The George in Rye

The hotel trades on its handsome exterior and central spot in beautiful Rye, but in my view it’s worth only a fraction of the price. We’ve stayed around the world and have plenty of hotel experience. The George clearly sees itself as a “luxury” hotel, but I didn’t find it one. There are many shared areas, yet they’re basic, simply furnished and have little personality. In this old building, rooms are often reached by winding stairs. They can be noisy, with no soft-close doors, and wedding noise carries through as well. Breakfast was the worst part: a banal, basic and sad offering, generally served by teenagers who seemed to have little or no customer service training. There wasn’t a smile or anything personal or warm. The food was poor too, all premade and reheated without care. I’ve had better at a “greasy spoon.” It feels as though accountants have taken over, raising the cost per room and cutting everything they can. On a Sunday morning there was just one paper at reception. There didn’t seem to be anyone clearly in charge or managing the hotel on site. I overheard a guest in an alcove asking for a full refund because the previous night’s wedding had been so rowdy they got no sleep. The receptionist handed over a manager’s card and told them to call. That says a lot. During our breakfast, a man in a white vest spoke loudly with staff, as if he worked there, disturbing the quiet with banal chatter. An hour later he was at the bar in the same vest, drinking Guinness and still talking to staff, while guests all around were paying £200, £300 or £400 a night. I can only suggest retraining the staff and junior managers, though I doubt they’d accept there’s a problem. Otherwise, I’d never set foot there again. Sorry, George, but the game needs to be upped.

We had a spectacular birthday weekend at The George in Rye. The suite was immaculate, the interiors were beautifully done and full of character, and the hotel had a calm, quietly luxurious feel. The bar was excellent and packed, with a great atmosphere and seriously good service. A special mention for Tassie born Brendan in FOH, who was warm, professional and brilliantly attentive. That kind of service makes me want to come straight back. The stay was genuinely faultless.

The steak frites were amazing, cooked just right and served with fresh steak sauces. But the service let the meal down badly. We were at The George for lunch, our first visit after hearing and seeing online that it was a great place in Rye. Our waitress spent much of the hour and a half with her back to us, absorbed in open conversations in the kitchen. Some of the talk with a male chef was inappropriate, especially with an open kitchen. The table beside us looked disgusted, and they had young children with them. More staff training, particularly for this waitress, who seemed the oldest on the team, could have made it an amazing experience. I hope management steps up its game before our next visit.

The George is beautiful and has a real sense of history. We stayed just one night in a lovely room, and the staff were kind and helpful when a minor room issue came up. We also enjoyed drinks in the bar, though we didn’t eat at the hotel. The guest service was impeccable, with so much care put into the details, from the pre-check-in call to the things provided in the room. The one thing we missed was a guest lounge. There’s a very small area at the front of the hotel, but it was full the whole time we were there and being used by non-guests. We recently stayed at a similar hotel in Bury St Edmunds and agreed they could learn a lot from The George!