The World s End

I travel regularly for business and have stayed here often, so it’s disappointing that this visit fell short of what I expect from Greene King properties. There was no working Wi-Fi, which made it hard to work. In Room 19 I found marks on the bedding that appeared to be blood stains, which was concerning. Room 2 was extremely hot because the heating seemed stuck on maximum, making it very uncomfortable to sleep. I appreciated being moved to another room. I was disappointed by how the refund request through Agoda was later handled. The explanation didn’t match my experience, and the manager was disrespectful and dismissive. There was also a difference between the invoice and the amount charged, which I hope can be clarified. I’m sharing this feedback in the hope the problems are addressed, since the location is otherwise convenient for business travel.

The place has gone downhill. I found a hair in my food, and the ‘premium wagyu’ burger was dry and overcooked, definitely not premium. No sauce was offered, and the coleslaw was a tiny teaspoonful, watery, cheap and shop-bought. The chicken burger was a bit pink and quite watery.

My festive lunch reservation was confirmed by email in November, and I phoned in December to check because the email said there was a £10 per person deposit. The staff member I spoke to confirmed I was booked for the £30 festive menu and said they’d email two weeks beforehand if a deposit was needed. She told me not to worry, it was all booked. I’d urge people to keep a screenshot of their email confirmation. On Christmas Eve, I was told I was down for the regular pub menu, not the festive offer. The server initially assured my family and me that we could still have the festive menu, and I explained that I’d called to confirm and asked about the deposit. But when we left, the man at the payment desk, who I assumed was the manager, charged us full price instead of the offer price. It was considerably more, and the food wasn’t worth it: two very small pieces of Brie for a starter, tough turkey and too little food for the money. The service was appalling. The man wouldn’t listen or help, staff members watched, and even the server who’d said we could have the offer didn’t back me up. It felt like they were making me out to be a liar. My original confirmation email had been changed from a festive booking to a normal pub booking. The whole thing was the worst experience I’ve had in a restaurant or anywhere. I’d hate for anyone else to go through that, especially for a special occasion like Christmas Eve.

We had a really nice stay and were welcomed warmly. The freshly made food was fantastic. I ordered chicken liver pate, then the Wagu burger with Stilton, mushrooms and bacon, and finished with apple crumble. Everything was excellent.