The George & Dragon — Restaurant in Derbyshire Dales

What an experience that was......

I stayed at the George and dragon hotel for 1 night after a full day of being in centre of Ashbourne as the reviews seemed very good I just wanted a shower, a pint and some food after all day being in Ashbourne town.

The rooms were just what I expected clean and just had the basics not very modern just ideal due to location and what I wanted just to get my head down.

I went down to the bar after a shower and the had a Guinness, it was excellent, let me also point out all staff were welcoming and friendly from arrival to checking out.

After a pint I decided to eat, so order a pie veg and mash ,1 hour later I still had not received any food, so i spoke to staff behind the bar and they said there must of been an error so will get right on to it for me as being a hotel guest it wasn't a problem. Harley behind the bar made up for it and ordered me a free Guinness within 5 minutes of the reorder the food came out, which I felt was fast for a pie, but it wasn't a pie, it was a chilli which I never ordered ,so Harley went back and again reordered my food. 20 minute’s later the food arrived, it looked good ,homemade veg and mash and at first i thought the pie was good but when I cut into the middle it was luke warm ,so when Harley came over to ask how my food was I told him not hot ,so he refunded me my money back for the meal ,he was a good lad well mannered but what put my off was the swearing and raised voices coming from the kitchen, moaning about i think potentially staying over due to the kitchen shutting late due to I take it my food not arriving.

They even had to put music on to cover up the raised voices which everyone in the pub area could hear. It was a shame really, as I need to travel to Ashbourne every 6 weeks and due to location and food reviews thought this was the one..

One other thing.....I could not pick up the free wifi in my room but could in the bar, also the bed side light bulb holder was broken and just kept flashing on and off,also the towel rail was nearly hanging off the wall all the raw plugs were showing.

I honesty think I was just unlucky but unfortunately I shall not be returning, Staff were great welcoming and friendly, but the swearing and shouting from within the kitchen area from a customers point of view was...

Review of The George and Dragon, Ashbourne

I recently stayed at The George and Dragon in Ashbourne from June 13th to June 15th, and unfortunately, my experience was quite disappointing.

Room Condition and Cleanliness: The condition of Room 2 left much to be desired. The decor was outdated and in need of significant improvement. The walls were covered in numerous dirty stains and marks, which was quite off-putting. While the bedding, toilet, sink, and shower were clean, the overall cleanliness of the room was unacceptable. There were cobwebs in the corners, dirty marks around the light switch, and the inside of the door was covered in greasy dirt. I initially thought the door had an ingrained stain, but it turned out to be a layer of filth that could be wiped off with water, as shown in a video I recorded.

Service: I was unable to find any staff on the day of my checkout, which meant I had to leave my keys at the bar and couldn't address my concerns in person. After emailing the management about the issues, I received a response acknowledging the problems but basically saying that as they were cheaper than anywhere else what did I expect. Then offering only a 50% discount on a future food bill as compensation. This gesture did not adequately address the discomfort and inconvenience I experienced during my stay.

Value for Money: While the hotel does price itself lower than some other options in the area, such as Travelodge, this does not excuse the lack of basic cleanliness. Even budget accommodations should meet a minimum standard of hygiene.

Overall Experience: I had stayed at The George and Dragon two years ago and had a positive experience, which made this recent stay even more disappointing. The level of cleanliness was far below what I would expect from any hotel, regardless of its price point. Given the state of the room and the inadequate response from management, I cannot recommend staying here until significant improvements are made.

In summary, my stay at The George and Dragon was marred by poor cleanliness and inadequate customer service. Until the management addresses these issues, I would advise looking elsewhere for accommodation...

We stayed at the George and Dragon between Christmas and New Year 2023. Two couples in two double rooms.||I would first of all like to comment on the pub downstairs. We could not fault it (maybe the early closing time in the evening). The staff were very friendly and the pub had a welcoming feeling. There were lots of beers, wines and spirits to choose from. On our first nights stay we ate in the pub and the food was fabulous - fresh, hot and tasty. Between us we chose the fish and chips, curry and the chilli and I have got to say there were no complaints. Complements to the Chef!||The accommodation however was a different story. We booked through Booking.com with payment on arrival. I paid our £150 by card for our room and my sister was charged only £130 (for the double room next to ours). When I asked why theirs was cheaper I was told that £130 was the cash price. Had I have know this I would obviously had paid cash. The rooms were quite small and cramped, none of the furniture matched and the carpet and walls were to say the least, grubby with damp marks on the wallpaper. There was a mirror on the wall but it was behind the TV. The bathroom, although you could tell had been cleaned, was very old and dated with a dirty looking lino and black mould marks in the shower cubicle. ||Another couple of things about the room were the lack of a hairdryer, although on the website it says each room has a hairdryer I had to go (with wet hair) looking for someone to ask. The cleaner did find one for me for which I was grateful. Also the signal on the TV was a problem and we were unable to watch it without it breaking up/buffering. In my sisters room the headboard fell off as she got into bed and she slipped on the toilet seat as it was loose.||I suppose it depends on your standards but we will not be returning, the whole accommodation side needs a complete refurbishment to bring it up to spec.||It was such a shame that we found all these issues as the George and Dragon is a great place to explore Ashbourne and the...