The Masons Arms — Restaurant in East Lindsey

I see that the Mason's Arms in Louth received a glowing report in an article that appeared in lincolnshireworld.com in September 2018. My advice is to take it with a pinch or two of salt. Here's what they need to do in order to make it worth staying in. 1. Warn guests beforehand that if they arrive on one of the numerous market days, they will have to find somewhere to park and then schlep halfway across town, with all their luggage, suitcases and paraphernalia. 2. Get someone who works there to lug the same luggage back to their official car park, at least ten minutes away, and then describe the experience. 3. Uncurate the rooms and design them instead for real people, with form following function, not the other way round, notably: bedside lights that are fit for purpose; a floor or desk lamp; a second chair in double rooms, so that guests don't have to take turns standing up; and beds that don't need a stepladder to get into. Oh! And a few sheets of loo paper in the bathroom would come in handy. 4. And then there's... breakfast, which has - again - been curated and as a result, is very much a curate's egg. Give it the big E, chaps, and take a tip from 95% of the world's hotels: switch to a buffet. Simples. At the same time, ditch the pesto this and florentine that, and make sure you have in stock everything that's on the menu. It would stop the unmistakable  groundswell of moaning and complaining that was the backdrop to both the breakfasts we managed to survive; and it would mean not being stuck there for 90 minutes or more. The staff, meanwhile, struggle through it all very stoically, manfully, not to say doggedly, coping with the whole curating schtick, which should have been chucked out at the design phase as an "interesting idea". Thanks, mate;...

Stayed overnight whilst in Louth. This is now a boutique hotel and very much changed from the traditional style hotel and bar we visited previously over the years. Top quality fittings and finish in this stylish refurbishment. Very 'grown up vibe'. Lovely restaurant, which was very busy on Sat eve, although we dined out. Breakfast was lovely - good selection including vegetarian, beautifully presented. Room decor monochromatic(-ish) with a modern feel. Great sleep in very, (brand new) comfy bed. Suspect just teething problems but we had a faulty seal on the shower screen and water leaked all over the floor after shower. Fluffy bathrobes and slippers a treat. We had Room 1 with twin beds, which had a small balcony overlooking the market place. Complete with capsule coffee maker, kettle, hairdryer, blankets and well stocked mini bar - bottled water no charge. Cocktail bar and a 'funky lounge' on the first floor. 'Library lounge on ground floor. Staff were professional and helpful but nicely unobtrusive. Booking, check in and out all very relaxed and hassle free. Would definitely stay again. Location very central but no parking during market days directly outside the hotel - parking permits will be given for one of the nearby public car parks though. Retail Arcade and lots of independent shops close by, as well as a micto pub in the adjoining...

What a great little hotel. As this is on a pedestrianised street, there is no parking directly at the hotel BUT, a few days ahead of our stay I contacted the hotel to see which car park would be most suitable to park in & preferably, a free one. No problem at all! The hotel got straight back to me to give me the postcode of the nearest one to them & told me if I rang as we were on approach then they would programme our registration number into their parking system & we could park completely free, with no need to put anything on the car windscreen. This we did with ease & although the weather was awful when we arrived, it was literally 2 minutes round the corner to the hotel so we hardly got wet either. On arrival we were checked in swiftly & on entering our room, were very pleased. The room had been booked as a gift so we had no idea what to expect but it was wonderful. Small & compact but very well thoughtout to make the most of the space & everything we could possibly want was there. The bed was wonderful, soft pillows that felt like sleeping on a cloud, comfy mattress & a perfect tog quilt. Breakfast was served between 8:30 & 10:00 so no need to rush up & check out was at a leisurely 11:00. We only stayed the one night as we were on a night out with friends but we felt like we'd had a mini break by the time we left. Absolutely, without doubt, we...