3 /5 Kaviani: We’re glad we didn’t pay peak-season prices for our stay at The Pig, Brockenhurst. The room itself was cosy, with a huge, comfortable bed and a great shower. That said, for the price per night, the overall experience fell short.
On our first evening, we ordered room service. Getting through to the front desk was surprisingly difficult. It took four attempts over a couple of hours before anyone answered, which isn’t what you expect at this level.
The second night, we ate in the restaurant. We had a few drinks at the bar beforehand, but getting served was painfully slow. Staff clearly saw we were trying to order yet repeatedly looked away or distracted themselves elsewhere. On both occasions, it took around 15 minutes to get served. The service felt borderline rude, and this wasn’t due to understaffing. A special mention, however, goes to Harvey, who served us our final round. He was switched on, professional, and knew exactly how to engage with guests. Everyone else could learn a lot from him.
Once seated in the restaurant, things improved significantly. The food was impeccable, genuinely delicious. Lazlo, who looked after us, delivered exactly the level of service you expect when paying these prices. Friendly, knowledgeable, attentive, and professional. Credit where it’s due.
We also booked two bespoke massages (where we specified pressure/effectively a sports massage) on the Saturday. Unfortunately, this was a major letdown. The therapists appeared inexperienced, and what we received was nowhere near a sports massage. It was light, ineffective, and lacked any real pressure. At £125 each for 60 minutes, we expected skilled therapists capable of delivering the treatment we requested. This simply wasn’t that.
Overall, The Pig is a pleasant enough place to relax, but for the money, it was underwhelming and didn’t live up to expectations. Based on my experience, I wouldn’t recommend it at this price point.