The Palace Hotel & Spa

We've never missed a year visiting the Palace, apart from the covid years, and it always brings back wonderful memories. The Palace is the Palace, what you see is what you get. Caroline on Reception, Paul in the restaurant, the lady who's served in the lounge for as long as we've been coming, and Stanser, who's in charge of the Paris restaurant, are all caring and professional. They're a credit to the hotel. But room 23 feels stuck in a time warp. There's only one comfortable seat, and Caroline had to get us another chair. The bed settee is extremely uncomfortable, the windows can't be opened or shut safely, there's still a crack in the bathroom wash basin, and the privacy blind is broken, so you can be seen from the garden while on the toilet. We stayed Monday to Thursday for bed and breakfast and an evening meal.

The facilities and decor didn't feel modern at all, and this wasn't a luxury hotel. After reading so many positive reviews, we expected more. For the price, though, it was okay. We had two nights, with a ground-floor room the first night that had a TV, wardrobe and kettle. The next day we moved upstairs to a room that felt cramped, with what seemed like a small double bed and no TV. Breakfast was okay, nothing special, and there was enough parking. The pool was fine, but you have to book an exact time at reception instead of just turning up. We also couldn't have dinner on the first night because we hadn't booked ahead. Would I come back? Probably not.

The Palace is a family favourite for us. It's very clean and good value, and the staff are all friendly. We always ask for a sea view, and watching the sun rise is uplifting. There's lots to choose from at breakfast and for the evening meal, both of which are excellent.

We had a very large room with a sea view, tea-making facilities, a bottle of water and fresh fruit. The walk-in shower was a real bonus for me as an older guest, since a bath isn't an option. Staff were helpful and very talkative, and the food was second to none, with a good menu choice and an excellent evening meal. This is a great hotel, and I'd highly recommend it.