Stone Court House Hotel & Weddings — Hotel in Maidstone

I would not recommend this venue for your wedding, and for those who have already booked, get absolutely everything in writing! Saban is a charismatic salesman, but when it came to my wedding, he was incredibly rude and unprofessional—to me, my guests, and the registrars—and went back on several key things he had committed to. The venue also presents significant safety and licensing risks.

Pre-Wedding Issues: Billing, Access, and Rudeness The problems began a week before when I was asked to settle a bill that had been paid in full a month prior, highlighting surprising poor administrative practices and requiring me to explain his own pricing structure. The day before, after briefly leaving for dinner, we returned around 9:45 pm to find the ceremony room locked. When I called Saban, he rudely berated me for leaving without telling him (a policy he never communicated) and refused to provide access or turn on the lights, forcing us to finish setting up in the dark using torches. We were never informed of a cut-off time.

Wedding Day Failures: Safety, Leakage, and Hostility The following morning, we found the gazebo had been leaking heavily, resulting in ruined cupcakes and wet linens. When I tried to check in, the suite, which Saban had promised would be prioritised and ready by 11 am, was not open by 12 pm. When I phoned, he changed his story, demanding payment for early check-in and for two guest rooms before check-in time. When we confronted him, he was rude, spoke over me, and accused us of jumping the gate the night before, holding a visible grudge throughout the weekend. During the ceremony preparations, my husband's children had to find me because Saban was not present to greet the registrars. They apologised for the lack of staff. When Saban eventually arrived, the registrars noted his absence, to which he replied, "Well you should have phoned me then," before walking off. The registrars confirmed they would be lodging a formal complaint, citing his non-compliance with staff presence requirements, which risks him losing his wedding license.

Evening Issues and Unsafe Conditions Throughout the day, two guests fell over on the ramped entrance to the gazebo due to a high, unmarked ledge. One guest badly hurt her ankle and was forced to leave early, confirming this entrance is a dangerous safety hazard. Later, guests were uncomfortably cold. Phone calls to the venue did not connect, and it took nearly an hour for Saban to acknowledge the request for heat (which guests eventually found and turned on themselves). Half the heat lamps by the gazebo entrance were broken, leaving that area cold for the rest of the day. That evening, the sofa bed we had paid for in the suite was not set up, forcing us to do it ourselves. Saban later cut the finish time from the agreed-upon 12 am to 11 pm via text. The following morning, the gazebo was again pouring with water inside, confirming the unacceptable leakage issues.

Conclusion and Warning Saban did agree to move our date forward eight months due to family illness, and the main house and rooms are indeed beautiful. However, Saban's repeated rudeness, hostility, and venue issues caused immense stress and negatively impacted my wedding day. A guest submitted a formal complaint four days ago, which has received no response, compelling me to write this warning. Saban must drastically change his attitude and provide written information and timings to protect future couples. I will not return unless the venue changes hands.

Note review shortened by AI due to character limit. Full review can be...

Where to start with this absolute gem of a property? Firstly, it was surprisingly easy to find using City Mapper - it is pretty much a straight line, 10 mins from Maidstone East station, with a pleasant walk through the high street - you will be able to get acclimated with the area on the walk there. I was provided with an entry code to the front door which takes you into a beautifully adorned sitting room. You are asked to take your shoes off, and the moment you step foot in the place, you will feel glad you honoured that request - the place is beautiful, recently renovated with a number of grand sitting areas, keeping true to the period design of the property. The idea is that you go straight to your room, where you will find your room keys and everything you need for your stay there. I, however, got a little confused and was greeted by the proprietor Saban, who enthusiastically gave me the ‘Grand Tour’ before showing me to my room. The place is incredible, do take the opportunity to have a look around - it is welcomed! It is also far bigger than you would expect from the outside.

My initial room was gorgeous - sizeable double bed, freestanding bath with grand period furniture - however, my eyes were turned by another room, with a four poster bed and Saban generously offered me an upgrade at no expense. The pictures are of that room - they paint the proverbial 1000 words I could write.

Facilities are beyond what you would expect from a property of this type. The rooms are soundproof and you are provided with all the amenities of a high-end hotel - TV, Wifi, bath robes, tea, extra towels etc. - everything you need for a comfortable stay.

The place is as clean as The Dorchester with similar attention to detail in the overall design - what they have accomplished with the renovations is nothing short of startling. The bed was large, the sheets were silky, places to sit and work (if on business).

Saban and Belinda are wonderful hosts and could not have been more welcoming or hospitable - they are clearly proud of what they have built here and all I can really say is that they should be - I was told about the future plans for the place, and I have no doubt that it will be even better when I visit next.

If you want to have a place just outside of the hustle and bustle of London (with the accompanying price tag) but less than an hour away with a quintessential British Market town as your backdrop, this really is the only choice I could recommend.

The room I had, in London, would have been 10x the price for what I got here - and this is no exaggeration, you can read my other reviews - it cannot possibly stay with such unbelievable value, as word gets out and demand increases, so I would get in now while you can and enjoy a place of this quality for the price of a Premier Inn - please don’t let the price fool you, this is an excellent property that would be great value at twice the price.

Finally, I didn’t get to say goodbye to my lovely hosts, but I look forward to seeing them again and hope this honest review makes up for it....

Where to begin? We used Stonecourt as a base for our wedding - Rehersal drinks and getting ready. It was the perfect backdrop to the weekend.

Staff/Service: Saban (owner) is such a wonderful person. He was incredibly helpful over the weekend, flexible and caring. Nothing was too much trouble and he was incredibly understanding with the chaos of planning and doing a wedding. They plan to have this as a wedding venue and I am so excited to see that happen. You will be very well looked after.

Rooms: We had all the rooms for one night and then I had the suite for 3 nights. All the rooms are beautiful, incredibly comfortable and insane sizes. You are absolutely spoilt staying here. There are tea and coffee making facilities in all rooms. Milk is available downstairs too.

The House: There are 3 communal areas plus the outdoor terrace which are all stunning. You have access to crockery, cutlery and glassware in the dining room should you want to hire takeaway etc. There are also some board games and chess boards.

Location: It is on the main road so you have to park around 400ft away. There is absolutely no stopping infront of the venue so something to keep in mind for pick ups/drop offs. It would be helpful if there was a loading bay to the property. The only smallest negative. It is very close to town. And Vesuvius the Italian directly next door is amazing! They catered our rehearsal dinner.

Check In: Is super easy with a pin code access

Things to note: No shoes allowed in the house Towels are provided There are vending machines with snacks and drinks. However I think these are turned off after a certain time.

I can NOT recommend Stonecourt enough. It is a beautiful location, they have done an incredible...