"Isn't he sweet?" - the receptionist is cooing over a teddy bear that's wearing a dressing gown that has been embossed with Balmer Lawn, the name of the hotel we are staying in. The couple at the desk are proudly showcasing the bear they picked up when they first stayed at the hotel - 20 years ago. They have brought teddy back for a trip down memory lane, and they are delighted to see that the hotel has only changed for the better in the past two decades.
They have travelled from Brighton to mark an anniversary - attracted to the hotel's four poster beds - and they both gush about how much they love staying there. If there's anything to show a sign of a good place to stay, it's returning customers and these two are more than that, they are hotel ambassadors. But they're not wrong, if you're looking for a place to cosy up, relax and enjoy the autumnal delights of the New Forest, then Balmer Lawn in Brockenhurst might just be the place you've been longing for.
We went on a one-night stay at the New Forest hotel to check out what it has to offer - and we weren't disappointed. If you've ever driven around the New Forest, the chances are that you would have driven past Balmer Lawn Hotel. It's a big classic country house, set back from the road, but big enough to clearly see and is undoubtedly one of the most iconic buildings in the forest.
Originally built in the mid-1800s as a hunting lodge, it's right in the heart of the New Forest National Park, its grandness surrounded by fiel.