Burkes Hotel Motel

My daughter and I had been regulars here for years because the bistro was so family friendly, and it used to be my local. I need gluten-free food and had never had an issue before. But two or three weeks ago they stopped offering gluten-free chips. I’d eaten here since then and ordered a gluten-free meal with gluten-free sauce that came with chips. Now I understand why I felt so unwell the next day. I ordered a gluten-free meal with chips again tonight and only then found out about the change. The waitress, who had served me tonight and last week, apologised. Still, this lack of care is a risk I can’t take, so things will need to change before I return. Be careful if you have dietary restrictions.

PK brought great energy and gave us excellent service, which made the visit memorable. I had a wonderful time at the bar, with top-notch drinks and a great experience overall.

There was only one other table occupied and they complained too, though this place is normally busy. It’s sad, because this used to be a good pub, but I’m not going back. The whole meal was disappointing. The maple carrots were disgusting, and the chicken keiv was dry and overcooked, with no butter or garlic inside. The rice was still crunchy. The chicken parma was overcooked, oily and dry, as were the lamb cutlets. The mash was a lump of rubber; peas and beans were about the only decent thing on the plate. The drinks weren’t poured to the top, sometimes only reaching about three quarters. Staff were unfriendly and walked past the dining tables talking on the phone with an ear peace in, seemingly not hearing people speak to them. Meals used to be great and the service awesome. Now it’s absolutely horrible. Very disappointing.

The meals were okay and reasonably priced, the only redeeming part of the stay. I’d eaten at these premises about ten years ago, and it feels like nothing has changed or improved since then. The place needs to be demolished and rebuilt, keeping only the facade for its “heritage” to the town. Our first room was nowhere near acceptable, with dirt and dust everywhere, torn carpet and missing skirting boards. We had to change rooms because of a blocked toilet, but the second was just as dirty and worn, again with torn carpet, dust and missing skirting. Both showers had very poor water pressure. There was only about eight inches to walk between the beds and fitted furniture, extension cords were all over because of the room reconfiguration and poor plug locations, and the lighting was poor. The radio in the first room looked like it was from the 1960's, didn’t work, and may have had an electrical problem. Going into the rooms gave me the feeling of “walk in but DO NOT touch anything.” If you stay here, stick to the back motel rooms and NOT the hotel rooms themselves. Seriously, book at your own peril.