Master Builder's House Hotel

Lovely location in an historic building.
Lots of character and scenery to explore.

Pub lunch - beautiful weather and view. Food and service poor. Young waiters were sweet but kitchen and management couldn’t keep up with the demand on a sunny day. One order forgot about clearly stated allergies, food came at different times, run out of tartar for mediocre fish and chips, very tasteless risotto. No apologies for messing up. Won’t be retuning!

A wonderful couple of days, fortunately the weather was perfect which makes the whole experience so magical. Very good service with lovely food all adds up to a great time. Would certainly recommend.

It's a delightful location, staying in the hotel itself is a little quirky but you would expect that in view of the age of the building. Unless you are into mounteering I would avoid the second floor. The pub has a delightful ambience, charming staff a great menu and delicious food.

We contacted The Master Builder 5 weeks ago to see if they could accommodate us for a small wedding reception in a private area for our son and his fiancée for a party of 21. From the original enquiry, the landlady Lorraine has been nothing but extremely helpful, and no request has been too much. We had an absolutely fantastic afternoon/evening on Saturday celebrating our son's wedding. Everything was perfect, the beautifully decorated conservatory (which Lorraine organised, co-ordinating the decor with the brides chosen colours), the welcome drinks on arrival as pre-ordered, the delicious food (a bespoke menu), the fizz for the toast and the wonderful friendly and helpful staff. Nothing was too much trouble for Lorraine and her team and I cannot thank her and them enough for making the day so special. Everyone had a fantastic time, especially the Bride and Groom. I would highly recommend the Master Builder if you were looking for a private space for a small and intimate gathering.

My wife and I stayed for 2 nights at the Master Builders hotel.
From our arrived to our departure we couldn't find fault with anything.
All staff were helpful, courteous and professional.
We stayed in a standard room, which was clean and a good size. The shower was good.
We ate in Henry's both nights - good varied menu, good portions and very well presented. Breakfast the same.
Henry's has a lovely country pub feel, open fire, subtle music and a good selection of beers and wines.
The hotel is in an ideal location for Beaulieu Motor museum and to explore surrounding villages and towns.
Overall, we had a great stay, thanks.

We had a lovely relaxing two night break in early March, having stayed on several previous occasions. Our room was very comfortable and quiet. We ate in Henry’s on both evenings and the food was superb, as was the very efficient and friendly service provided by Amy. The breakfast is lovely and a wide choice is provided. We would certainly recommend as the hotel is in a great position overlooking the Beaulieu River estuary and the staff are so friendly. We will definitely return.

We have just come back after a 2 night stay and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our room was comfortable and breakfast exceptional! It’s a shame that the room was a bit small to have 2 chairs, which meant that one of us had to sit on the bed to watch tv which is not very comfortable when you are elderly like us! Otherwise a good experience .Margaret & Barry Glynn.

Tucked away at the southern end of the New Forest sits this moderate size yet impressive hotel bursting with history. Part of the former historic Buckler’s Hard Shipyard sits The Master Builder’s House, now converted into a quintessentially British hotel, portraying its naval history with open fires, comfy sofas and overlooking the scenic Beaulieu River.

Rooms, which are named after ships built on site in years gone by, are comfortable and are within the annexed Henry Adams building. The rooms, like the hotel, are dog friendly. With sumptuous bedding and en-suite facilities these adequately appointed rooms are near to the car park, main hotel and integral Henry’s pub.

The location is outstanding. Picturesque surroundings overlooking the boat yard and the river traffic travelling out to The Solent.

Breakfast is freshly cooked and good standard. Staff are friendly and accommodating. The main lounge with large sofas and open fireplace is the focal point and a great place to have tea or a glass of wine whilst reading a book and looking out at the waterfront.

However, be warned. This is a very popular wedding venue, and this takes precedence over everything as most of the hotel is off limits. As a resident guest you lose access to all the main amenities and are only able to access your room and the pub which is also open to the public and local ramblers. Whilst I was made aware of the wedding a week before our visit, I was not advised at the time of booking. This meant that despite paying the full nightly rate the main areas of the hotel were closed to me as a registered guest for half my stay - the very areas that had attracted me to the hotel. Having two types of customers at the same time and limiting access to one group but still charging the full rate is both disingenuous and simply unacceptable.

Food in the adjacent Henry’s bar was hit and miss. The evening meal was very good; the Sunday lunch less so.

There is a wonderful walk along the Solent Way to nearby Beaulieu (2.25 miles - about 40 minutes) through the edge of the forest and in the midst of all the local wildlife.

All in all a pleasant two day stay in a beautiful area. As a hotel it is very good, full of history, friendly staff but if a wedding is in progress be prepared to take second place, not be able to access the full range of amenities but pay the premium rate.

This is our second visit to this hotel and we enjoyed every minute. It helped that we managed to pick a couple of days that were actually sunny.
The location is lovely with an interesting historical background. The hotel itself is at the end of the historic houses. It also has it's own parking area which is separate from the nearby museum.
There is an interesting walk to Beaulieu which at 2.5 miles takes between 45min to 1 hour.
The staff were all very welcoming and helpful, and our room (at the top of the small house) was clean and delightful, but those stairs were steep.
It is very likely we will be back.

Having stayed previously at the masters builders just for one night, an email offer prompted me to book a stay for my birthday. The communication, staff and the special treat on arrival of having been allocated the Bridal Suite was such a surprise. The staff are so friendly, efficient and welcoming, and the hotel, location and food just gorgeous. A lovely weekend in one of our favourite places to visit. We will be back. Thank you to all the team.x

Everything was excellent.

Lovely location, friendly staff , nice food , great breakfast!

We stayed a couple of nights to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary, where we spent our honeymoon! The welcome was touching. We had breakfast and evening meal in Harry’s Bar and the food was great. When they say “Dogs are welcome” it is an understatement! Dusty was given a comfy bed and welcome hamper with treats and poo bags (for which there was a bin in the car park.) All the staff were very friendly and helpful, I should make mention of the waiting staff who generously stepped carefully over or around Dusty and the two lovely greyhound guests who sprawled happily on the rug in Harry’s Bar. The weather was grim but didn’t mar the gorgeous scenery. Thank you Master Builders!

Staff were very helpful and polite especially alex when we arrived .

An amazing experience and delightful stay. This was a returning visit and we cannot recommend this hotel more. The staff are friendly and helpful. The food in Henry’s is always delicious and the hotel has the most relaxing atmosphere. We will back again. Thank you for a fantastic birthday weekend.

lovely 2 day break in the new forest . Hotel at bucklers hard
on a historical setting by river . All staff friendly and helpful. Hotel has wonderful decor in keeping with surroundings . Great breakfast , and evening meals in Henry,s pub with good service , need to book a table though .

Fabulous, quiet location on the estuary.
Superb atmosphere, with friendly helpful staff.
Comfortable rooms.
Great value too.
Super service in Henry’s restaurant. Generous tasty breakfast.
We will be back !!

Been before. Good location, staff and food excellent. Rooms in need of some work and a few too many dogs for us (and we do like dogs), particularly in bedroom areas where there is a mix of dog owners and non-dog owners (overnight barking!). Overall a good hotel to visit and you will be well looked after.