Arnos Manor Hotel

For the price, I'd definitely come back. It was one of the cheapest places I found for a boozy Christmas do, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. Breakfast had a good range and was really nice. It officially finished at 9:30, but we arrived at 9:20 and the food stayed out a little longer. I would have liked another hour for breakfast. The bar was attractive and welcoming, and the reception staff were chatty and friendly. One of them said a refurbishment was coming, which made me curious about the room. It turned out clean and better than I expected, with an unusual but interesting, very spacious layout. I imagine prices may rise after the refurbishment.

The room felt very dated and worn. There was no phone, and the furniture was stained. In the bathroom, broken redundant sanitary equipment had been left behind, the bath plug wasn't attached to its chain, dead flies were inside the light fitting, and the sealant around the sink and the steps up to the bathroom was coming apart. The staff were really nice, which was the only positive. I wouldn't stay here again.

Over three weeks, while our daughter was having a baby, we stayed in five different rooms and had great service throughout. The staff were courteous and helpful every time. The room price was very good, and both breakfast and evening meals were good. We'd highly recommend it.

I hadn't been to Arnos Manor before, and its grand historic exterior had me expecting one thing. I was pleasantly surprised by the welcome at Arnos Manor Hotel, Venue & Lounge, which only became fully operational in 2026. I was just there for the bar, so a note for anyone doing the same: they only take cards. Cash isn't accepted, which still puzzles me given the law and the meaning of “legal tender.” In some parts of Bristol, card-only keeps the “wrong crowd” away; elsewhere, cash-only does the same. After too much coffee and Pepsi Max, I switched to a pot of Earl Grey. A staff member served it warmly and was happy to chat. The buildings have a complicated history, too much for a short review. The hotel is Grade II* listed, and the original owner of the 1760 building, William Reeve, was a wealthy Quaker. Next door, the Grade I listed Black Castle pub was his stable block, made from black copper slag, a by-product of his metal smelting. The current restaurant used to be a convent. There's also a local ghost story about a pregnant nun reportedly bricked into a wall to conceal a scandal, supposedly discovered after WWII bomb damage. I can only presume the hotel's recent development is aimed at business from the nearby HERE buildings, which house office firms, tech startups, and creative agencies. ITV News West Country still broadcasts regional news, branded for ITVX, from a ground-floor studio space. It's like a miniature 90210.