We visited Babington House a few months ago. Things we liked:

1. Beautiful grounds (acres of green and a lovely lake with families of ducks and other birds)
2. Great food (lunch was the best meal, breakfasts were large, dinner was ok)
3. Cool bar
4. Reasonably large indoor/outdoor swimming pool
5. Relaxing atmosphere all round
6. Toys and basic supplies in the rooms for children
7. Bunk beds for children

Things we didn't like:
1. Soft mattress (we prefer firm mattresses but the bed we had was like sleeping on a pillow - it was difficult to move around in it! The children's bunk beds were more comfortable!)
2. Awkward shallow bath in the bedroom - not very comfortable - more for show. There was another regular bathtub in the shower room downstairs.
3. Slippery stainless steel shower floor (beware)

What a place!! Fantastic. Could not fault the Hotel or staff.
Have read many reviews on Babington and must report that our experience will last a life time.
From check-in to room to spa to bar to restaurants to check-out, ab fab.
The staff make you feel soooo welcome, the lush room (room 12) soooo relaxing, the 'Cowshed' and their treatments ggggreat, the food is to die for. Morning splash, evening jog or just r and r, do it.
Roll on next year when we hope to return.

My boyfriend and I stayed at Babington house for 2 nights and we absolutely loved it.

We had a room in the stables which was fabulous and on 2 levels - lounge and bathroom on ground floor and bedroom upsairs.

The bathroom is gorgeous - lovely bath and great shower and best of all tons of cowshed products to be used during your stay.

On the first night we had room service and the food was delicious. The second afternoon we fancied milkshakes and cookies (babington house makes you feel very indulgent....) and as there were no cookies available within 5 minutes the staff bought chocolate brownies to the room thinking that was next best thing - very impressive.

For lunch on both days we ate outside in the beautiful grounds and again the food was delicious. Dinner in the restaurant on the second night was also great - service cannot be faulted and the menu is so good - nothing too fussy and not the usual 'fine dining' experience where you are given tiny portions of food you don't really fancy for an extortionate price. Healthy portions of delicious simple and comfort foods.

We had a massage for 2 which was so good that we immediately booked another one. The weather was so warm that we could sunbathe by the outdoor pool which was great. Even though there are alot of kids at Babington House somehow it doesn't feel too noisy.

We've recently stayed at Cowley Manor and this was MILES better - nicer rooms, food, service and atmosphere.

You will need to book in advance as they get very booked up but it's 100% worth the wait! Fabulous hotel.

There's no doubt it's a fantastic property in a fantastic location, even if difficult to find. Parking in the car park (very close to the smelly bins) was quite a dazzling experience with the bright lights late at night. The service, however, was excellent and the food truly above average. The main niggle is with the rooms and the very nature of the building. Our room was 'out the back', which is fine, but the room is self was quite unusual. It was quite large, with a mezzanine level for the bed, but very poorly lit and painted a dark burgundy which exaggerated the effect. The aluminium (not wrought iron!) spiral staircase was a little tricky to climb, especially later in the evening. The main point was that there wasn't
a separate bathroom, more the room was the bathroom. A huge bath sat virtually in the middle of the room whilst the shower was in a cupboard-like housing within the room. Getting ready for a evening therefore becomes quite intimate. There really is no substitute for a separate bathroom. We hear, however, that not all the rooms are modelled on this unique approach. Many of these newly developed country-estate type hotels have, I feel, the very fabric of their buildings altered irrevocably. The process of modernisation loses something and it is this last point, which is also the most subjective, that I quibble with the most. Trying to make a property like this trendy loses alot and there is a bit of a character deficit
as a consequence. Pricing is at a relative premium and if you value internal architecture then this may not be the place for you.