I was very much looking forward to visiting the City of Winchester. It was always one of those places I passed by on my way down to the south coast. Over 5.6 million visitors head to Winchester every year. A quintessentially English city, with its medieval roots and historic architecture, Winchester is what overseas visitors to the UK, expect English historic cities to be like. Situated on the edge of the South Downs National Park, the surrounding Hampshire countryside and villages are beautiful. The City of Winchester is often described as the best place to live in England, I would be staying at voco Winchester Hotel & Spa!

The hotel has 131 stylish bedrooms consisting of double, twin, accessible, premium and grand rooms, plus a suite. We were staying in one of their brand-new premium rooms. Our room was spacious, clean, & tastefully decorated. The amenities in the room were as you would expect in a good quality hotel including a complimentary minibar, tea & coffee making facilities including an Nespresso coffee machine, soft luxury bedding with filling made with 100% recyclable materials, bathroom toiletries & plenty of power points for those essential laptops & mobile phones.

voco Winchester suite

The hotel offers 9 adaptable meeting and event spaces and is also a popular choice for weddings and private events, catering for up to 200 guests and offering the perfect setting for both segments of business.  The restaurant, ‘Kitchen 21’, is renowned for its unique 21-inch pizza. The Ana Spa was added in 2019 offering treatment rooms, a Hydro-Pool, Himalayan Salt Sauna, Sensory Shower, Crystal Steam Room and a Bubble Foot Spa. The Hotel is very bright, clean and modern with plenty of on – site car parking.

Ana Spa

I had been told that Winchester is one of the most vibrant, attractive & historically interesting cities in England, so I was looking forward to exploring it for myself. I went on an official guided walk of the city with my wife. Our Blue Badge Guide, Erica was very well informed and provided us with a very interesting introduction to the city, over the two hours of walking. the many sites of the city. Our guide answered all of our questions, with humour and even laughed at some of my jokes, which was even more appreciated! My wife & I learnt so much and were told so many interesting stories about the City of Winchester, its inhabitants and buildings. Thank you Erica.

The city’s most prominent landmark is Winchester Cathedral, but the city is also home to the University of Winchester and Winchester College, reputed to be the oldest public school in the United Kingdom, still using its original buildings. Winchester grew from the Roman town of Venta Belgarum and became one of the most important cities of Anglo-Saxon Britain. The city walls were originally built in the Roman period covering an area of around 138 acres (56 ha) and were rebuilt and expanded in sections over time. The author Jane Austen was buried in the North aisle of Winchester Cathedral, a place of worship for over 900 years, at the age of forty-one, after struggling with an illness, for over a year in College Street.

There are three highly rated independent schools in the city, The Pilgrims’ School, boys’ prep & Cathedral school, St Swithun’s, the girls’ day and boarding school, and Winchester College, boys’ public school. The actor, Colin Firth, whose portrayal of Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Austen`s Pride & Prejudice, actually went to Kings’ School in Winchester, a local comprehensive! The Romantic poet John Keats also wrote several of his greatest works whilst staying in Winchester from mid-August to October 1819.

Not to be outdone, voco Winchester Hotel & Spa has its own history too! The former Holiday Inn Winchester, which was built in 2010, is located on the edge of the beautiful South Downs National Park but is just five minutes driving time from the historic Winchester City Centre. The Hotel was rebranded to voco Winchester Hotel & Spa in October 2024 following a complete refurbishment which took 8 months to complete at a cost of £2 million.

We ate in the spacious, ‘Kitchen 21’, restaurant, which is where our breakfast was also served, and is known locally for its unique 21-inch pizza! We decided to pass on the inviting range of starters and ordered from their seasonal Mains & Dessert menus. The restaurant is part of a large spacious open plan lobby area, with the reception, bar and lounge, separated by a large screen.

Main Course:

Pork Belly, Savoy Cabbage, Potato Gratin, Apricot & Thyme Jus. The pork belly was very flavoursome, crispy and juicy. The pork gratin was rich and savoury with a golden-brown crispy top. The savoy cabbage was slightly sweet with a crunchy texture. A simply beautiful dish.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank, Buttered Mashed Potato & Tender Stem Broccoli. Several hot, tasty chunks of meat dripping off the bone, cooked in a rich sauce, with creamy soft potato mash and perfectly cooked crunchy broccoli stems. Foodie Heaven!

Desserts:

Chocolate Heaven Brownie: Chocolate brownie, chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream.

Eton Colada: Vanilla ice cream, pineapple, meringue, whipped cream and pineapple sauce.

Breakfast did not disappoint either. It was well worth getting up for! There was plenty of choice from the continental breakfast bar including warm pastries, freshly squeezed juices, seasonal fruits & local meats & cheeses, and a huge slab of locally sourced honey, which I was told, is very popular with hotel guests & diners. Hot food, including a Full English Breakfast, was available at the buffet counter. I was able to order poached eggs, which when cooked were delivered to my table.

The food at both dinner and breakfast during our visit was excellent. Care had obviously been taken to source only the best ingredients. The food was well cooked and served by knowledgeable and friendly staff. The hotel & restaurant staff had all been very friendly and helpful throughout my stay. The high-quality level of service really does make you feel very special. The staff were efficient and polite, and nothing was too much trouble for them, which was really appreciated. A good night’s sleep & excellent breakfast to start our day had made our exploration of Winchester a lot of fun.

I would not hesitate in recommending voco Winchester Hotel & Spa if you are planning to visit Winchester or simply passing through. Why not stop and experience their superb food and hospitality, you will not be disappointed. The overall voco Winchester Hotel & Spa experience was very enjoyable and satisfying. The voco Winchester Hotel & Spa offers excellent overnight accommodation options, superb restaurant meals and excellent table service in an exciting city destination. Why not check it out for yourself. I simply loved it!

The unique 21-inch pizza!

Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of voco Winchester Hotel & Spa

The views and comments expressed are as usual my own

LIKE this Please consider giving thetravellocker a FOLLOW on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Thank You