Best Western Shaftesbury The Royal Chase Hotel

PLEASE READ: old and full of spiders! The gentleman at the counter when we arrived was chatty and helpful, so I hate having to write this. But I was really disappointed by the room. It looked worn and very dated compared with the online photos, and it seems to depend on which room you get. My partner was terrified by the spiders and couldn’t sleep. The ceilings were 9-10ft high, so even standing on the bed and stretching, I couldn’t reach any of them to get them out. I went to reception to ask about changing rooms, but the man there didn’t seem to care. He said he was night staff and couldn’t do anything, and that the receptionists had left. I asked if there was anyone else I could speak to or call, and he said no. I could see online that other rooms were available to book that night, so I don’t understand why we couldn’t move. We were left in a spider-filled room that felt like it was out of The Shining, with nowhere to go. At that point we might sleep in the car, and we’ll ask for a refund in the morning. I’m so disappointed and frustrated by the lack of empathy or acknowledgement, and by how old everything else was. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel in a million years. Go somewhere else.

A waste of money and time. We came to use the pool, which was quiet when we arrived, with two children and one adult in it. We changed and went into the sauna. During the 10-15 minutes we were there, another four adults and ten children were let into the pool. It’s small, and with 17 people there, not counting us, it felt far too crowded to use. The kids were screaming, dive-bombing, splashing, jumping in and running along the sides, all against the rules posted on the wall. We left after no more than 30 minutes in the facility and asked for a refund. We were told management doesn’t issue refunds, so that wasn’t possible. We won’t be back, which is a shame because the pool was lovely on past visits. There was no lifeguard, only CCTV, and the staff weren’t monitoring that either. It felt like a health and safety concern.

The reception staff are excellent and very friendly, but the kitchen is a disaster. The English breakfast on day one was a big letdown, with the food swimming in oil. On day two I ordered continental breakfast, and service was painfully slow. I ordered nearly 28 minutes ago and I’m still waiting. What bad service.

It’s a dated hotel, though in decent repair, with a good location and plenty of parking. Housekeeping was only average: there was hair in the bath and dirty mugs in the room. Lucy at reception was very helpful, unlike the elderly man who greeted me at breakfast and was ignorant. He’s a disgrace to the hotel and hospitality industry. That left me with a sour taste, and I won’t return or recommend the place. This review is 100% accurate.