Penyard House

The staff were friendly and helpful with information when we arrived. Our room was clean and adequate, though the shower pressure wasn’t great and it got quite hot. As far as I could tell, there was no way to switch off the heated towel rail. The help-yourself breakfast was plentiful and a great start to the day. We only stayed one night and didn’t use the other facilities, though the bar looked cosy and the grounds were very well kept.

The grounds are lovely, and the room was nice, though the towels were a bit small. Breakfast had lots of choice and was good. We’ve only just arrived, but unfortunately the hotel couldn’t feed us because there was just one chef on and a large party in. That felt a bit naughty when we’re paying guests, though the staff were friendly. The hotel could do with a makeover, but it is clean, which matters. I’m not sure about the gym. The bar is far too expensive: two pints of ale cost £9.60. We got a taxi into town with Wye Valley cabs for £5, and the driver was a really nice guy who brought us back too. At the Eagle pub on Broad street, the same order of drinks cost £3.90. It’s easily the friendliest and cheapest place, and the ale was fabulous. The drinks and taxi together cost less than the same order at the hotel bar! The staff at the Eagle were friendly, and the toilets were spotless. Thank you, Ross on Wye 😊

The carpet was awful, sticky in places and covered in marks and clumps of hair, and I could feel every spring in the bed. The room was DISGUSTINGLY DIRTY and looked nothing like the pictures. The hotel joins onto a conference-centre type venue where a function was happening, so perhaps we were put in an old part to make room for those guests. It looked like it hadn’t been updated in decades. The conservatory where breakfast was served was boarded up for work, and nobody warned us. Such a shame, because the place could be lovely, but those rooms need gutting. Other guests complained at checkout too, so it can’t just have been us.

Our only complaint was the noisy water system in the wing where we stayed, away from the main house. It was also extremely hot during our two days there, over 95 degrees and the hottest on record so far that year. Our room was fairly shaded, so we didn’t ask for a fan, though the rooms probably ought to have them as there’s no air conditioning. The surroundings were quiet and green, and our room was tidy, clean and had everything we needed. Breakfast was delicious, with cereal, fruit, ham, cheese, croissants, poached, fried and scrambled eggs, plus the usual cooked accompaniments. The main hotel reception rooms had lovely high ceilings and windows from floor to ceiling. There was also a pool table with cues and chalk, another reception room and another bar, as well as the restaurant, bar and dining rooms. The receptionist was pleasant and helpful, showed us part of the way to our room and then gave clear directions.