The Marble Lounge - Maidstone

What a find! This was my first visit to Chilston Park and I went with a friend for afternoon tea. Being gluten free, I usually find afternoon teas a bit disappointing but the one here was fabulous! For once I didn’t feel like I was missing out! The selection of teas available was great and more than most places offer. Service was spot on and the setting was grand but comfortable. A very enjoyable experience.

Visited today for an afternoon tea for my fiancés birthday. We decided to go here based on the online reviews being positive, and the menu for the optional savoury or traditional tea. I called up one week prior just to confirm the menu options, which where verified to still be on offer. Upon arrival temperature was checked and mask given, which was in Covid guidance. We waited longer than expected for our order to be taken, waiting patiently, when we finally had our order taken, we were told the savoury tea was not on the menu currently, and that the chef would throw one together closely matching the one online. It finally arrived, the presentation not to mention the food given, I thought was somewhat of a joke, the cake selection where basic Victoria sponge that looked as if a child slapped it together, self-claimed custard tarts which where baby sized and looked as if they came pre frozen and were defrosted similar to those that are bought from Christmas selection snacks from your local Sainsbury’s. Not only lacking presentation, they also lacked flavour. The savoury tea, one sausage roll, few crackers, prawn cocktail and a pork pie, and they thought that was worth £26.50. Personally, if I was the chef, I’d feel a little embarrassed serving it. I put the complaint forward, and I was offered the discount on the savoury tea to half price, and no charge for the vat, what a joke I thought to myself. There excuse for it, was due to Covid, there were less staff and they were unable to get the right products in stock. I didn’t want to raise too much of an issue being with my fiancé and family. Total for four people £92.50! If you can’t offer the same quality and presentation that’s offered on your website, then do not offer it at all, or at least reduce the price! I feel robbed and hungry and unsatisfied from my visit. Very disappointing

The afternoon tea was utterly awful and the worse we have ever been to (and we’ve been to a few). The cakes were unedible and stale, the sandwiches were awful with a limited selection and the value for money with regards to what you get for the price was appalling. I would urge people not to waste their money or time on this afternoon and the only positive was the tea/coffee as everything else provided was so disgusting my partner couldn’t even finish one cakes or one sandwiche. For £25 per person I cannot name one positive, with the exception of the poor staff who were very friendly. Please do not waste your time or money on this afternoon tea.

The drive up to Chilston Park is always an impressive one whatever time of year or season, nothing disappoints the splendid view of the hotel as you approach. My sister in laws and I visited for a special afternoon tea treat for a special birthday and everything about the afternoon was perfect. The setting beautiful, the staff attentive, the food delicious, the array of deserts sublime and the choice of Prosecco simply the best (so much so we've all been actively searching the web to treat ourselves to a bottle or two). I encourage anyone to find an excuse to visit this beautiful hotel and enjoy the atmosphere and ambiance you will not be disappointed. Thank you to the wonderful staff

I just want to say what a beautiful hotel, setting and grounds and fabulous staff, I come here to celebrate a mile stone birthday for my cousin with my family. So here it goes my experience, There is no obvious place when entering for us to go so we ended up roaming the corridors until we where asked what we was here for. Upon entering we walked past several staff and no one greeted us or said hello. When we finally found where we was meant to go we where seated by the lovely manager. The tea was lovely and so was the afternoon tea but I have a few niggles that I must vent about...... 1) some sandwiches had crusts on and this is sloppy and just not afternoon tea etiquette, they where lacking in flavour and filling and some where not filled to the edges and missing at least an inch of filling at the end 2) the scones where either burnt/over cooked or flat as a pancake and smothered in powdered sugar in order to cover this error. 3) If you are going to do a cream tea you must provide plenty of clotted cream two scoops of cream is not enough for 6 people and a scoop each would have serviced. 4) the jam provided for the scone was not jam but a compote and the flavour was miscellaneous and I could not figure out if it was strawberry or rhubarb, I asked my family members the same question and they where just as stumped as me. 5) when it come to ask for more cream no one was around for us to ask and we had pretty much been left to our devices the whole time we was there. I did not have a problem with the staff they where all incredibly friendly and hospitable I was just disappointed by the lack of checking up on us to make sure we was ok or if we needed anything more. I must say The cakes where well presented and very scrumptious no problems there. The thing is I have had afternoon tea at mean different establishments some in simple cafe’s and some in big grand hotels like Sketch and hotel cafe royal and everything in between and have come to know what is expected and unfortunately this just fell short of my expectations. Afternoon teas are simple and big money spinners so to charge me 25.50 a head for scones and fingers sandwiches and cake I expect it to be flawless. I will definitely come back here again to stay or have dinner but I will not be having the afternoon tea again.