"I hardly know where to start with this review, but I’ll begin with the few positives before getting into the bad.
My wife and I stayed here for one night this weekend with another couple. We booked a Luxury Lodge with a hot tub, spending £500. Friends of ours got married here eight years ago and loved it, so expectations were high. Initial impressions on arrival were great: the hotel looks lovely, the setting is beautiful, and the equestrian centre was a nice touch (I initially thought about bringing my daughter back for riding lessons—though I’ve since changed my mind).
Unfortunately, the rest of the stay was a complete letdown. Terrible Restaurant Service, things started poorly at dinner,
Service delays: It took 15 minutes just to get a Coke. I ordered a second Coke during my main course, which never arrived. The waitress later came to take our dessert order; I ordered a coffee, which arrived before the second Coke. When the soft drink finally showed up, I sent it back as I was already done with my meal and coffee.
Hygiene issue: My friend had to send her dessert back because there was a huge hair right through it. (I know accidents happen, but it set the tone).
Billing errors: Despite sending the delayed Coke back, they still tried to charge me for it on the bill.
Lodge Issues & Unannounced Room Layout
We headed to the lodge at 5:30 PM to quickly change before going out to a concert. It was only then we realized the lodge consisted of one double room and one twin room, hardly ideal for two married couples! This meant spending the night apart from my wife. The booking process never specified a twin room, and the photos only showed a double, so it was reasonable to assume a "Luxury Lodge" for four adults would have two double beds.
The Hot Tub Trap
We were looking forward to using the hot tub when we got back from the concert. However, upon returning, we found a padlock on the gate to the hot tub area. We tried to call reception using the lodge phone—no dial tone. We called the main line from our mobile phones and were told the hot tub closes at 11:00 PM. Nobody mentioned this at check-in.
When checking in, my friend was handed a sheet of paper, told to sign in three places, and not encouraged to read it. There was zero verbal warning about the hot tub hours.
You can apparently only use it between 4:00 PM and 11:00 PM. This meant we couldn't even use it in the morning before our 11:00 AM checkout. Someone actually sneaks up at 11:00 PM to put a padlock on it!
While I accept it is hidden away in the main Terms & Conditions on their website, it is not made clear during the booking process itself.
Hostile & Smug Customer Service
When we complained the next morning, we spoke with a young staff member named Emma. Her attitude was atrocious. She stood her ground by telling us we had received "3 written warnings" prior to coming (referring to the standard booking confirmation emails containing the T&Cs link).
There was no manager available, and Emma was completely unhelpful. The overall impression we got was: "It's your fault, we've got your money, so tough." It felt smug—almost as if they enjoyed the fact that we paid £500 for a lodge with a hot tub that we couldn't even use. Zero customer service skills whatsoever. If we had known this, we would not have booked given we knew we were coming for a concert!!
Summary
It’s a real shame because the grounds are lovely, but the poor service, hidden restrictions, and appalling staff attitude completely ruined our weekend away."
