Stayed 4th–5th July. Paid £369 for one night with my two children (aged 8 & 12) while attending an event at Bolesworth. I specifically chose this hotel because of the advertised swimming pool/spa facilities, thinking it would be a lovely addition to our weekend. Unfortunately, the stay was disappointing from arrival to departure.
On check-in we were told by the duty manager, Virag, that children could not use the pool after 6pm unless over 14. When we went to the spa area we were then told it was actually over 16, and that the only time my children could swim was 9–11am the next morning when we would be leaving. Very frustrating when the pool was a main reason for booking. I asked to speak with the hotel manager but this was refused.
The room was nowhere near what I would expect for £369/night:
• No minibar
• No bottled water
• Hairdryer didn’t work
• WiFi didn’t work
• No conditioner
• Shower gel almost empty
• Tiny ironing board
• Badly frayed/damaged curtains (photos attached)
Dinner was also disappointing. Starters were acceptable, but the children’s crudités were literally a few cucumber sticks and partly cooked carrots. The mash with our main meal resembled instant Smash, and the “garden salad” was just lettuce leaves in a bowl. We had to ask multiple times for children’s sauces/condiments, which eventually arrived after one child had already finished eating.
I didn’t take photos of the food as we had waited so long, the children were hungry, and at that point I wasn’t planning on writing a review — I was just trying to enjoy the evening. However, after returning to the room and finding further issues, I felt the overall experience needed sharing.
We asked to speak to a manager at dinner but were told he was unavailable due to a first aid situation. We were offered complimentary desserts, which to be fair were the highlight of the meal.
The night then got worse. From around 10pm–11:30pm there was a repeated noise like someone playing marbles above us every few minutes, followed by banging from 11:30pm onwards. With no phone in the room, no mobile signal and WiFi not working, we couldn’t easily contact reception and ended up turning the TV up to drown it out.
Breakfast itself was ok, but again the service was poor — no greeting or explanation, simply told to go and sit down.
Overall this did not feel remotely like a 4 star experience. I understand things can go wrong, but the lack of ownership, poor communication, tired room condition and lack of attention to detail were the biggest disappointments.
Unfortunately, “Fawlty Towers” came to mind more than a luxury hotel stay.
Would not recommend and would not return. Paying premium prices for what felt like a tired 2–3 star experience.
