“Lovely. Not 5 Star yet.. but not far to achieve.”
My Husband & I have stayed @ the Mayflower a few times now & We have always really enjoyed this place. The last time we were was approx 8 months ago. In my opinion, The Mayflower is very elegant & it’s service has also, mostly been very gracious & thoughtful. They have nice little details like a small quiet library to curl up in as well as a larger reading room w/complimentary computer usage, magazine’s, newspapers, games & coffee table books. Wellington Galoshes, Raincoats & umbrella’s sit by the cottage’s Main Door, just in case you need to borrow on a wet day while antiquing, etc.....
The Main Restaurant is v. good but a little inconsistent. In our experience, some nights the food was outstanding & the next night it fell short (even the same dish). They have a young wait staff. Some of the wait staff have been there for years (sometimes coming off as a bit smug) & some were clearly too green & didn’t know exactly how to deal with the more exacting/demanding guests, who you can easily see, are extremely well-heeled.
The grounds are truly lovely & in spots, enchanting.
The rooms are sweet, sumptuous, lovely & nice sized with good amenities. The décor is Traditional, leaning toward the English Side & a bit grandma (BUT a chic, sybarite of a grandma! One who invested in a great Interior Decorator back in the day & hasn’t changed a thing since) so we did think it was time for an upgrade. Dark paneled bathrooms, Gold Fixtures, lots of peaches, chintzes, dark green carpets & a bit of lace. Our last stay, in Speedwell..Our mattress was tired too. It sagged pretty badly even after they removed the feather bed. We had to sleep in the center. The walls were also a bit thin. We FULLY heard our neighbors having sex so be aware (they were probably in our room previously hence the sagging mattress)!!
Anyway, I mention the above b’c the Mayflower Inn is pricey & after you see the magical beauty of the spa it feels so out of sync with the Inn’s Rooms!! Which then makes it seem a bit of a 2nd class citizen in need of some special attention.
The Spa was stunning. Magic. I pretty much spent all day most days there even when I wasn’t having treatments. The treatments themselves were good (I had 4 different ones), yet not excellent which is what I expected though. My husband felt the same. We took a nice complimentary Yoga class too as well as used the gym.
Here’s the thing to know; the spa is mainly for women during the week (they have special weeks where they allow couples & men). It’s ONLY open to INN GUESTS after 12pm (or something close to that) Fridays until close of play on Sunday. I thought the structure was very odd & a little mean esp. when my husband & I wanted to come up in the middle of the week & we were told he couldn’t use it until Friday when it was open to guests. However, I THINK I understand why they do it that way & it MAY have something to do w/keeping the spa intimate. The whole time I barely saw anybody even though I knew they were there. I did feel like I practically had the whole thing to myself & it was blissful. A GREAT thing that they do is if you buy a Spa Package – you can get however many treatments you want. Most Spa’s cap the # of treatments. Mayflower is the only one that doesn’t which is an extremely nice gesture considering the costs.
Although I don’t think it’s worthy of 5 star b’c we feel it’s a bit disjointed, it is still one of our preferred places to stay. I think if you’re looking for a tranquil or romantic escape in the New England area, I highly recommend Mayflower. There is plenty to do in the area but enough on the grounds itself so you never have to leave. There’s a sense of being coddled at the Mayflower. It’s like staying with that timeless, in-the-know-grandma I was talking about earlier ....she just has a way of making you feel special & warm.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Pet owners, Families with young children
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Great food / Wine, Shopping, Spa