Caffeine & Machine

The atmosphere is the best part of Caffeine & Machine: The Hill. Cars kept rolling in, from classics to serious builds, and it felt like a relaxed car meet all day. It was welcoming too, not intimidating. The food and coffee were solid, just what you'd want in a place like this. It gets busy, especially at weekends, but that's part of the buzz. More than a café, it's a proper experience. A great spot for car fans or anyone after something different, and definitely worth visiting.

The cars still give the place a good vibe, with loads of interesting ones coming and going, and I can't fault the staff, who did what they could to organise everyone. But our club visit for AudiS1UK left me underwhelmed. The “allocated area” wasn't actually ours because hotel guests had parked there, so our group was split up and dotted around all day. Compared with my visit five years ago, the place feels tired. The surface is full of potholes that haven't been filled, which isn't great for low cars. It was a cold day, there was no heating in the tent, and the whole setup has lost its polish. The food didn't help. The grilled salad wedge arrived wet, and the chips with brisket were dry. We were glad we hadn't ordered more, and they couldn't even do something simple like grilled chicken on the side. Honestly, we'd be fine with them keeping the ticket money and putting it towards improvements to the venue. Everything beyond the cars and the staff needs attention.

The breakfast was top class, and thankfully the coffee was excellent too. Both were included in the rate, so it was brilliant value. Staff were so, so friendly, and I bought some merch. The Venue is brilliant, and although the German "show" on the Wednesday night was crap, with the bad weather and January meaning hardly anyone came, that wasn't c&c's fault. I look forward to returning in the busier summer months. We stayed one night with a group on 14th Jan. I was in room 4 with two other adults. The rest of the party were in room 3, two adults and one child, and room 5, one adult. First impressions of the rooms were great, and they looked like the website photos. The rooms were clean and the beds mostly comfortable, though my friends said the bed in room 3 was too soft. The heating in room 4 stayed off for the whole visit, and our lamp had a tiny bulb that wasn't bright enough. The plugs were badly placed, so an extension lead would have helped. There was only one toilet roll and no one to ask for more after hours. We also had two bottles of water, one still and one sparkling, for three guests, a minor inconvenience. We ate nearby at the Chequers Inn, which I highly recommend, but when we got back after 10, c&c was closed. There was nowhere to buy snacks or any kind of drink. None of these issues would put me off staying again.

The double standard at this venue is incredibly frustrating. On quiet weeks, they charge entry for disorganized "events" where the only offer is low-quality, overpriced food, and often let people in for free just to fill the space. But when they do sell out, staff turn hostile. I was rudely ordered off the property, then when I pulled aside to phone my friends and tell them my plans had changed, I was aggressively told to leave immediately. It's a disappointing way to treat long time customers who support them when they're struggling. I chose to buy a ticket at the door because most events are very dead, and I accept that turning up to a sold out event is a risk.