Holbrook Manor & Spa

Oh dear. This was a second visit to the Holbrook and we were put in a 'garden room' which looked more like a barracks from the outside - no view at all except of gravel and an abandoned huge outbuilding that looked a bit like a nuclear bunker, and the outside of the building was really dirty with mud and cobwebs. Inside was 'tired' - the bed was comfortable, the heating worked and there was some decent furniture but the bath and fittings were chipped, the bath tap dripped all day and night, and the carpet was a health hazard. We had to pick our way past some even worse-looking rooms to get to the club / reception area. Unfortunately the staff - for the most part - were really unprofessional and uncaring. I met one woman who tried to make our stay more pleasant and who apologised for some of the issues, but she was the exception. On arrival (dead on check-in time) I had to queue for 20 minutes and when I got to the front of the lengthy queue the receptionist had disappeared on me. When she returned (with no apology for keeping us all waiting) she said my room wasn't ready and I'd have to wait another 20 or 30 minutes. Again, no apology or explanation. A passing member of staff did apologise, showed me where the toilet was and offered me a cup of coffee while I waited, as well as showing me where to go for the coffee which the receptionist hadn't done. We'd phoned to check that we could have a cooked breakfast as part of our booking because the website wasn't clear, and the person on the phone had assured us that yes we could, but in the morning we were offered a sausage or bacon sandwich. We pressed for a cooked breakfast but it was pretty basic and there were no sauces, there was no butter for the toast, etc etc. The changing rooms (female) were excessively tired, and there was not one locker key available. Again, no hint of apology for this - just a kind of 'that's how it is' approach from reception. So I put my stuff in a shonky locker with no key. The pool and surrounding area are tired, and a lick of paint is needed. There were no cups by the water dispenser. We weren't offered a gown to wear. The sauna was rammed full, possibly because the steam room wasn't working at all. It looked pretty unhygienic in there anyway, tbh. With everything going via the 'club' building's reception desk and cafe, there was no call to take in the lovely Manor House - so we were left with the crappy room and the crappy pool and changing rooms. And nowhere to have dinner, for miles around. There was a list of places to get takeaway - but no crockery or cutlery or wineglasses in the room. When I checked out I was told to pay up, and I had to explain that the money had already left my bank account - again, no apology from the guy on reception, just a smile and a shrug. The absolute basics of good hospitality are missing here at the moment.

I cant believe how badly this hotel is actually being run staff constantly being replaced with non English and it’s filthy changing rooms look even worse than before may aswell close the hole hotel Unhappy staff then you have the actual cheek to advertise for jobs that other staff are employed to do and doing an amazing job no members mean no staff New reception manager get rid very rude and abrupt bring back the old staff that where helpful kind polite And phones should be for emergencies and not for making personal calls like the staff on reception see no one ever responds either General manager is hopeless aswell sits behind the walls more English staff that actually no the meaning of hygiene bring back beth and promote katie And give staff better hours and better support

Absolute shambles,food was awful,cold,incomplete meals,no veg or potato’s to go with meals.Dirty full plates of food left in the bar area.All guests including other tables complained and left early. No Christmas tree or music,depressing atmosphere Would never recommend here,better food at Wetherspoons. I hope you refund all guests,not one was happy!Place empty by 340pm as everyone had had enough.why take bookings if you can’t provide what you offered!

Stayed here last week for a 1 night break and added a spa treatment. From the minute we arrived it was not great but we worked with it and make the most of what we'd paid (which wasn't cheap). We hardly slept, there was noise until early hours from the party downstairs and then the people having disputes, someone being sick and other banging. We complained in the morning and the young lad and housekeeper tried to help but nothing from the manager or replies to my several emails since. Very poorly run, nobody had a clue what was going on or how the hotel was run. We had to fathom out the spa and entrance as well as where we needed to wait which was all in separate parts. Definitely would not recommend or stay here again

Shocking lack of leadership here and a healthy and safety nightmare. Much of the same as other recent reviews. We were staying one night as part of our staff Christmas party. Food and dining was ok, staff clearly lacking in training and not anywhere near enough staff the whole time.uneven floor in dining room caused a terrible trip and fall for a colleague who ended up in A&E with a cut mouth injury. We asked for some kind of tape to flag up the trip hazard and we were stunned to watch a staff member er lay cling wrap over the offending Hazard! Staff had to phone for advice on how to manage the accident forms during the evening. Clearly no senior staff around. Shocking health and safety issues throughout. Bare wires falling out of holes in the ceiling, uneven floors, a massive pile of old mattresses and furniture items at the bottom of one of the staircases which was section off by a screen as if it wasn’t there! Huge fire hazard. Many guests asking for management and told there were none. The three staff in that evening worked very hard and tried their best but lack of leadership is very apparent and this made them look inadequate which was embarrassing for them. This hotel used to be lovely but has gone down hill badly. Needs a complete overhaul of decoration and staffing.

I’d seen from other reviews before I went that the hotel was a little run down, so the torn shower curtain, rusty taps and sandpaper bath in our room wasn’t a surprise. We were surprised to find the kitchenette didn’t have any cutlery or plates or anything which seemed a little strange- in fact all of the drawers and cupboard were empty except for a hair dryer, but the plugs were no where near the mirrors. The actual hotel and spa was okay.. The cafe wasn’t always open when it should be and when it was open the staff had often wandered off. The changing rooms were also in need of major renovations, but simple things like costume bags and conditioner were empty. The spa wasn’t worth the money unfortunately. Although the treatment was fairly relaxing, the rooms weren’t soundproof at all and everything felt rushed and abrupt. Overall it was a desperately needed break that I’m glad we were able to get at a discounted price as that eased the disappointments of the facilities. I wouldn’t go back, and I wouldn’t recommend. I definitely wouldn’t pay full price.