Shaw Hill Golf Resort & Spa Hotel

We had a great stay in room 19 and were glad we ignored the negative reviews. The room was very clean, the shower worked perfectly, and the water pressure was fine. Breakfast was great, freshly cooked to order rather than served as a buffet, and the staff were fantastic. Shaw Hill Hotel is an older building, which gives it character. Maybe it’s simply hard to please everyone these days.

The spa and pool facilities are very good, and the aqua aerobics classes are fantastic, full of energy and ending with Billie Jean. Some staff are friendly and go far out of their way, but we ultimately chose not to renew our memberships because of the swimming lessons and the way management handled ongoing disruptions. We were charged £200 each for 3 months at first. We were told that covered the gym, classes, and wet-side facilities, and that wet-side-only memberships weren’t available. We made clear we only wanted the pool, sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi. After joining, we heard from members paying a reduced rate of £150 a month for wet-side-only access. We raised it with management, who let us buy that option next time. We paid £200 each, then £150 each twice, totalling £500 per person for 9 months. Swimming lessons took up a lot of member time and made it hard to relax in the pool area. On Wednesdays, children are meant to be there from 4-7pm, but staff set up nearly an hour early and the changing rooms remain occupied for about an hour afterwards. Saturday lessons are 8-12, though it’s closer to 1pm by the time they’ve cleared out, and there are also Friday morning lessons. That’s 5 hours taken away from members on Wednesdays. Since the pool is right beside the jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna, lessons make it difficult to enjoy a quiet visit. The changing rooms have no cubicles in the men’s area and just one in the women’s, making things harder for adults with children and generally uncomfortable for adults. After lessons, the rooms need a proper clean: litter, plasters, and unexplained puddles are common. In October, we got an email saying the spa and pool would close for 5 days while reception and the changing rooms were refurbished. We sent several emails asking whether those days would be added to our memberships, but got no answer apart from an automatic reply saying the manager was away for another 11 days and would respond on her return. She didn’t. Then, during a swimming lesson in September, an instructor threw a toy that damaged the ceiling. Shaw said the pool would have to close for a few more days and scaffolding would be put up for repairs. With no answer about the October closure, another shutdown during our membership was worrying, and that’s what led us not to renew. It’s a shame. The facilities are really 4 star, and some staff work incredibly hard, but with swimming lessons there 3 days a week and too little management and supervision, the place falls short of what you’d expect from a four star hotel. Members will soon work out which times to avoid.

The food was mostly good, but the service and setting made this a poor experience for my friends’ surprise birthday afternoon tea. It felt like sitting in a canteen, with thick white crockery and Formica tables without tablecloths. I asked twice for tap water and nothing came. On the third request, a young waitress brought it, but dropped the glass from her tray, smashing it and soaking two of my friends. Our table was cluttered with empty dishes and glasses. The manager offered to clear it, took one of the four cake stands, and left the rest. They did knock off 50%, but that didn’t make up for what should have been a lovely occasion.

I had a very poor experience and would avoid the hotel. The receptionist wasn’t welcoming or easy to approach. The restaurant didn’t handle dietary needs well: for lactose intolerance, I was offered fruit, which was really all there was. There was no orange juice at breakfast, which was ridiculous. The “members bar” felt pathetic and unwelcoming, especially for people paying top dollar to stay, eat, and drink there.