Nestled deep within the New Forest, The Pig Hotel is the perfect staycation destination for ‘foodies’ with children in tow.
Hidden at the end of a tree-lined drive in the heart of the New Forest sits the stunning Pig Hotel. Despite its unusual name, The Pig is a stunning country hotel with a difference – from the chic interior design to the contemporary approach to food, and of course its most popular residents – the pigs themselves.
From the moment you enter the hotel you immediately feel at home. Comforting fires are lit in the library and the relaxed jeans and Converse clad staff are cheery and happy to help you settle in. The recently refurbished Georgian property tastefully merges the old with the new; from the traditional log fire to the quirky book printed wallpaper the interior is chic and understated. The layout of the hotel is unique, with 16 rooms set in the main building and another 10 located in restored outhouses, stables and pigsties. Our room was spacious with a huge bathroom and added luxuries of soft bathrobes, organic toiletries and a mini pantry full of the usual suspects and quirky added extras like retro sweets and homemade pig-shaped biscuits.
We arrived at the hotel mid-afternoon just in time to explore the grounds before the sun went down. A trip to the pigsty is a must (especially if you have little ones with you), where you’ll meet the hotel’s very sweet, famous residents – the pigs. The grounds are beautiful with benches and hammocks hidden in tranquil spots if you’re looking for a quiet five minutes peace and an impressive walled kitchen garden and greenhouse that finance the restaurant’s menu brilliantly. At the end of the vast garden and across a lily pad covered pond, sits the hotel’s treatment room where you can book yourself in for a massage on Fridays and Saturdays far away from the other guests and noise of the main building.
Food is an important part of The Pig’s ethos and dining here will satisfy any ‘foodie’ guests. An astounding 80% of the hotel’s menu is sourced within 25miles of the estate. Whether it be steaks from local farms, scallops from Lyme Bay or the must-try ‘Piggy Bits’ including parma ham, the best scotch eggs we’ve ever had or ‘posh’ scratchings all made from the hotel’s pigs; it’s refreshing to see first hand how responsible the hotel is in sourcing and creating their unique menu. Food trails can also be booked through the hotel where you will be taken out into the forest with the chefs to discover just how many delicious ingredients can be sourced right on The Pig’s doorstep. What better way to see the area’s beautiful landscape and teach yourselves and your children about the importance of food and where it comes from?
Once the country retreat of the Queen Mother, this beautiful destination is the perfect place to take the whole family if you’re looking for something a little different. With vast landscape and endless activities both within the hotel and in neighbouring Beaulieu and Brockenhurst, The Pig is the ideal location for a family weekend away or half-term staycation.
Need to know facts
Rooms: 26 – 16 in the main house and 10 in the stable yard.
Rates: Rooms start from £125. Family rooms are priced at £220 Mid Week (Sun-Thurs) and £250 Weekend (Fri-Sat)
Facilities: Family rooms and duplex suites available, flat screen TVs & DVD players in room, free WiFi throughout, Spa treatments (Fri & Sat only), bike hire, library of books & DVDs, Sprout Out by Gilchrist & Soames toiletries in bathroom, mini larder with old-fashioned sweets, beauty products and more, nanny services, cots & extra beds, family-friendly restaurant, tennis courts.
Check out time: 11am
How to get there: Less than 2 hours by car from London, The Pig is situated in Brockenhurst, New Forest. Regular trains run from London Waterloo to Brockenhurst and The Pig is only a 5minute taxi journey from the station.