The Swan Hotel

The room was warm, though too warm, and I couldn’t adjust it except by opening the window. That was at street level on a very busy road, with nothing between the path and the window. The bed was uncomfortable, with a budget duvet and pillows. For the four days I was there, the only attention the room got was having the bin emptied. It wasn’t cleaned or restocked. I don’t know when it had last been properly cleaned, but spiders had built a whole town in there. There were damp marks in the bathroom and along the outside wall. Traffic noise was constant, and the rooms have no soundproofing, so you could hear people using the bathroom or even walking across their rooms in detail. The lamp had faulty wiring and only worked if held a certain way, but they replaced it after I asked. The attached pub’s food is poor quality and overpriced. Some staff were lovely but didn’t know much about the hotel, while others could do the job but lacked customer service skills. Between them, I’m sure they could make a team. It served its purpose, but if I’d been paying myself I’d have moved on the first night. The Hilton was only £4 a night more.

We used to come here often, but it’s gone downhill since it became part of the Marstons chain. My roast was about 6.5/10: the beef was a little chewy, the roast potatoes weren’t great, and there wasn’t much veg. My partner rated his burger 8/10. The young waitress was very nice, but after she seemed to finish serving us, we were left at the table with no offer of more drinks from anyone else, who we think was the manager. The woman who took payment was abrupt and rude, and seemed annoyed that we used a voucher they’d sent us. It’s a shame, but we won’t be hurrying back.

Abi was a huge help from my first email, making it easy to arrange a pre-order for our large lunch party at the Swan. On the day, the food came promptly, piping hot and to a high standard. Abi even came down to us so we could pay separately. I’m sorry we didn’t leave a tip, we’re so used to service being added that I only realised once I got home. I’d recommend the Swan 100%.

There was plenty of parking and the place was easy to find. The room was spacious, great value, and had a comfortable bed, which I usually struggle to find. My only suggestion for the twin rooms would be to add a second chair. One feels odd when there’s enough space for another, especially if you want to eat at the desk or table. The booking confirmations all said checkout was 11am, but on arrival we saw 10am on the sign and in the room. That was a letdown after a late night, since we’d been hoping for that extra hour in bed on Sunday. We’d still love to stay again when we get the chance.