Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve Reviews

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve

Lympne, Kent

4.9 out of 5 rating, 89 reviews

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4.9 out of 5 rating

4.9

Excellent

89 reviews

Recommended by 98% of couples

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Quality of the service
5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4.9 out of 5 rating
Value for money
4.9 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4.9 out of 5 rating

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Louise Sent on 02/09/2025

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Best wedding ever!

We went with the elopement package that Port Lympne offers and we really couldn’t have asked for a better day! We could have a maximum of 12 guests which was a lovely amount for an intimate wedding.

We had a gorgeous ceremony in the Moroccan Courtyard which was followed by reception drinks and a private ranger safari!

The staff at Port Lympne really couldn’t have been more attentive if they tried! The day was completely stress free for us as the staff just handled everything for us to ensure we could just enjoy the day. A special shoutout to Olivia Hughes who was attentive and responsive for us the whole way through the process from planning to the actual day!
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Jennifer Sent on 22/11/2025

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Dream wedding

My partner and I were absolutely blown away with our wedding at Port Lympne and wish we could do it all over again! The venue is fabulous with so many options available for your ceremony, reception and wedding breakfast! The food was superb especially the canapes and evening buffet!
As soon as we viewed Port Lympne we knew it was the venue for us and never looked back. Communication from start to finish was great and we cannot thank the staff enough! A five star venue! You will not regret holding your wedding here!
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Alex Sent on 08/10/2025

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A lovely venue but disappointing professionalism for the high price

Overall we really enjoyed our wedding day at Port Lympne. It is an absolutely stunning venue, with a variety of different settings on the same site which really makes for a beautiful and fun day for guests. The safari option in particular really made the day stand out and made for some great memories!

The quality of the food and the drinks was really high, as were the facilities more broadly. The direct staff on the day (eg Charlotte) were very attentive and helpful, including assisting with guests who fell ill with heatstroke. The team were clearly working very hard in the background to help everything run smoothly.

However, there were a number of areas which were disappointing for us - both in the run up to the wedding and on the day itself. For the premium price paid for the event, we were a little surprised at these.

1) We and our guests found correspondence with the venue over email to be really challenging. In person all of the team were excellent and really friendly but over email we had challenges. In the lead-up to the wedding, we found the venue’s communication to be rather rigid and transactional. Email responses were often abrupt, focused more on enforcing policies than on helping us find solutions, which at times made the planning process unnecessarily painful.

2) Different teams at the venue were quite disjointed. Notably the event team and room bookings. The burden of this disjointedness fell on us as the couple and our guests - which led to some guests “wanting to scream” at how difficult the booking process was, and others giving up on the venue entirely and looking elsewhere for accommodation. Relatedly, on the day itself the accommodation team were requesting the bride and groom to sign check in forms in the middle of the day rather than resolving any requirements in advance.

3) The accommodation provided in the mansion itself was not equivalent to the quality of the venue more broadly. The rooms were dated both aesthetically and functionally (eg no aircon, decades old showers). Our guests who paid for these felt ripped off and as the couple we would rather have stayed elsewhere and not had the price of the room included in our overall package.

4) Perhaps most significantly for the wedding day. The accommodation team made some very basic errors in moving our luggage between different sites and mixing up items between guests. This was despite an extensive labelling exercise which we had to lead ourselves on the morning of the day. This resulted in i) the wrong luggage being delivered to certain rooms; and ii) some luggage not being delivered at all. This meant that when the bride needed to change outfits in the evening before the first dance, she couldn’t do so, and we lost about an hour of our day trying to chase down and resolve this issue. We and our guests ultimately had to track all of these items down ourselves as the staff had no urgency to help. Losing an hour and stressing over this was extremely disappointing given how basic moving luggage between rooms should be for a hotel.

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve's reply:

Dear Alex,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and for choosing Port Lympne for your wedding. We’re delighted to hear that you and your guests enjoyed the stunning setting, Safari experience and the quality of our food, drinks and service on the day. Your kind words for Charlotte and the wider team are greatly appreciated and will be shared with everyone who helped bring your celebration to life.
As discussed in our correspondence following your wedding, our team reviewed your concerns internally and we shared responses to each of your points back in July. As we didn’t hear back from you at the time, we had understood the matter was resolved, but we remain happy to continue the conversation directly should you wish to do so.

We’re sorry to learn that certain aspects of the planning process didn’t feel as smooth as you’d hoped. Our wedding and accommodation teams work closely together to deliver each element of our couples’ celebrations and while they operate as separate departments to provide specialist support, we’re always looking for ways to make that experience feel as seamless as possible.

We also note your comments regarding email communication. Our coordinators strive to provide clear and detailed information, so every element of the day is captured accurately. We appreciate that written communication can sometimes feel more formal than intended, especially when confirming logistical or policy-based details, but please be assured our team’s goal is always to support our couples and ensure their plans come together exactly as envisioned.

Regarding the Mansion bedrooms, these are part of our Grade II listed historic property. They retain their original charm and heritage features, and while we appreciate they may differ from the style of our newer accommodations, they remain an important part of the estate’s character and history.

In relation to the luggage handling on your wedding day, we sincerely apologised for the disruption this caused in our follow-up correspondence back in July. Since then, we have introduced additional procedures to strengthen this area — including dedicated, briefed staff responsible for managing wedding luggage transfers and clearer internal protocols to ensure all items are handled accurately and efficiently.

Thank you again for your feedback and for celebrating your special day with us. We’re so pleased that many aspects of your experience created lasting memories, and we wish you both every happiness for the future.
The Port Lympne Weddings Team

Chloe Sent on 08/10/2025

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Incredible day and venue!!

We can’t thank port lympne enough for the most incredible wedding day. The venue is absolutely stunning and a real wow factor for your guests with so many photo spots and the pergola/ orangery are already well decorated. The food is an amazing standard for a wedding venue we had so many compliments. The safari is a special experience and perfect way to keep your guests engaged. The staff are so wonderful - Stephanie, Olivia, Charlotte and their teams really know what they’re doing. If you want something a bit different and luxurious book port lympne!!
Tina Sent on 27/09/2025

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Our dream wedding

Port Lympne was the first and only venue we looked at as we fell in love with the wonderful Mansion House straight away. We had an immediate rapport with Olivia who met us for our viewing and our minds were made up there and then.

Over the next few months, Olivia and her team were so helpful and were very kind & patient with our various emails and questions.

We had a wonderful, intimate wedding of just 20 guests - it was the perfect number to use the Long Room for the ceremony and the Spencer Roberts room for our wedding breakfast. Luckily the sun shone for us to have canapés on the terrace which was just perfect.

All staff were fantastic on the day and made us feel very special.

Thank you all x
Rachael Sent on 31/08/2025

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A Truly Unforgettable Wedding Experience

We couldn’t have chosen a more stunning and unique venue for our wedding. From start to finish, our experience was absolutely incredible and exceeded every expectation we had. Getting married in the middle of a wildlife park made the day feel magical and unlike anything else we’d seen before. The setting itself is breathtaking — surrounded by incredible animals, beautiful scenery, and a venue that’s full of character and charm.

One of the highlights for both us and our guests was the private Safari tour, which was worth every penny. It added such a memorable touch to the day, giving everyone a chance to see the animals up close and capture some amazing photos. Speaking of photos, the opportunities around the park are endless — we now have the most spectacular wedding pictures with giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife in the background, which is something truly special.

The staff made the entire process seamless from beginning to end. Having one point of contact throughout the planning stages and on the day itself made everything so much easier and less stressful. Every question we had, no matter how big or small, was answered quickly and clearly. On the day, the whole team was warm, friendly, and more than happy to help with anything we needed. We’d like to give a special thank you to Olivia and Stephanie, who went above and beyond to make sure everything was exactly as we envisioned — we couldn’t have asked for better support.

Another lovely touch was the golf buggies provided for hotel guests, which allowed us to explore the park freely before and after the wedding day. Our guests loved the experience, and it made the stay even more enjoyable.

In terms of improvements, there were only a couple of very minor points worth mentioning — and they certainly didn’t take away from the overall experience. There was a small amount of work being carried out at the venue, but this stopped entirely during the ceremony, so there was no disruption or noise at all. It would also be helpful to have a trolley available to transport supplies from the car to the mansion house to save making multiple trips. Finally, there was a slight mix-up around agreed check-out times on the wedding day, but the staff resolved it quickly and efficiently.

Overall, this venue gave us the most perfect day we could have hoped for. The combination of a stunning location, incredible wildlife, excellent service, and truly unforgettable experiences made it a day we’ll cherish forever. If you’re looking for a wedding venue that’s unique, picturesque, and full of charm, we couldn’t recommend it highly enough
Lily Sent on 29/08/2025

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Beautiful venue, amazing experience

This was the first (and last) venue we toured, we knew it was perfect. Ceyda and her team were very knowledgeable and welcoming and we knew we had to get married at Port Lympne.

The lead up to the day was well organised (though their spreadsheet organisation could be tightened up - but that's a very small complaint for what was a perfect day!). We had multiple meetings, video calls and email correspondence in the lead up and they never made us feel like they were busy with anyone else's wedding.

The catering was phenomenal - my husband has been trying to recreate the chicken and mash (it was more sophisticated than this!) since we first tried and and hasn't come close.

The day was brilliant, we chose to get married under the arches rather than in the Moroccan Courtyard and I'm glad we did this! They made sure the groom didn't see me beforehand and the walk round was beautiful. They blocked it off to members of the public couldn't interfere while the park was still open. However, it is always lovely being told you're a fairy princess by a toddler!

All the vendors said that the venue staff were polite, kind and friendly, and very responsive. It was brilliant to be able to let them get on with their jobs and not to have to micromanage each part of the wedding planning.

The safari was a roaring (!) success and the guests LOVED it! It was possibly the highlight of the day. We got incredible photographs and a unique memory of the day.

The evening was also smooth and well planned, handed over to someone else who ran the show really well. My bridesmaid needed a charger, and one of the staff members brought out his mega camping charger for her to borrow. Every single person went above and beyond to make our day special and I'm so grateful.

Lastly!! We expected the venue to be extortionate, but it was actually reasonably priced considering they do all the catering and the venue and it was less than half our overall budget (it's still expensive but we got higher quotes from venues with no catering or safaris!)
Sam Sent on 18/07/2025

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Beautiful, unique and memorable venue!

We had our dream wedding at Port Lympne on 6 June and we could not have wished for a more beautiful and unique venue, with such lovely and accommodating staff!

It's difficult to put into words how thankful and impressed we are with everything they did. They were brilliant, meticulous and lovely to work with from start to finish.

The whole team was brilliant, but in particular Stephanie, who helped us plan and supported us on the day too (including fluffing up my wife's dress on the way to the ceremony!) We also wanted to thank Charlotte and Chris for running a very smooth operation on the day, which meant we could relax and soak up every moment without having to worry.

There were so many really nice touches we weren't expecting, such as how they moved some of our table centre decorations to our cake table ahead of the evening reception, which looked great!

If only we could re-live it all again!

All of our guests have said how fantastic, organised and lovely they all were. And that applies to everyone, including the gardeners who we chatted to as they were mowing the lawn the day before, and the bartenders and front of house staff - we loved that they were dancing and singing along to our band in the evening!

The food was also delicious and plentiful - no one went hungry!

The safari was also amazing and added a unique touch. We love animals so it was a perfect match to our personalities. It was great to have a South African driver/guide too, who made it feel even more authentic!

We could not have wished for a more magical and beautiful day. We plan to come back regularly, including on our future anniversaries, to celebrate and reminisce.
T Clark Sent on 16/07/2025

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Amazing Venue!

We had the most amazing wedding day here! Everyone was so helpful, the space was absolutely beautiful, and the food was amazing. We haven't heard a single comment from any guest that was anything less than hugely positive and we got to just enjoy such a magical day. Thank you!
Bethany Sent on 11/07/2025

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Beautiful wedding venue

We chose Port Lympne for our June 2025 wedding this year. The wedding coordinators Olivia and Charlotte were absolutely brilliant, they held regular meetings throughout the year and ensured we had the exact wedding we wanted. The day ran smoothly and guest experiance was of the most importance, though for me, the day went super quickly, I was still able to recognise all the hard work and effort the team were putting in.

I dont think anyone would regret chosing this venue, its truly magical, the food was perfection and the safari experiance adds a unique touch.