The Merry Harriers, Surrey - Hotel Review

Location: Surrey
Price: ££
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Perfect for: Weekend Break, Staycations close to London, Outdoors

Covid-19 Safety Measures:

• All staff and guests wear masks indoors

• Breakfast is table service and the buffet has been removed

• Hand sanitiser available in the bar and restaurant

• Regular sanitising of all high contact areas including handles and handrails.

Like many of us, this year I’ve been spending much more time exploring my local surroundings and going on staycations close to home. I’ve been lucky enough to discover some amazing hotels which are just a stone’s throw from London, and The Merry Harriers is one of them.

Reachable in under an hour from London, it’s an ideal place for a staycation close to home, with 11 lovely rooms and a cosy restaurant/pub. Not to mention the 8 gorgeous llamas that are housed around the back.

Location:

The Merry Harriers is located in the beautiful village of Hambledon in the Surrey Hills, which is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The inn actually dates back to the 16th Century and is steeped in history with the landlord’s names dating back to the early 1700’s written on the pub walls.

The location means it is a natural stopover for walkers, cyclists and dog walkers who want to rest their tired legs and enjoy a drink or meal in a cosy setting.

Accommodation:

There is a variety of accommodation on offer at The Merry Harriers. I stayed in one of their gorgeous and cosy Garden Rooms which is located right next to the field where the llamas graze and feed, meaning we could admire them directly from our room.

There are six Garden Rooms, each of which has its own entrance and includes a double bed, bedside tables, desk area, and en suite bathroom. They also have a patio area with 2 chairs and a table, perfect for gazing at the llamas in the neighbouring field.

The Merry Harriers have also recently added 5 Shepherd’s Huts, expanding their accommodation options even further. Each of these huts surround the pond and offer stunning views of the Surry Hills. They also feature an outdoor fire pit and an cosy indoor log burner.

We arrived at around 3pm for our overnight stay, and after checking into our room and settling in, we headed to the bar to relax by the large warming log fire to enjoy some drinks (non-alcoholic due to tier restrictions!) This was a lovely setting to enjoy a wind-down with the candle light.

Dinner:

We reserved a table for dinner when we arrived and couldn’t wait to give some of the dishes a try as the menu looked amazing. There are three separate dining areas which means there are plenty of tables, and also plenty of space for social distancing.

As well as the a la carte menu, there is also a specials menu on offer. The dishes are much more than standard pub food and aims to showcase the local produce. Starters include dishes such as crispy beef salad and seafood platter, with mains offering dishes such steak, leek and stilton pie and pork loin steak.

I tried the chicken liver patè from the specials board, which was served with chutney, ciabatta and salad and was delicious in flavour. My husband tried the crispy beef salad which was a vibrant dish bursting with flavour and lots of crunchy crispy beef strips.

For my main course I ordered the chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and thyme, wrapped in parma ham. This was served on a bed of dauphinoise potatoes with roasted red pepper sauce and tender-stem broccoli. I was impressed by both the flavours on the dish and the portion sizes too!

My husband tried the pork loin steak, a classic dish served with dauphinoise potatoes, garden vegetables and red wine gravy. This dish was a very well-cooked and satisfying in its depth of flavour.

My husband and I were both tempted by the dessert menu which included five delicious options as well as a variety of ice cream in fantastic looking flavours. After much deliberation we settled for an unctuous warm apple crumble and a warm chocolate brownie which has the perfect gooey center! We loved both desserts and were very pleased with the quality and presentation of all our dishes.

After finishing our glasses of wine, we had no room for tea or coffees and heading back to our room, which was thankfully only a few hundred yards away.

Breakfast:

We had a restful night’s sleep and headed back to the inn for our breakfast, which is currently table service. I ordered the vegetarian breakfast and my husband ordered the full breakfast. We also had toast, fruit salad and yogurt, as well as tea and coffee. This was a lovely, filling breakfast that set us up for the day ahead.

Activities:

The Merry Harriers have a host of activities involving the llamas. These include llama treks with an English Picnic, Winter Morning and Summer Evening Treks, all along the stunning local trails of The Greensand Way.

I’d recommend booking the llama trek early as you can to avoid disappointment, as we were unable to go on the trek because it was fully booked. Instead, after our breakfast, we headed out to feed the llama’s with the friendly staff member Mia, who offered up this option as an alternative. It was great to meet the llamas close-up and get to know their personalities a little better.

We then headed for a walk in the country, guided by the treks that the staff had outlined, this was a great way to work off our breakfast and enjoy the beautiful scenery in the area.

Overall:

I really enjoyed our staycation at The Merry Harriers as it made for a cosy weekend away surrounded by beautiful scenery. I was particularly impressed with the food on offer and the quality and variety will satisfy every foodies’ needs! All the staff were very friendly and happy to help with any request as well as recommendations.

This is the ideal place not only to enjoy the countryside, but to also spend some time unwinding in a warming and welcoming location.

Additional Facilities:

• Free Parking

• In-house restaurant and bar

• Free wifi

• Dog Friendly rooms with doggy welcome pack

In the Area:

• Allbury Vineyards

• Gin distillery next door

• Cycling routes

• Walking and Trekking routes

Price:

• Garden Rooms start from £110 per night

• Shepherds Huts from £195 B&B per night

• Llama Treks from £55.20 per Adult / £27.60 per Child (aged 8-13) minimum age 8

COVID Note: Please make sure to check and abide by government travel guidelines. Please also respect the rules and regulations of the hotel to keep you and other guests safe. Thanks!

Book your staycation at The Merry Harriers
Address: The Merry Harriers,Hambledon Road, Hambledon, Surrey GU8 4DR
Phone: 01428 682883

Her Favourite Food x

My stay was complimentary - all opinions are my own.