The Thistle Haydock

I came in to give blood, and everything was well organised, smooth and efficient. Reception staff were very helpful with the parking eye so I wouldn’t get charged. The room they used was a lovely size and clean and tidy. The outside was well cared for, with nice trees and plants and plenty of parking. I didn’t use the bedrooms, bar or other facilities, though they looked good.

The reception team and waitress were easily the best part of my stay. They were friendly and helpful, and a real credit to the hotel. I was there for work, so the bill wasn’t out of my own pocket. If I’d paid myself, I’d have been very disappointed. On arrival, the hotel looks impressive, and reception and the bar still have that four-star feel. The room was a different story, with visible cracks in the walls and ceiling and torn curtains. It felt more like an old Travelodge than this hotel should. Even a small thing like having no bags in the bins was frustrating. I didn’t like putting used tea bags straight into a bare bin. The food didn’t justify the hotel prices either. The fish was greasy and poor quality. When I asked to swap the mushy peas for baked beans, a pretty basic request, I was told they don’t serve beans, despite having them at breakfast.

We felt very welcome on our first stay. The reception and public areas are bright, spacious and lovely, and our room was clean and comfortable. Kylie looked after us at dinner and the food was excellent. I’d gladly recommend the hotel.

My 40th birthday stay was one letdown after another. We’d paid for early check-in, but only one room was ready, and its key card didn’t work. My mum had also paid extra for a balloon arch and banners in my room. Instead there were just a few tiny balloons, which felt almost comical for the price. There weren’t any towels in our rooms or by the pool, so we had to go back and forth several times. Michelle was the only person who was helpful throughout the stay and got things sorted for us. Dinner was a mess too. My meal arrived plain and didn’t match the menu description. I sent it back twice, then gave up because it still wasn’t edible. Other meals were missing advertised ingredients, so we couldn’t eat together and I ended up with nothing. We waited over an hour and asked three different staff members for a manager before Robbie came over. He apologised and promised a refund, but after we left an honest review he refused to honour it. We’d paid for a meal I couldn’t eat and extras that weren’t provided. At that point it felt like complete fraud. This was nowhere near four-star standards, and our special birthday trip was completely spoiled.