Cowley Manor Experimental — Hotel in Cotswold District

I had been a loyal member of Cowley Manor since 2014, cherishing the time spent here with my daughter. Initially owned by the Curious Hotel chain (which was fabulous), it was taken over by Experimental Group last year, and the decline since then has been pretty fast.

The new management has made impractical choices with furnishings, including fabric seats in the changing rooms that have become stained, filthy, and wet—an unhygienic disaster. The sun loungers, which need to be covered every time it rains with what we refer to as 'body bags', spoil the poolside's idyllic view. These wooden sun loungers and fabric cushions are not suited for British weather and have quickly become grubby. Furthermore, we’ve witnessed them collapse under people—three times in the last month—a massive health and safety hazard.

The standards have plummeted. Last Sunday, I found faeces in the pool filter/grill, a situation that the hotel accused me of fabricating despite witnesses confirming my account. Other member onlookers and hotel guests were disgusted. One guest said, "I've had my head under that water" and started retching—it could be smelled and if I could track down the hotel guests to confirm this, I would. I found four separate pieces of faeces, which visibly frustrated the staff member I reported it to—she picked some up with a flannel and then tried to brush it away. This incident was not handled according to Health and Safety guidelines. When I reported it, I asked the staff member if I should get out of the pool immediately, and she said, "It should be fine to carry on swimming" and shrugged. In the end, she got frustrated and called the assistant spa manager, who came to assess the situation and then instantly closed the pool. This contamination had been there since the morning swim.

The assistant spa manager witnessed this situation, and CCTV would prove this. However, the reply from the owner stated: "I can confirm no faeces were found in the pool. I am not quite sure where you got this information from, but this is not accurate." I would not lie about something so serious, and this is not a professional reply to a complaint.

I provided suggestions to improve the spa, such as forming a members' committee, establishing a cleaning rota, regularly training staff on health and safety, and providing a feedback form at reception. Unfortunately, these suggestions were ignored, and I was advised not to renew my membership. Part of the owner's reply stated: "Without going into too many details, I get the feeling that we are not the right facility for you... I believe the best course of action would be not to renew your membership with us."

Other members have also raised hygiene issues, leading to early pool closures for cleaning. However, many areas still have years of grime buildup. Recently, a guest in the sauna expressed disappointment, saying, "Cowley has lost its soul." The issues extend beyond the spa. The decking is slippery and hazardous. A broken windowpane in the spa took eight months to replace. Guests have likened the place to "Faulty Towers"—citing poor room details, peeling paint, and hooks falling off walls. Instead of addressing these issues, management has retaliated against me.

It's heartbreaking to see the hotel's decline. Urgent improvements are needed to restore its former quality. My intention in sharing this feedback with them was to help the Experimental team identify areas for improvement and contribute positively to Cowley Manor's reputation.

It is disheartening to feel that speaking up results in being dismissed. Their suggestion that I should not renew my membership demonstrates a lack of empathy for long-standing, fee-paying members. With an annual fee of nearly £2,000, high standards and at least a two-way conversation should be expected. Initially, I was invited to meet with management, but communication abruptly ended after I shared a video highlighting issues—perhaps too truthful for...

My partner booked a romantic escape for us at Cowley Manor. He now wishes he had read Tripadvisor and seen the poor 3.7 rating before he had done so. That poor rating is there for a reason. Both of us were so disappointed by hotel which is not only lacklustre in its appearance, but also in its service (a lot of the staff appear untrained), atmosphere and attention to detail with regards to cleanliness and maintenance. It was shockingly overpriced for what was on offer and looked like it had been done up and run on the cheap. How can this hotel even be considered 5*? The only good things about this hotel were the bar drinks/service and the food. Apart from that it is in need of serious improvements in terms of front of house, housekeeping service, cleanliness, and maintenance - they need the hotel inspector urgently. Dirty windows, cobwebs, smelly bathroom, dirty carpets, light bulbs everywhere that need to be changed, swimming pools not working whilst we were there, surly checkout staff who just wanted payment and could not even be bothered to ask whether we had enjoyed our stay or ask us how everything had been. And not a manager in sight. ||Our experience on arrival: we couldn't figure out the main entrance - it was far from grand - just grubby and the windows on the main entrance door were dirty. Nobody on the front door, just a couple of very casually dressed people behind a quirky reception area in a very uninviting and cold lobby/reception area. No help with suitcases although I was offered help to go up the stairs when we were shown to our room in the dingy stables which (at the price point paid) was grim. ||The room: Dingy and dark and windows half covered. The furnishing and decoration in the room (and hotel generally) might appeal to some but we thought it was cold and clinical and looked like it had been done up cheaply and quickly. There was no soundproofing so we could hear someone in the room above us walking around and it was so loud it sounded like they were in our room. We were about to leave and go to another hotel but the reception staff found us another room in the main building overlooking the car park. ||The room change: The second room was definitely an improvement although it looked over the car park and the bathroom had a mouldy smell. Hardly any plug points in normal places like by the coffee machine and kettle so we had to boil the kettle on the floor by the fireplace. Service was slow - we asked for and ironing board and iron and service was super slow so we had to ring again. ||Food and beverages: The positive side of this hotel is the food and drinks. The bar staff were attentive and the cocktails were good. The restaurant at dinner was busy, service was slow (and they still land you with a hefty service charge) but the food was good and wine menu was excellent. The restaurant at breakfast was also very busy. There was a young man who served us and he was great and efficient. The tea and coffee are in urns - strange way to do it and unpleasant because the tea tasted stewed and disgusting. The food was, however, good.||The spa: We used the spa and unfortunately the swimming pools (outdoor and indoor) were closed. This was one of the main reasons we went to this hotel so we were very disappointed and the staff were totally indifferent and didn't update us as to when it was opening. The sauna and steam room were really average and basic. Changing rooms looked tired and need updating. The fruit in the bowl at reception was mouldy and looked like it had been sitting there for weeks.||Overall, we would not return to Cowley Manor. The price point is too high for such a mediocre and overall disappointing experience and the hotel has little atmosphere. We have noted the bland AI responses to any feedback of the hotel. Instead of this, why not try proactively reacting to any feedback from guests, contacting them directly and addressing the issues personally...

I have been provided with Stewarts email after phoning to complain and have yet to receive an answer to the email I sent on the 6th. Please see the email below

Good afternoon Stewart,

Unfortunately, I am writing to complain about the service we have received at your hotel and spa.

I have tried to complain previously but after waiting to finally get through on the phone, I’ve been advised I need to call another number and that I need to speak to two different managers. I will need to call back on the day that the Spa manager is in, then to call a different day when the other manager is in. What a shambles! After advising the chap on the phone this is pathetic he decided upon giving me your email.

On Mothers Day I brought my Mum to C-Side Spa for a spa day and afternoon tea. Upon arrival we were not even acknowledged by the three staff who were behind the counter and waited for someone to greet us. We were asked to sit in the lobby, we were not offered refreshments,; instead given some paperwork and told that someone would be with us. After a further 15 minutes of waiting I went to the desk and asked if we could carry on into the spa and we were handed some towels and headed into the spa. The spa is in much need of attention, with one of 2 showers not working, the outside pool dirty and again we asked for coffee, tea and water and after reminding staff we inevitably had to cancel the order. I may add that a relaxing sauna and steam is less relaxing without any hydration!

The massage itself was lovely, however, the room we were led to afterwards is something I would expect from a holiday inn. The door tassels are broken and torn, instead of any mood lighting there is simply no lights and the relaxing sound of gym equipment being thrown is as much ambiance as one is likely to get! I went to the front desk to pay and again was left waiting, this time while the girl on the desk was laughing and joking on the phone to her colleague at the hotel, eventually I had to interrupt to get her attention! I paid for both massages and spa access for two and asked if we could have our afternoon tea at the hotel at 3pm which she confirmed.

At 2:45pm we headed up to the hotel where we were greeted by two men. I advised that we were here for afternoon tea, to which the man responded ‘are you Miss King? Yes we have you booked in at 3:45pm’, I advised him it was 3pm. I was shocked that he replied ‘Well you are still early for a 3pm booking so would you like to walk the grounds’, I explained that we would not like a stroll in the rain and please can we make our way through to the table. Inside, there was not one other person present, not one table seated! I could not believe the rudeness that had just taken place for an empty lounge and on Mothers Day!

Overall, the staff are clearly under trained and rude with little to no customer service. The day was more expensive than all your competitors and I was looking forward to spoiling my Mum giving her the best Cheltenham had to offer. Instead I left apologising to her. To say the day was a disappointment is an understatement.

I look forward to your...