The Strawberry Bank

The bus connection straight to the NEC and airport was really handy, and both the reception team and servers were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent too. It was raining when we visited, so we didn't get to enjoy the beer garden, though it looked lovely. My only gripe was the lack of towel rails in the bathroom, which meant leaving towels on the toilet seat or somewhere else awkward. Still five stars from me.

We went to the restaurant for my birthday, with five of my family. My chicken burger came out badly burnt, so I asked for another, and they were happy to make one. The replacement took so long that my family had finished eating by the time it arrived. I cut it in half and tried the middle, but it was really rubbery. The manager offered to replace it again, which I turned down, and showed no sympathy for how disappointing a birthday meal it had been. My family's dishes were plain too, nothing special or particularly tasty. The staff seemed like 17- or 18-year-old kids who didn't care about their work, and the manager's attitude gave me the same impression. I'm very disappointed and won't go back, even for a drink. Avoid.

We came back for Christmas lunch after my daughter's amazing wedding here in August, and it was fantastic. There were eight of us, and we all thought the food was delicious, the service impeccable, and the whole meal very well organised. Thank you, Strawberry Bank, for making both occasions so special. Happy 2026, and see you all soon.

We travel around Europe for business, and in 38 years I've stayed at only one hotel that was worse. At least we managed to sleep there. Here, banging noises kept me and other guests awake all night, and I felt so shattered the next day that I had to cancel two meetings. I sent three emails to Strawberry Bank Hotel as directed, but after four weeks of trying, I still got no reply. Breakfast was poor, though just about acceptable, and barely warm. The hotel looked run down, as if it hadn't been touched since the 70s. A vile experience. Avoid like the plague if you want a quiet night's sleep.