The Retreat is by far one of the nicest places we have ever stayed in. Sian and Mark are so lovely and welcoming; the guest house felt a like a home away from home. We stayed in the Ward room and were not disappointed. The room is beautifully furnished and the facilities are better than many hotels that you will come across. The guest house is a comfortable 25 minute walk to Portsmouth and it is located just a few minutes from Southsea centre. Sian and Mark have really worked hard to make The Retreat a wonderful place to stay and we would like to thank them very much for making our trip to the area a very pleasant one.

What can I say? Simply the most wonderful place I have ever stayed... It's that good I'm going back for more!

Mark and Sian were *so* welcoming and friendly, they really do go out of their way to make you feel at home and nothing seems to be too much trouble, even breakfast at 6.30am!

The rooms are all beautifully decorated and furnished with exquisite taste, and the whole house has a warm and relaxed atmosphere.

Breakfast was absolutely delicious with a fantastic choice of freshly prepared fruits, organic yoghurts, seriously scrumptious dorset cereals and a full english to die for!

I've just booked to go and stay there again and I cannot wait - I can feel this becoming a regular treat!

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! Just back from 2 nights at the Retreat Guesthouse in Portsmouth and we are just so impressed with what this couple have achieved. Beautiful room, sumptious breakfast and hospitality that goes more than the extra mile. Forget all the hotels in this area, if you are visiting the Portsmouth/Southsea vicinity this is the ONLY place to stay.Thanks again Sian and Mark

Faced with the prospect of booking somewhere for a weekend break for my husband and myself, I began the herculean task of trawling through respectable sounding B&B's in the New Forest area. Eventually I threw in the towel, unable to find somewhere that didn't have pictures of bedrooms with chintz quilts or where guests had written scathing reports of their stay. So I broadened the search to Portsmouth and almost immediately stumbled across the gem that is The Retreat.

Only in its fourth month of being open, the Retreat has already won rave reviews from it's clientele as well as excellence awards from Enjoy England. And quite frankly, it's not difficult to see why!

After spending ten minutes on the phone when we got hopelessly lost, being guided in by a completely unflustered Mark, my husband and I were given a warm welcome. I'd ordered champagne in advance, and I was absolutely desperate for a drink by the time we got there. So champagne was taken in the newly refurbished (and very uncluttered) lounge, with the delightful company of Mark.

The room was superb. We stayed in the Franklin room, with a modern four poster bed. The room was warm, with egyptian cotton sheets, a flat screen TV on the wall and an ensuite bathroom with a shower, whirlpool bath, and my personal favourite, a mirror that lights up when you wave your hand in front of it.

That kept me entertained for a good long while, until we hit the town. At this point I would suggest that if you haven't visited Portsmouth before, ask Sian and Mark what they recommend. A meal at Bar A and a drink at The Hole in the Wall (real ale!!) perfectly complemented our weekend. Incidentally, whilst in the locality, we had the opportunity to meet people who obviously know, like and respect Sian and Mark, which says an awful lot about them as a couple.

Breakfast was wonderful. Organic yogurts, beautifully presented fresh fruit, juice, cereal, hot toast and of course the full english. All made from quality products and served how you like them.

The whole house has been very thoughtfully redecorated and the attention to the smallest detail really showed. By the way, ask Mark to tell you the story about the picture in the dining room that depicts the Battle of Trafalgar!!

Vey sad to leave but will definately be going back. There were two other couples there on our second night, and both were making return bookings.

Go visit The Retreat - I promise that you won't be disappointed and Mark and Sian deserve all the success that they will surely get from this incrediably well run and beautifully thought out bed and breakfast.