The Plough Motel Restaurant

I wish there were more hotels like this. Check-in was quick, friendly and efficient, and there's a large free car park. The room was bigger than expected, clean, tidy, and had a comfortable double bed and very good water pressure. I can't comment on the food, but the Stella was good. All that for just over 30 quid. I've paid six times as much for smaller, dirtier rooms, so I'm very happy with this place.

I've been a few times, twice for breakfast and once for Sunday lunch. The food was faultless, and I'd recommend the carvery. The decor and furnishings could use an update, but the welcome was warm and the staff were great.

The staff were friendly and polite, and there was plenty of parking, probably because so few guests were staying. I arrived on a Friday evening and asked about breakfast the next morning, only to be told the restaurant and bar were closed for refurbishment. The Marston's pub across the road had its kitchen and lounge closed for refurbishment too. The room was clean, but long past needing an update. The Chinese takeaway down the road was the worst I've ever eaten. If I'd known I'd have no food, I would have stayed elsewhere. Once the restaurant reopens it should be fine, but ask before booking, as there's nowhere within walking distance for a decent meal or breakfast.

We booked three or four weeks ago and got confirmation, so we thought everything was sorted. After work, we loaded the bags, put the kids in the car and drove from Cornwall to Stoke, only to find the property fenced off. A number on a security sign told us it had closed several weeks earlier. It's been ransacked and is a dump. Apparently there's a new owner planning to fix it up and reopen, but any money paid is unlikely to be returned. Take my advice and book somewhere else. We managed to get a room at the hotel opposite the railway station, The Great Stafford Hotel.