Terrible. I can't comment on the actual pub as I was staying overnight, but any pub that has shut the bar by 10 on a Thursday can't be that good.
Booked through late rooms for a business trip in Wilmslow. A breakdown of my experience:
I arrived around 8PM having been taken to dinner by my clients
Check-in: Terrible. The bar staff had no idea who I was, or about my booking. All they could find was my name in a book. No details about whether I had pre-paid or not. The Web-site upon booking had said it was a Pay Now rate, but did not in the confirmation e-mail. Still keeping a close eye on my credit card charges to see if I'm double charged. I asked what time breakfast is served to be told I had to have pre-booked breakfast. Luckily I had my e-mail open to prove it. The whole time through the check in process the staff member was muttering about someone not doing their job properly. Not my problem! As he was the only member of staff on he was trying to check me in, server food from the kitchen and answer phones at the same time. After paying I asked for a VAT receipt, to be told they don't issue them. Hoping work will take my booking confirmation and credit card as proof for my expenses! I was hurredly showed to the room where I was told in the morning I'd have to exit by the back fire exit as the door to the bar will be locked.
The room: Well in need of a refurb. The bed was hard, the linens were old and threadbare. The communal Iron had something burned onto it that I was afraid would melt onto my shirts. How it happened I don;t know as the Iron barely worked. There was some sort of damp/decay problem in the bathroom which meant there was grout powder and paint flakes all over the end of the bath. I doubt the amount there was just after a day, more likely a couple of weeks but the rest of the room seemed clean enough.
Not long after getting to the room I heard a knock on the door. A lady was there with my "continental breakfast". Two croissants (they already felt a little stale) a juice box and a yogurt bar.
After settling in, and calling my wife went to have a drink at the bar and get the wifi password. The bar was closed. It was barely passed 10. Resigned to a sober night returned to my room, tried in vain to use my iphone as a hotspot for e-mails
In the morning: The Shower head was broken and kept sliding down the bar. There was a little bottle of shower gel that had already been opened on it's side in the soap dish. It had spilled and dried up so much it was almost glued on. There was also an open large bottle of Waitrose body wash. The "Coffee and Tea making facitilies" in the room were a joke. It took me some time to find the coffee (no tea) as the dish the sachets were in was on top of the wardrobe. The Kettle only worked if you kept the button pressed down by hand, and had it sitting on the base just right. There was no milk, and a little exposed bowl of sugar with bits of dirt in it. The sugar looked weird, so I did test a little of it after scooping the top off, only to find it was salt. The coffee from the sachet I used first was small black and hard. It was a brand I'd never seen so tried pouring water on it. It wouldn't dissolve, and stuck to the spoon like a black syrup.
Check-out: I couldn't wait to get out. I now had the dilema of what to do with the key. Looking around the room there was no hotel information (although there were 3 bibles in the draw). I decided to leave the key in the room. Upon leaving I saw some pamphlets on a table near the exit, and a notice in clear plastic asking you to leave the key in the room, and that lost keys would incur a £20 charge. Walking out the fire exit at the back you find yourself in an enclosed small yard full of rubbish. The door has no handle to re-enter the pub (guess you need the room key) so I had to open the large gate to the yard to leave. Not the nicest of jobs whilst carrying an overnight bag of essentials...
Read more
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI.
