Chesford Grange Hotel

We had a very nice room with a good-sized en-suite, but the weekend was spoiled by children crying and shouting in the corridors. For a romantic Valentine's weekend, I would have expected management to do a better job of placing those guests away from the family rooms. Also, getting into the room a little early costs an extra £25.

Even on New Year's Eve, our room stayed peaceful and quiet, so we got a really relaxing night's sleep. The staff were friendly and welcoming as soon as we arrived, and we had a delicious meal that evening. Breakfast the next morning was superb, with lots of choice and great quality. We couldn't fault the overnight stay at this beautiful place, and would happily come back or recommend it.

The front desk staff were fantastic: pleasant, professional, attentive, and happy to help whenever I needed them. The building itself is a fine old, majestic place, with gorgeous walkways, architecture, good grounds and car parks. There's a small health spa and swimming pool, and disabled access with parking available at the door. The bar has cosy seating, comfortable chairs and little nooks that work well for meetings or private get-togethers. The dining room is spacious and furnished to a good standard, with nice outdoor areas, though I had to be let back in after the door shut behind me. The coffee and food really let it down. Dinner starts at 7pm, too late for me, so I ordered room service and the meal was unimpressive. I expect the restaurant might have been better, but I couldn't wait. Breakfast was included but very poor: the bacon was far too salty and the coffee was horrible, though the yogurt and berries were good. It's hard to understand a plush old place like this having no decent coffee or room service food. I was impressed by the quality of many things, but some hotel areas were good and others felt strange or not quite there. It looks fancy and might suit sales teams and business people, but it didn't feel like a full four-star experience to me. I don't stay in four-star hotels much, but I wouldn't spend the money here if I can't get decent coffee. I'm going back to Coventry for the Nuffield Hospital, though all things considered I don't expect to stay here. Such a shame they didn't put the finishing touch on after doing so many things well.

The communal areas were really nice, and it was good to have a bath as well as an awesome shower. I stayed for a couple of nights with my wife while attending a conference. The room was comfortable enough, but not especially clean, with cobwebs on the ceiling. We didn't try the pool or other facilities.