This is the second time we stayed at the Pilgrim Inn. That says a lot. It was very good but can't quite get to awarding our stay 5*.

Location:
Convenient - 20 minutes from centre of the New Forest with easy access Southampton and routes to Bournemouth, Poole, Swanage, etc. Sandwiched between the local Marchwood Road and the by-pass. The constant traffic on the by-pass is very noticeable in the pub garden but once inside either the pub or the rooms, one cannot hear it. In 3 days, we visited Christchurch, Swanage and the New Forest itself and ate twice within 20 minutes drive of the hotel.

Room:
We opted for a superior double which was a large ground floor room. The large double bed was two large singles put together - we found the mattresses a bit too firm for our liking but that's a personal preference. With a coffee machine, kettle, desk, and much more and a big bathroom with bath and large walk-in shower it was generally well fitted. Its Achilles heel was the absence of any chest of drawers - just 2 small drawers in the desk and one each in the bedside table. We think it reasonable that there should be some more storage provided. With large floor to ceiling windows on the ground floor, privacy required closing the curtains and the room is quite dark. The window could do with some voile net or blind to provide privacy without having to close the curtains.
The 'stand-alone' wonderful bath is deep, is smooth throughout and is very slippery. It has no handle. We think that it presents a significant risk of a fall that could lead to injury. The shower was great although we suspect that some of grouting (some of which was black) could be cleaned effectively with a good scrub.

Food and Service:
Service was impeccable from every member of staff. Breakfast was adequate in terms of choice and quantity and of good quality. It included a choice of juices, cereal, yoghourt and fruit and croissants an pain au chocolat plus the cooked alternatives. If one is expecting a big hotel breakfast buffet, then one might be disappointed but it was appropriate for the setting. We only ate dinner once during our stay. Again service was excellent and friendly and food was of good quality. Perhaps their portion sizes need more consistency - I had a huge bowl of soup; very tasty but more than necessary. My main course was also more than adequate but my partner's main course portion was much smaller

Overall:
From our experience, we are happy to recommend. As always, set your expectations right and you shouldn't be disappointed.