Brandon Hall Hotel and Spa — Hotel in Rugby

You know how when you stay at most UK hotels it’s a pretty basic experience? Well Im in the 3rd week of 3 consecutive weeks at Mercure Brandon Hall Hotel for a course and I’m beyond words... in a VERY positive way. It’s best for to take things area by area because there’s so much to say!

Reception: The lovely team on reception was experienced and very capable of handling even the weirdest of my requests or queries. I gotta give 5 stars just for this! Chrissii, Toni, Debbie and Kim, you are all wonderful!

Restaurant (dinner): There’s nothing I wouldn’t recommend (yes I tried virtually everything). The confit duck leg with butternut squash and chorizo risotto was beyond far my favourite! I almost don’t want to go home! The sea bass main, fish and chips, steaks, steak burger, penne pasta with broncacini mozzarella was mouthwatering and I ate every chicken dish they offered!

Restaurant (desserts): all I can say is a big fat OMG I failed to take photos of most because I ate them as soon as they arrived at the table! Chocolate tart, ice creams, mojito sorbet and the cheesecakes! One spell had a special of sticky toffee pudding which I devoured in minutes (as did my course-mate) and I highly recommend ordering done if you get the opportunity!

Restaurant (breakfast): Holy moley I was super excited by the breakfast in week 1, but there were changes made in weeks 2 and 3 that took exciting to utterly phenomenal in my opinion! Belgian waffles, American style pancakes (with maple syrup!), fried potatoes, eggs as you wish, porridge to order that even France would ask the recipe for! The fresh breads and pastries made me think I was in a patisserie in Europe! Fresh cheeses and meats, cereals, freshly poached fruit (in house), loads of options I’m seriously considering a dietician after eating so beautifully for 3 whole weeks! You’d have thought I was on a cruise ship!

Bar: Asst Bar Mgr Martin and his colleagues really made me feel welcome and kept me company when they could. They go the extra mile to ensure you get the little extras? Including “Bob” the robin (bird) who pops in from time to time!

Spa: Take a few minutes (or hours) to enjoy the warm water pool, spa, steam room and sauna! So few hotels in the UK offer such extras (included) but seriously you need to take advantage! Towels were included, the pool was so warm I could do my hydrotherapy daily and there’s a gym upstairs if your the athletic type!

Room: my room was a giant king sized bed, big bathroom with shower over the bath and giant wall mounted tele, kettle, desk, wardrobe, etc. The gorgeous brocade curtains really set the hotel apart from those plastic cookie cutter ones. I felt like I was in a boutique hotel and amidst proper British culture as opposed to tourists in static accommodation. The water was never-ending hot and very powerful in terms of pressure - I’ve very much enjoyed baths here! My daily housekeeper kept me well stocked with Lotus biscuits and Twinnings Tea. I was never shy of pillows or towels either. The bed was super comfortable and it was nice they had a portable fan in my room in case I got warm, which at one point I did - I love that they prepared for such possibilities.

Overall I’m actually looking forward to the follow up event for my pain course so I can...

Awful... worst Sunday lunch in years. We went here for our parents 46th wedding anniversary and wish we hadn't. It was one of the worst experiences we have ever had in a restaurant/hotel and would NEVER return. On arrival, it was actually another guest who informed us that the dining room was closed for refurbishment and we should head to the pool area. Would have been nice to be told this when we booked - or even a sign up to inform people where to go. On arriving no-one welcomed us and we walked into the temporary dining area. A waiter then asked us if we wanted a drink, pointed to them back by the door and said we could help ourselves. All the staff, whilst friendly, were clearly not interested in serving anyone. They spent as much time as possible all huddled behind a partition wall chatting and using their phones. We had to get up and ask to order the food. As this is a help-yourself buffet style Sunday lunch, the starters and puddings are sitting out on a table, unprotected, in a warm room with flies. The plates were dirty and cold. There were no side plates for bread. As we stood there discarding 6 plates one after the other , the chef and one member of staff just watched. The carvery was very disappointing. The lamb was tough and grisly; the beef was ok; and the chicken was just chicken portions pieces swimming in a bowl of fat. Unsurprisingly those that opted for chicken due to dietary reasons left all of it. The roast potatoes were soggy and greasy, the carrots and broccoli were dried out to the point where the youngest in our group didn't recognise the carrots as carrots! The leak gratin was good. Again we had to get up and ask for drinks as ALL of the staff were in hiding round the corner. When they did bring the drinks, instead of clearing an already cluttered table, they just pushed our empty glasses and bottles around the table so they had room to place the fresh ones down. We had 3 rounds of drinks and not once did someone clear the table. The salt and pepper mills were empty - unsurprisingly no-one around to ask, so we had to get up, find someone and ask for some more. No-one offered any condiments. Desserts were poor too - style over substance springs to mind - looked good, but didn't taste particularly nice. For my Dad to leave the individual chocolate cake - then it must be bad! The hot desserts were left on a table with no warming plates or lamps to go cold. Cold custard and crumble anyone? The rest of the desserts were also left on the table, uncovered. We had to go and find someone to ask for some of the plates to be replenished, although it wasn't worth the effort when they were. Asked for the bill 3 times. Also spoke to the manager, who was not overseeing the restaurant or taking any notice what the staff were doing (or not doing). He was too busy moving tables around in the next room and outside. Told him about our experience and he simply said sorry. I suppose that's something. Far better places to go for Sunday lunch in the area. Don't...

Where do I start... This hotel is described as a 4. Having worked extensively in 5 hotels, you would have expected the level of literally everything to be only slightly below a 5.. however, it's clear they are 4 from purely a "check the box for services offered" standpoint. When we arrived, outside the main entrance were about 15beer kegs stacked up in front.. which then drew your attention to the old, dirty, and badly in need of painting rendering and trim around the whole of the front. The Reception area is basic, with a very casual, not especially welcoming or inviting receptionist. We were simply asked for our surname and then ask if we wanted dinner (which was included in our package) we stated we would like it for 7, but was told only 715 was available. We agreed, were handed our room key, and told basic directions on where to go and that was it. There was no info about opening hours of restaurant, bar or activities, no information about the grounds, the hotel, or any offers. We got to our room which is obviously in a "newer" part of the estate, and it was nothing more than what you would find in a premiere inn. The Furniture was very basic, the bathroom had mould and peeling paint on the ceiling in the shower, and mould and mildew on all of the grouting along the bottom of the shower..On the bottom tiles behind the sink was the same. The room had dust and cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. The heater/ac was barely working as well. My wife and I decided to go to the spa...the pool was nicely heated with an adequate size. They had a poolside steam room and sauna. The steam room had plastic panels all over it, one of which was broken with a hand sized piece missing, and very sharp edging. The sauna floor drain was blocked and clearly only the middle of the floor gets moped as it was brown all around the edges. Sadly, looking forward to dinner was a big let down as well... We arrived on time and the gentleman who was at the door, told us to wait, while he did something with bills and a tablet. We were standing there waiting for a few minutes until he then asked for our room number. He told us to sit wherever we wanted and then gave us the "menu". It was a clearly used piece of A4 paper, with about 6 starter options, 5mains, and about 4 dessert options. My wife ordered salmon tangine?? It was horrible and clearly out of a can, I had grilled goats cheese, which was ok. I had the burger and my wife had the steak. Neither of which was great. With iceberg lettuce used on my burger, and my wife's garlic stuffed tomato was literally a whole tomato with a clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary in the top and grilled... Not impressive at all. Breakfast wasn't special, standard English breakfast, buffet style. The gym was large but dated, with some key equipment pieces missing. the staff weren't friendly, or overly polite, no one said hi or welcomed us when walking past, and the list goes on..... Overall, a 4* hotel with 2* food, cleanliness, decor, and service. Not happy, and will...