Fire Service College

There’s loads of scope for operational training scenarios, and the facility is brilliant for training and development. The accommodation is very good, with everything you need in the room and extras in the block, including laundry, a lounge and a meeting room. There’s a good restaurant with a decent choice of food, plus a sports centre and bar for relaxing after courses. The staff are welcoming and very helpful. The industry is lucky to have such a great facility.

It’s the best hot fire training facility in the world, though the hotel isn’t the best. The Connections cafe has decent food options too.

Hailey/Haley at reception was very rude, curt, and unwelcoming. She sent us to a room that was already occupied. When I called the front desk, she told me to come back for keys to another room. Reception and the rooms are far apart, so you have to walk a lot or have your own vehicle to go back and forth. I returned, got new keys, walked to the other building, and they didn’t work. When I called again, she casually told me to come back a third time for yet another set. She never apologized for the mistakes or inconvenience. It was seriously unprofessional and not a welcoming atmosphere. Apart from security at the main gate, there didn’t seem to be any other staff around. The buildings are a fair walk from each other, and you don’t see many people. If you’re not travelling in a group, you may not see another soul besides the front desk. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The bathroom extractor fan stayed on all night. It wasn’t very hot, but it was noisy, and at 3 a.m. I tried to sleep with earbuds in before calling the remote help service listed in the customer folder. They gave me no help, just an incident number. Worse, after I complained, I was told someone could have explained how to switch it off. I’d booked through the Morris minor club, but they said they weren’t liable for my sleepless night or the day it spoiled.