Donnington Manor Hotel

We booked the hotel's “breakfast buffet” for £14 per person ahead of an early appointment, but there wasn't a buffet at all, only a menu. We ordered and then waited 40 minutes without getting anything. There were about 15-20 people in the restaurant and just one staff member, so perhaps it wasn't surprising. I had to ask reception for a refund as we were about to miss our appointment. The receptionist said they couldn't handle it and a manager would get in touch later, then asked why I hadn't followed up at the front desk sooner. Two days later, nobody has contacted me and nothing has appeared as a refund on my American Express account. I've stayed at lots of hotels and this was the least efficient breakfast service I've had. The hotel had called before our arrival to ask about booking breakfast, then promoted it again at check-in. If breakfast matters to your schedule, you may want to make another plan.

I was in my car at the Tesla Superchargers for just 30 minutes and later got a £100 parking charge. I couldn't see clear notice at the bays or chargers saying I had to pay or register my vehicle separately, and I would have done so straight away if that had been obvious. Other reviews suggest other EV drivers have run into the same thing. If customers keep making this mistake, the signs and communication aren't fit for purpose, and the hotel doesn't seem to care. Their response about fair use of the car park for guests makes no sense to me. Charging stations are for charging, not parking. Take care if you use these Tesla Superchargers. You might want to avoid the hotel and car park altogether.

I wouldn't recommend staying here if you drive an electric vehicle. After charging my Tesla at the hotel, I received a £100 parking charge. The signs are unclear and badly placed, with no obvious instruction to register your vehicle separately after plugging in. When I raised it with the hotel, they said they weren't responsible because ParkingEye manages the car park. That doesn't seem good enough to me. A hotel working with a parking enforcement company can still cancel tickets, make the signs clearer, or change how the system works. There are so many one-star reviews about the same problem that I have to wonder why it hasn't been fixed. I also wouldn't be surprised if the hotel makes money from this arrangement, which might explain the lack of urgency or help for people affected. Outsourcing enforcement doesn't remove the hotel's responsibility. Until the signs are clear and the hotel takes accountability, I wouldn't recommend it, especially for EV drivers.

On our second day, breakfast was a small full English: two rashers of bacon, one little sausage, one egg, three mushrooms and a quarter of a small tomato. A few cereals don't make a “buffet”. Unless you really want unlimited juice, it wasn't worth the price. This is the first night of our three-night booking, and things have already been frustrating. We asked for a cot for our baby, which was set up, but they used towels as bedding. Staff seemed confused when we asked for proper cot sheets, and in the end they didn't have any. The two spare pillows in the cupboard were flimsy and uncomfortable. Our room was cold, the heating didn't work, and when we asked for extra blankets, we were told no. The shower gets nice and hot, but it's damaged and has black mould. Dinner at the hotel was just okay for the price, which felt like fine dining rates. I'd suggest the pub three minutes away instead. The grounds are lovely, but apparently there are no fridges, so plan accordingly. After night one I was thinking I should have chosen the Premier Inn. On day three, staff were unhappy about our Google review and confronted us in the lobby in front of other guests. They said we should have complained to the person we dealt with, even though we'd been told no when asking for extra things. It felt like they were blaming us for a poor stay. Most of my reviews are positive, so I'm not just someone who complains about everything.