We booked a £324 overnight stay, including dinner and breakfast, as an early birthday treat. The hotel looked attractive and the room appeared clean, but the experience was deeply disappointing.
We booked a Deluxe Room, having deliberately ruled out the separately advertised Deluxe Accessible Room. On arrival, we were allocated what appeared to be that room, in the separate Coach House. It was stark and lacked the character we expected.
Worse was the handling of our concerns. The duty manager acknowledged that Expedia's description did not make the room's location or accessibility clear. We were promised a response within five minutes but waited over 25. When I returned to reception, I observed staff crouching behind the counter and whispering rather than engaging with me. We received contradictory explanations and no meaningful assistance.
We lost confidence in the hotel, returned the keys and left without staying or dining. Despite giving two hours' notice, even a refund for the unused dinner was refused. The General Manager subsequently defended the decision without addressing our concerns about service.
For transparency, Expedia has since offered credit for the full booking value. The hotel offered nothing.
What should have been a special evening left me feeling genuinely sad and bitter. A little empathy could have made all the difference.