Sweeney Hall Hotel

The cottage itself was beautiful and good value at £150 a night, with exposed beams, a private garden and four pints of milk in the fridge for tea and coffee. There were five dog messes in the garden when we arrived, but reception sorted that out within an hour or two. The evening woman and morning man at the front desk were both friendly, though there seemed to be only one person covering all the front-of-house jobs at a time, and another person would have helped. We were there for a night on a two-part trip from down south: I was collecting a new car and Dad was getting his log splitter repaired. The food was pretty poor, as an Oswestry local we met at the log splitter company had warned us, but we tried it for convenience. My game Scotch egg was overcooked and not runny. The waiter offered to replace it, then came back to say the chef wasn’t confident of getting it right and asked me to choose something else. I switched to pate on bread. At least the chef was honest, though it sounded like he was out of his depth. Breakfast came with the stay, but the bacon was like old leather, the sausages were the cheapest sort, and my fried egg was overdone and cooked in a dirty pan. The mushrooms were badly done too. The butter was lovely, though, and the continental spread looked promising. Yoghurt with homemade muesli, fruit and nuts would probably have been tasty, just not my kind of breakfast. We’d booked the two-bedroom cottage and I’d stay again, but I’d eat elsewhere, cook for myself there, or get a takeaway.

The king suite was lovely, with a warm, relaxing feel and a really clean, well-presented room. My partner and I also found the staff welcoming and helpful. We’d love to stay again, and try the restaurant next time.

We had a very quiet stay in April. Three of us shared a room that sleeps three or four, and it was excellent. The building and grounds are lovely. It’s a little outside town, but only a short drive or cab ride away.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a wedding here, and it was wonderful from beginning to end. The place is gorgeous, with lovely surroundings, a great atmosphere, delicious food and excellent staff. I can’t think of a single complaint. It was a wonderful stay, and I’d definitely come back.