The Black Boys Inn

We’re already planning another trip because we had such a good time here. The room was spacious and beautiful, with a great view over the countryside, and we liked the pub and the kind staff. Breakfast was the one small snag: my hollandaise had split and made it a bit soggy. The chef reopened the kitchen so we could eat late, though, so it wasn’t a big deal. A really lovely place to stay.

I did sleep well, and the setting is peaceful. The rooms open onto the garden, and the thick walls kept outside noise out. But there were quite a few problems during our stay. The restaurant food arrived barely warm, and my room had a lot of damp and mildew. The side table was so wobbly it seemed close to collapsing. Our rooms also weren’t cleaned or refreshed, and there were no extra supplies or clean towels and the beds weren’t made. The Sunday bar closes at 6pm, but there was a private, unplanned party there. That didn’t bother me much, though someone in the group had dogs with them in the pub. They ate my dog’s dinner and kept baring their teeth. My main concern was that a room upstairs was left open all night after its guests had left. When we checked out, there was no staff around and we were told to leave the key in the door, which left us worried that anyone passing by could wander in.

Henery was especially friendly, helpful and chatty, and the relaxed atmosphere made staying with the dogs easy. We picked Black Boys Inn for two nights while attending Windsor Dog show, partly because we like old buildings and its 16th-century character. Rooms 1 and 2 were clean and cosy when we arrived. There were downsides. Both rooms had mold, and the closet in room 2 smelled damp enough that we couldn’t hang clothes there. Its console table was unstable, the chair was very heavy to move, and the toilet seat was broken. The room 2 coffee machine was Tassimo but the pods were for a different machine. When I asked for more coffee, I was given granules. Bigger cups would have been useful too. The only clear difference between the rooms was room 2’s larger bathroom. Wi-Fi didn’t reach the rooms. The rates for both rooms felt high for what was included, and we found the food expensive too. We only learned on Sunday afternoon, when we got back from the show, that the pub shut at 6.30 on Sundays. Even with all that, we enjoyed our stay. I’m sure the owners are working on the mold problem, which lots of people have raised, and on upgrading the furniture.

The bar’s been nicely refurbished, and this could be a great place to stay in a year or so. For now the new owners are still finding their feet, and there’s overdue maintenance left from the previous owners to finish. The rooms were clean.