Basingstoke Hotel

My son was very happy, and we slept peacefully. The room was lovely, with nice decor and a great shower. The two beds pushed together were at different heights, but there was also a spare single bed. The panel under the bathroom sink had been removed, which wasn't good with a five-year-old. The pool was adequate, though getting there through the gym and down stairs to the changing rooms was awkward. I was confused about being charged for it when we were hotel members. The gym staff were very pleasant. The bar area looked nice, with good decor and sofas, and reception staff were lovely. The breakfast buffet had a good variety, though our breakfast order was wrong. Staff generally seemed a bit disconnected, but were efficient enough. The food was very disappointing and overpriced. The chips were undercooked, the chicken gujons were cheap nuggets, and the “artisan bread with whipped butter” for £6/7 was cheap oven-baked rolls with packaged butter. The hotel is very run down. It was good value for the room, but I wouldn't choose it for a romantic getaway as a couple.

We enjoyed the wedding, and the staff were helpful and gave good service. The room was okay and the bed was comfortable. I asked for an extra pillow but was told there was no house service. The window seals were broken, so road noise and cold came through, though we could live with that since we only slept in the room. My towel was stained, which I think is unacceptable.

I only had to stay one night for work, thankfully, and would recommend avoiding this place. The room was in very poor condition. There were seven dead, squashed mosquitoes on the walls, the bathroom vent was dusty, and the mastic around the bath was black and moldy. The toilet kept trickling into the bowl, like a little water feature. The heating didn't work; they gave me a heater, but it didn't do much. The bathroom also had a damp wall with flaking paint, partly hidden, I suspect, by an old-looking folding bed left in the way. There wasn't enough floor space for it to be used. The room was dated, and not well maintained. The door didn't shut fully by itself, so you could leave it open without noticing, or end up sleeping with the door open. The curtains barely covered the window, so once the sun was up, you were up. One bedside table didn't work, the TV remote was broken, and the wardrobe door hinge was too. The ironing board was propped against the wardrobe, with two holes in the wall where I guess a bracket had been. They also charge extra to use the spa and gym.

The first night was perfect, but birds in the loft made the second night's sleep disruptive. Trudie was consistently excellent, a lovely lady who's very good at her job.