Bellfosters

The food has been consistently lovely and great quality for the price whenever I've visited the bank house. It's a cozy, relaxed place with a romantic feel, and the staff are always polite, friendly and attentive. I'd recommend it for a date night, a casual drink or a nice meal.

The Christmas party meal was a real bright spot: all three courses were tasty and nicely presented, and breakfast the next morning was fresh and cooked to order. I stayed in the Ness Room on a Friday before Christmas for a work party. It was a decent size, pleasant, and the bed was clean and comfortable. A few things in the room needed attention. The shower pressure was very poor and its hot and cold control was broken, so I couldn't change the temperature. The air conditioning didn't seem to work, which meant leaving the windows open. The TV sat too low on a unit to watch comfortably from bed, the radiator cover was loose, and the old building's floorboards creaked a lot both in the room and outside it. Service was the bigger letdown. Several Christmas parties were happening alongside a busy public bar, and staff seemed unable to keep up, so drinks took a long time. An early argument in the bar wasn't handled very well either. Some of my team arrived early in black tie for our party and were told to leave and come back at the allotted time while the venue prioritized the general public. That was disappointing when we were there for a paid event. The room and stay weren't terrible, but the place could use more attention to detail, better upkeep, and stronger event management when it's busy.

We rented several rooms for a few days, and the same problems came up in all of them. They were very dated and badly in need of renovation. The cleaning was far below what I expected: the toilet hadn't been cleaned after the last guests, and aside from the sheets, the room was dirty. No vacuuming or fresh towels during my stay, and once the cleaner picked up my used towel from the floor and hung it back on the rack. I had to ask reception each time for soap and toilet paper because neither was topped up automatically. For the price, this was a very poor experience. The hotel may have potential, but it needs proper cleaning standards and maintenance.

My sister's wedding reception was here, and after the ceremony we had a lovely cream tea with sandwiches, little cakes, and scones with butter and jam. There was prosecco, juice and, naturally, tea. They also catered for one vegan guest. The staff were attentive and quick to sort out our requests, including a high chair, boxes and extra glasses. I didn't stay overnight, but the things they provided were high quality, and I'd use them again.