. However, I also remember the sweet that I had being the best thing that I had ever tasted .......what it was !

We also had breakfast on this first occasion. I think that this is expensive ( currently £13.50 each for cooked) and whilst being a very pleasant well cooked fry up we have opted for a bacon roll on the way home at Tescos recently for a fraction less.

Because of where the hotel is located it is easily walking distance to some very good restaurants. I favour `Mr So`s` chinese - but staff at the hotel are always pleased to guide you to what you may fancy.

Summary:
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Whilst this may not be the cheapest hotel in Winchester, it is far above any of its centrally located opponents ( Such as The Wessex). It has been transformed from an old relation that you wanted to be ashamed of and smelt a bit to a `grande dame` oozing taste ...and the only thing that smells now are the fresh flowers and polished wooden floors.

See the website Hotelduvin.com for full details - I usually book direct with them. Prices range from £130 for a room to £190 for a suite/garden room - this is for the room not per person.

And I am pleased to say that you can no longer get a warm cinzano and lemonade here..................!

I hope that you have found this review helpful and thank you for reading it . I will rate this hotel as poor for family friendliness as I have never seen anyone with young children stay so presume it is not that appealling.