Every year my husband and I save our Tesco points so that we can have a nice weekend away. It was a bit of a blow when Tesco reduced the value of their points last December so that you only get 3 times their face value, not 4, but even so we managed to get enough to stay at Botley Park for a Friday and Saturday night at the beginning of June.
The hotel is part of a golf club and it also has an indoor pool and leisure facilities. It is very clean and smart and the bedroom was beautifully furnished. Very modern and with every comfort. Our friends were staying too and their room was even nicer. Theirs had a huge bathroom with separate shower and enough chairs for us to join them in a pre-dinner drink, which we had brought with us.
The meal in the hotel that evening was very nice and because we booked it at the same time as making the hotel booking, they knocked £5 off so we had it for £20 each instead of £25. There weren't many eating in and the service was slow but the food delicious.
The only downside was being woken in the middle of the night by members of a wedding party returning to their room, but we soon got back to sleep.
Nearby were a number of attractions. We really enjoyed the walled rose garden at Mottisfont Abbey, where the roses were at their best. I think its the nicest garden I have ever been too! The air was full of their perfume and the planting was mixed with old-fashioned perennials as well as roses. The other main attraction is Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and this too was an excellent day out. If you pre-book your tickets over the phone you save a bit of money and do not have to queue on the day. We also went up the Spinnaker Tower and the views were tremendous.
I would certainly recommend Botley Park and happily return tomorrow. In the meantime we keep saving our Tesco vouchers for next year.
