Comfortable room, but the dining experience was very disappointing

My wife and I stayed at Widbrook Grange as part of an Off Peak Luxury package. The room was comfortable, the bed was excellent, and breakfast the following morning was enjoyable and filling.

Unfortunately, the evening meal was a major disappointment and ultimately overshadowed the stay.

Our package included a 35 per person dinner allowance, which initially sounded generous. However, most meat main courses were priced between 26 and 30, with a 12.5% service charge added on top. In reality, the allowance barely covered a main course once service was taken into account.

I ordered the roast pork loin ( 26), while my wife had the market fish ( 28). Both dishes were attractively presented but surprisingly small. The pork consisted of two small pieces of pork, two small dumplings and a cabbage roll spread across a large plate, while my wife's fish dish was essentially a single piece of fish served in a small amount of broth. More disappointing than the portion sizes was the fact that neither dish was particularly memorable in terms of flavour.

As we were both still hungry after our mains, we ordered the cheese board for two ( 20), expecting it would round off the meal. Unfortunately, this was also much smaller than we anticipated and did little to solve the problem.

With two pints of beer and the cheese board, our final bill came to 99, meaning we paid an additional 29 on top of the 70 allowance. What was frustrating was that this extra spend wasn't the result of ordering expensive extras, but simply an attempt to leave dinner feeling reasonably fed.

The end result was that I went to bed hungry after a dinner that cost close to 100 for two people. For a hotel marketed as a luxury country retreat, that was not the experience we expected.

Also the service was mixed. The waiter at breakfast was very friendly despite it being understaffed. However the barman in the evening clearly didn't want to be there and the waiter at dinner was indifferent.

The water in the bathroom went off for several minutes around 8am and again for 30 seconds while I was showering at 9:30.

Overall, the room and breakfast were good, but the restaurant represented poor value for money and left us disappointed.

Happy hotel

Widbrook Grange is a lovely place to stay - comfortable and welcoming, helpful staff and well tended gardens. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would go again.

Delightful stay

2nd time of staying at this lovely place; this time accessed our room (12A) by a stairway, before stayed in the stable block room(16) in single beds which was much preferred and no stairway to navigate. Bed was small (4 6 ) double and extra rails in bath area are required. However, an enjoyable stay and spent time in the gardens due to such warm weather. Food allowance ( 30 ea) barely covers price of main course dinner meal. Good breakfast. Hope to return.

Excellent get away

Very welcoming and attentive reception
Good friendly service in restaurant
Very comfortable room
Relaxing and well kept grounds

A Charming place to stay

We thoroughly enjoyed our few days at Widbrook Grange. Our cottage in the gardens was quiet and adequate. The grounds were well kept + attractive.
The position is great for exploring the area.
Staff were welcoming + efficient. Breakfasts were excellent, but evening meals were not so good. A few basic , well cooked choices on the menu would have been preferable to the rather pretentious meals which didn t come up to expectations.

Some great but bits awful

The grounds of the hotel are ok but with more maintenance they could be lovely. The hotel itself is ok. It lacks a lot of tlc though. Areas could do with a lick of paint and generally it could be described as a bit run down in some aspects. Again with more maintenance it could be a great destination. The quality of the food for our evening meals was great. Decent price and good value. However the service was very poor. There was a Fawty Towers moment in the kitchen with a lot of shouting going on. On our 2nd night the service was appalling. We were in the restaurant 2 hours and I gave up with my cheeseboard request in the end. My breakfast was served luke warm on the first morning. In defence of the serving staff they worked hard and on a boiling hot bank holiday they were serving in the restaurant, conservatory and the patio area, so they were very stretched. We got the impression that the management of the restaurant left a lot to be desired.

A Great stay

We enjoyed a perfect getaway for two at this delightful and well located hotel. The swimming pool and the grounds were an extra that made it a good value break for us. Happy to recommend Widbrooke Grange to our friends

Widbrook Grange Hotel

Amazing hotel. Very quirky decor - loved it. For example - a bedside lamp made from a hand drill. All in excellent condition. We enjoyed the Gin bar! Dinner and breakfast were excellent too. Would love to return