Risley Hall Hotel

The staff were all really friendly and helpful, and the building is stunning. The rooms are basic and could do with better decorating, but they were comfortable, clean and tidy, with the necessities, hot showers and coffee facilities. The bar and restaurant were closed, possibly because of the time of year. The grounds could be lovely, but aren't being maintained. There's a lot of potential here. With a bit more time and investment, this could be a really nice high-end hotel. It feels a little neglected at the moment, though the price reflects that.

The building and location are fantastic, and there's a decent pub just round the corner. Without it, you'd be a bit stuck. The place feels oddly like a ghost hotel, and I can imagine it used to be lovely, but now needs major investment and good management. I've stayed in worse, and for the price I can't complain too much, though it could be so much better. Check-in and check-out were easy, and the polite lady at reception caused no issues. The room was huge and clean but tired, with little in it beyond a four-poster bed and a funky wardrobe. The mattress was really poor, though it was just one night. The bathroom was massive with twin sinks, but old, and the shower was poor even though it worked. Breakfast was basic and average in quality, but enough to keep you going. The cooked selection and cereals were there, but the cutlery needed a good clean and polish. The staff were polite and hard working. There seemed to be very few of them, and during my four days I only saw the young lad tending the breakfast room. The coffee was awful, the teabags tasted stale, and the sausages were the cheapest kind, worse than Richmond, and not something I'd feed to a dog. It's a shame the bar is never open, as that would be a real plus.

I booked ahead and got a really good price, and the friendly staff member at reception greeted me warmly. The room was a lovely size, and I was happy with it apart from a slight problem with the toilet flushing and leaking. I did have very noisy neighbours next door, with people banging on their door every ten minutes until well past midnight, then again from 6 in the morning.

The biggest shame is how little seemed to be done for guests during my four days. I saw almost no staff apart from the young lad looking after the breakfast room. Breakfast had a good cooked selection and cereals, but nothing else. The coffee was awful, the teabags tasted stale, and the sausages were the cheapest kind, worse than Richmond, and not something I'd feed to a dog. The bar was never open, though it could be a real plus for the hotel. It's pet friendly, which is great, but animals shouldn't be in the room where breakfast is laid out. I can't stand animals around food. Risley Hall is a wonderful property, rich in history and architecture, and it could be amazing again. Sadly, the owners seem to have let it go. Some areas look as if they haven't been decorated since the early 90s. The breakfast room floor needs new joists and is falling away at the sides, and my room was well below par even for a 3-star. The mattress was the worst I've ever slept on, even compared with time in army barracks.