Name: The Potters Heron - A Heartwood Inn
Address: Ampfield, Ampfield, England, United Kingdom, Ampfield, Hampshire, GB
Price range: $127–$262 per night
Rating: 8.43

What guests think

Reviews of The Potters Heron - A Heartwood Inn describe a charming, quiet thatched setting and friendly staff, with comfortable beds for many and decent food, but dated rooms plus uneven cleanliness, service, and breakfast experiences temper expectations.

Many mention pretty grounds and ample parking, while split levels and steps can challenge accessibility. Common issues include old bathrooms, occasional damp or mould, corridor or plant-room noise, and uncomfortably warm nights due to no air conditioning. Food feedback is mixed: some enjoyed dinners and buffet breakfasts, while others reported limited menus, long waits, items running out, or lukewarm dishes and weak coffee. Overall, expect characterful surroundings with trade-offs around room age and dining consistency.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Public areas, bar and restaurant are pleasant, with attractive grounds and ample parking; however, split levels and steps can challenge accessibility.

Related guest reviews

10

patricia

Jul 4, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Design of property quite unique. Spacious and calming. Lovely balcony area overlooking wooded area. Lovely room and bathroom and staff friendly and helpful. Great buffet breakfast. Regularly stay and always enjoy.

8

Monique

Sep 21, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Comfortable spacious room and bed. Good location, lots of parking. Very friendly restaurant staff, reasonable food. My only complaint is that the room had an unpleasant smell and the decor was quite tired, but we were in a dog friendly one so maybe that was why.

8

Christine

Apr 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The Pub area was very nice, and the food was good. The room was large with a small balcony.

8

susan

May 13, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely bar restaurant area shame the rooms dont follow throught on that impression. Check in was swift and easy Chris was really nice. Bar staff helpful and smiley. Unfortunately room was not good. Cracked sink, shower woild not work and at 5am nobody was on reception to help. Ceiling had marks on which I would not like to suggest what they were. There was a nice balcony overlooking the garden.

10

Tim

Dec 27, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean and pleasant room. Very quiet location and pretty building. Friendly staff and nice bar and restaurant.

8

JOANNE

Sep 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Good stay, reception very helpful in allowing early check in for our wedding party. Rooms a little dated but it’s a thatched building so I suspect some restrictions. Nice breakfast, good parking

10

L

Jun 10, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Knew the Potters Heron from when we lived in the area, so knew it was a reasonably quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle of Southampton and nearby towns. We weren't disappointed. Friendly and efficient staff, who worked well as a team. Nice restaurant food. The venue generally isn't particularly 'disabled accessible' (lots of split levels). I commented on their feedback form that I didn't think towels needed to be changed every day (not very 'green'), drinking glasses were needed (only 2 mugs in the room), some of the decor was 'tired' (needed re-painting - found myself not wanting to 'handle' scruffy door surfaces). However, overall I would stay there again.

8

Barrie

Dec 4, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely staff hotel just needs a makeover Good parking and access Just be aware several small stairs throughout Ample toliets Good rads for chilly nights Easy to find

8

Sue

Sep 16, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We stayed at the Potters Heron for one night we were catching the ferry from Southampton the following morning so it was an ideal location for us to stay. Our room was very spacious and had a large comfortable bed we also had a balcony overlooking the garden which was a plus. The downside was our experience in the restaurant that evening, we'd only wanted a light bite but had to wait over an hour for our food which when it eventually came one of the meals was wrong and on bringing this to the attention of what appeared to be the manger he had a 'so what' couldn't care less attitude. The breakfast next morning was good, buffet style with lots of choice and another positive there's plenty of parking at the hotel.

10

Jane

Dec 21, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a wonderful 1 night stay, room was comfortable, im disabled there was a lift go bedroom floor and good disabled access throughout, very quiet. Excellent evening meal and breakfast.

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness feedback is mixed: several guests found rooms very clean, but many cited mouldy or grubby bathrooms, dust, stains, and musty or damp smells.

Related guest reviews

2

Neil

Apr 3, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The welcome was poor. The corridors are smelly, the premium room was in poor condition, smelt of sewage, chipped paintwork everywhere, old stained carpet, black mould on windows and behind areas hidden, grouting brown. We were moved to a marginally better room, with hidden mould.

4

Laura

Jun 10, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Booked our stay through Expedia for a weekend. Staff friendly upon check in and let us check in slightly early. How the room was advertised on Expedia does not match how the rooms look (ours at least). Rooms are advertised as sound proof - this isnt true. We were woken up both mornings by people having normal volume conversations in the corridor. It sounds like they're in the room with you. Room was advertised as King size bed, it was a double bed. Bathroom very outdated in decoration, shower old and very stiff. Hairdryer airvent was broken in multiple places, the gap big enough to accidentally suck up bits of your hair. Cable was stretched and my partner thought he got an electric shock from it. The first night something happened in the kitchen so there was no food available from the restaurant. Reception desk often unmanned, as was the bar when waiting to order drinks. Dust and dirt in the radiator. We complained to Expedia, who attempted to reach out to the hotel for a refund, which was denied.

4

Jeanette

Sep 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

From a distance a nice thatched hotel but up closer the hotel side looked to need much upgrading and decoration. The receptionist did state that upgrading to the hotel was starting. Our room needed a good clean, window ledges with mould, side of the easy chair had visible fluid drips down. The bathroom had a bath that was cracked, brown spots on the bottom, dirt around taps and mould on tiles. Same on sink, dirt around taps, mirror dirty. The toilet brush needed replacing and was sitting in dirty water!!! The non slip mat was yellowed. Really not up to a good level of cleanliness. I mentioned this on check out to receptionist and I think another staff member, cleaning supervisor maybe and they apologised. Disappointed.

6

Caroline

Jun 27, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The front, bar and reception area really nice modern and clean. Unfortunately our bedroom (43) was so disappointing. Torn wallpaper, stifling hot (no air con). Toilet was stained. Basically shabby.

4

Jane

Jun 28, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Room wasn't clean in certain areas. Toilet wasn't clean. Makeup on tiles in bathroom. Bed didn't look like it had been changed. Very tired looking. Pillow case had a dirty mark on. Complained. Got a refund of £21.47. Price was £98. With no breakfast. Won't stay again. Worse place I have stayed at in a long time unfortunately.

2

Adrian

Sep 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel reception main rooms and pub are all to a good standard, but the rooms need some TLC. Toilet had not been cleaned properly and ahowed signs of excrement . Unfortunately, We would not want to stay here again

6

Andrew

Apr 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Decor quite tired, bathroom had unsightly rust/ black mould and there was a pervasive smell of some chemicals. There was an obvious lack of attention to detail when preparing the room as the shower gel/ shampoo dispenser was empty.

8

Brian

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is beautiful, the staff friendly and efficient, the food was freshly cooked, hot and tasty although the chips too greasy for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the hake, The room was very clean but unfortunately I struggled to sleep in the heat with no air conditioning or even a fan

10

Mark

Apr 5, 2024

·

Stayed 6 nights

Very clean with friendly staff

6

David

Jul 29, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Bathroom was is poor condition with mould and discoloured grouting was well overdue for a makeover

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Rooms

Rooms feel dated, with old bathrooms. Some are spacious with patios or balconies and comfortable beds, but guests report heat from lack of air conditioning, noise from corridors or machinery, and occasional Wi‑Fi or phone signal issues.

Related guest reviews

10

Daphne

Jan 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed 2 nights over the New Year. It is very near my family so very convenient. We had our dog with us and were given an amazing room on the ground floor with a door to the garden. Very convenient. Staff are all very friendly and helpful. I won't stay anywhere else now when I visit the family. Food is very good, we have eaten here with family before, and we were able to take dog into breakfast so no worries about leaving him in the room. We thoroughly recommend this hotel! Thank you Potters Heron for a lovely stay. The dog loved it too!

4

Laura

Jun 10, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Booked our stay through Expedia for a weekend. Staff friendly upon check in and let us check in slightly early. How the room was advertised on Expedia does not match how the rooms look (ours at least). Rooms are advertised as sound proof - this isnt true. We were woken up both mornings by people having normal volume conversations in the corridor. It sounds like they're in the room with you. Room was advertised as King size bed, it was a double bed. Bathroom very outdated in decoration, shower old and very stiff. Hairdryer airvent was broken in multiple places, the gap big enough to accidentally suck up bits of your hair. Cable was stretched and my partner thought he got an electric shock from it. The first night something happened in the kitchen so there was no food available from the restaurant. Reception desk often unmanned, as was the bar when waiting to order drinks. Dust and dirt in the radiator. We complained to Expedia, who attempted to reach out to the hotel for a refund, which was denied.

6

Ian

Sep 1, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed here for work. Staff were pleasant and helpful. I stayed in room 1 and the double bed had a big dip in one side of the matress. The wifi in the room was not good and the phone signal in the room was non-exisitent, had to go to another part of the hotel to get a phone signal. Other than that I had a pleasant stay.

6

Caroline

Jun 27, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The front, bar and reception area really nice modern and clean. Unfortunately our bedroom (43) was so disappointing. Torn wallpaper, stifling hot (no air con). Toilet was stained. Basically shabby.

6

Simon

Apr 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Front of property fantastic! Rooms very dated, musty

8

Colin

Aug 29, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Generally a nice stay in a hotel in lovely location. The bar area and breakfast room was fine with good service. However the room was very dated with an uncomfortable bad. Rooms need refurbished asap but otherwise did the job.

4

Julia

Mar 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Unfortunately we were given room 53, it was impossible to sleep due to the noise from the hotels heating system, we ended up having to change rooms in the middle of the night inorder to get some sleep...so top tip...dont accept room 53

6

Grant

Dec 12, 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

We had room 51 and it was a warm comfortable room. However, neither of us slept well at all due to a fan like noise that was going all night, which triggered a migraine for my girlfriend and stopped us both from sleeping well. We mentioned it at reception when leaving and were told they would investigate it which I hope they do. Other than that, it was a lovely looking place and the staff we encountered were great. I would stay again if I were to return to Winchester.

10

Stephen

Jun 4, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very nice hotel for what we paid large bedrooms and massive comfortable bed

10

Eva

Mar 13, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I’ve stayed here a few times. Staff here is incredibly kind and helpful if any issues. The rooms are always nice, clean and very warm (radiator that you can control yourself). One of my favourite things is that each room has a little private balcony so plenty of fresh air available. The beds usually have two types of pillows ( lots of cushions), so you can pick the one that works for you (one is extra plump and the other one is a little lower which I prefer). Some parts of the rooms are a little dated but all is well kept so it’s not an issue from me. During the day staff always makes sure your tea/coffee/water station is topped up and you’ve got fresh towels and nicely made bed on your return. I’ve always had a lovely stay here.

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Service

Staff are widely praised as friendly and helpful, though some experienced unmanned desks, slow bar or restaurant service, and inconsistent responses to complaints.

Related guest reviews

6

Doug

Aug 27, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

It is difficult to rate the stay, there was no one at checkin on arrival, in the end after going to find a member of staff reception was manned. Reception was deserted on checkout. The room was modern, clean and great. The outside area had a table, chair and a lot of cigarette ends, which could have been swept away. So good rooms, but no visible members of staff at all.

4

Laura

Jun 10, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Booked our stay through Expedia for a weekend. Staff friendly upon check in and let us check in slightly early. How the room was advertised on Expedia does not match how the rooms look (ours at least). Rooms are advertised as sound proof - this isnt true. We were woken up both mornings by people having normal volume conversations in the corridor. It sounds like they're in the room with you. Room was advertised as King size bed, it was a double bed. Bathroom very outdated in decoration, shower old and very stiff. Hairdryer airvent was broken in multiple places, the gap big enough to accidentally suck up bits of your hair. Cable was stretched and my partner thought he got an electric shock from it. The first night something happened in the kitchen so there was no food available from the restaurant. Reception desk often unmanned, as was the bar when waiting to order drinks. Dust and dirt in the radiator. We complained to Expedia, who attempted to reach out to the hotel for a refund, which was denied.

10

Ciaran

Oct 17, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed for one night for work. Staff were super friendly and just great at their jobs. Room was good, breakfast was great too.

10

Olga

May 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good position and friendly staff

10

Michael

Jul 2, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Fantastic stay before our cruise, we struggled to get taxis to the port but the receptionist searched and sorted one out, the bar staff were also excellent and went way and above our expectations, would not hesitate in recommending this hotel, fantastic start to our holidays

8

James

Dec 16, 2022

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly greeting on arrival, welcoming bar/restaurant staff

6

Nicola

May 22, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel looks so good from outside, set in woods just back from the road with peacocks roaming, very pretty. We had time before check-in and the bar was quiet, we ordered some food (sandwiches and fries) which took 40 minutes to arrive (despite us being the only people eating. The bar staff were, with one exception, unwelcoming and really made me feel as though I was a being a nuisance by ordering. Overall the hotel and the rooms once we checked in were very tired (chipped paint on doors, walls and skirting). They were clean, the housekeeping staff were very helpful but it was all very basic for the £182pn rate we paid. We were thankfully tucked away at the back of the building and it was very quiet so we slept well. Breakfast was shambolic on Sunday morning. Granted it was a very busy service, but the choices for continental breakfast were really limited and the kitchens were having trouble keeping up with the demand for cooked items. The tea and coffee were self serve from small containers (one of coffee, the other hot water) which again soon ran out, there were no milk jugs out, no sugar on the tables. Again (with the exception of one person) the staff were unhappy and letting it show. I think that with a bit of investment, TLC, some staff training, a few judicious hires and a couple of folks who clearly don't love their jobs moving on, this place has potential.

10

Madeleine

Jul 10, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Fiona really helpful when I called to ask questions, staff were happy to go above and beyond, very friendly and welcoming. Breakfast was delicious

4

Lauren

Jun 19, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Upon arrival we entered the dining room having stated we had arrived. Despite the restaurant being quiet for a Friday evening, we sat and waited sometime to be served with the waitress surprised we had even been served drinks. Food was good and tasty. The overall cleanliness of the restaurant was ok apart from all the glass seemed to have not been cleaned for sometime. We booked a cosy room due to going on a cruise the following day. Upon entering room 29, the carpet was stained, black mold behind and parts of the bath and around the taps, shower head needed some viakal, dated bathroom, cobwebs, and overall condition upon inspection was disappointing. I raised with reception who apologised and gave us a key for one of the larger rooms. This was an improvement, no mold, and seemed a slightly higher spec, bathroom updated, but the quality is not as pristine as the photos. The balcony’s are old, cobwebs and again seem neglected. Such a shame when you arrive, with a new thatched room looks stunning! Breakfast was nice and good variety. The overall operational management seemed unorganized upon several guests waiting to leave 10.45 no one at a reception and one guest had to go and find someone. Upon check out, was not asked how our stay was, stated we were checking out and response, ok Thankyou. Customer service could be greatly improved.

10

Brenton

Sep 10, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were the highlight. The bar scene was fun and the breakfast was great.

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Location

Quiet, rural setting with pretty grounds; convenient for Southampton or Winchester for some, but not close to shops and often requires a taxi or car.

Related guest reviews

10

David

Feb 17, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

It was very handy and close to terminal at Southampton for our cruise the following day.

10

Daphne

Jan 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed 2 nights over the New Year. It is very near my family so very convenient. We had our dog with us and were given an amazing room on the ground floor with a door to the garden. Very convenient. Staff are all very friendly and helpful. I won't stay anywhere else now when I visit the family. Food is very good, we have eaten here with family before, and we were able to take dog into breakfast so no worries about leaving him in the room. We thoroughly recommend this hotel! Thank you Potters Heron for a lovely stay. The dog loved it too!

8

tony

Apr 18, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely location

8

Dionne

Feb 12, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very comfortable hotel with a warm welcome on arrival, very good value for the night, we would stay in the hotel again but would chose not to have breakfast, it was ok, but we thought would be waiter service not buffet as the menu shows eggs benedict pancakes etc and we had no offer of this. Nice quiet area with plenty parking, there was a wedding on but we were not disturbed by it at all.

8

Non

Jan 20, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very comfy welcoming stay. Friendly efficient staff. Room service meal was delicious. Was a function happening Saturday but the room was located far enough a way not to cause a noise issue. Excellent location as close to all the facilities in Southampton yet a peaceful lovely spot. Would definitely recommend.

8

Colin

Aug 29, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Generally a nice stay in a hotel in lovely location. The bar area and breakfast room was fine with good service. However the room was very dated with an uncomfortable bad. Rooms need refurbished asap but otherwise did the job.

10

Tim

Dec 27, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean and pleasant room. Very quiet location and pretty building. Friendly staff and nice bar and restaurant.

10

Robbin

Jun 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

It’s a very quaint hotel for one night stay, but not close to anything without an Uber or taxi. It’s more for weddings and events. But we enjoyed our dinner and breakfast.

10

Robbin

Jun 8, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

It’s a very quaint hotel for one night stay, but not close to anything without an Uber or taxi. It’s more for weddings and events. But we enjoyed our dinner and breakfast and walking around the grounds.

8

BRETT

Aug 26, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

nice surrondings

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

Inconsistent: many enjoyed dinners and buffet breakfasts, but others encountered limited menus or stock, long waits, occasional closures, lukewarm food, and weak coffee.

Related guest reviews

8

Jan

Apr 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Overall a good stay - The night porter( manager) was excellent. Comfy bed.. Dissapointed by the breakfast - Cold plates! Hot food not that hot and scrambled eggs had gone green as left for too long. Coffee on side not individual pots, cold even when new lot made and cups too small, so kept having to get up for refill.

6

Phillip

Aug 26, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was fine for a one night stop over. It is in need of a face lift and renovation. The diner menu is limited, but was ok. The staff were very friendly and tried hard. Thank you

10

Ellis

Aug 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel another great night sleep and awesome breakfast

10

Ron

Jul 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Our stay was for a short family visit, we have been here before and as the last time it was excellent, the room is large and quite in a part of the hotel with access to the garden with your own seating area, we had a meat in the restaurant and it was the best fish and chips ever, served in a quite corner so we could enjoy a chat over lunch, service couldn't be faulted, absolutely excellent staff. We will stay there again and would strongly recommend it

6

Sherryl

Sep 18, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very good overall. Our only disappointment was we were not advised there was a shortage of kitchen staff for Saturday night dinner. We waited an hour to be served and the staff were very apologetic and did not charge us.

10

Anthony

May 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I had a one night stay on business. Nice hotel, friendly staff, good bar, nice menu. All good and I will stay again.

6

Matt

Sep 19, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel is in a nice location and the staff were friendly and helpful. It would have been nice to have two room keys, but we managed with one for a short stay. The food is really a mixed bag. We had a meal in the restaurant in the evening and it was very good. But breakfast the next morning in the same place was disappointing. The coffee was so weak it tasted like coloured water and the not-fried food options were rather lacking. After waiting for a long time, eventually a small tray of croissants turned up, but you had to be standing next to it to grab one before it was empty. For £15/head you're better off getting in your car and driving to a nearby café.

4

John

Jun 15, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was OK .Promised drinking water for the room never materialised. The restaurant service was poor with items on the menu not available for dinner. Breakfast was all do it your self with coffee / tea in one area and food in another. There was limited staff on duty but a fairly full restaurant, consequently there was a lot of waiting around for items to be replenished

8

Christine

Feb 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

overall very clean and comfortable but the restaurant menu was very uninspiring, it needs catering for more options rather than something in a bun or with chips ,

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
April	$132
May	$146
June	$147
July	$161
August	$156
September	$119
October	$107
December	$102

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4 $181	5 $249
6 $127	7 $154	8 $208	9 $154	10 $167	11 $262	12 $262
13 $180	14 $141	15 $208	16 $181	17 $154	18 $235	19 $249
20 $167	21 $168	22 $208	23 $208	24 $141	25 $181	26 $208
27 $141	28 $168	29 $208	30 $208

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $181	2 $194	3 $195
4 $140	5 $154	6 $195	7 $194	8 $154	9 $181	10 $222
11 $127	12 $154	13 $195	14 $195	15 $154	16 $167	17 $235
18 $127	19 $154	20 $195	21 $195	22 $154	23 $141	24 $195
25 $140	26 $154	27 $195	28 $195	29 $154	30 $141	31 $168

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

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What guests think

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