Lea Marston Hotel

Lunch was delicious, and the price for the spa day was really good. We enjoyed the jacuzzi, pool, steam room and sauna, so it was a lovely day overall, even if it wasn't perfect. There weren't nearly enough loungers, especially with towels left on some while nobody seemed to be around, maybe they were at the gym. We also had to wait for one of just two showers, and the changing rooms felt cramped with around 8-10 people in them. I can't say anything about the rooms since we didn't stay overnight.

The reception lady was extremely helpful and kind, but that was the only good part of this stay. The place looks nothing like the booking.com photos, and I can't see how it has four stars. The room felt like it hadn't been updated since the early 90s, and cleanliness was poor. WiFi kept dropping every few minutes. Even the carpet in the main hall looked ancient. Breakfast was the worst I've had at a hotel, with green scrambled eggs that seemed to be made from powder. It was old, dirty and nowhere near worth half the price. Avoid.

We left feeling let down, especially after sleeping so badly on a mattress that was extremely uncomfortable for both my husband and me. The bar wasn't busy, but we waited a while because there were no staff there. Children ran around the bar while waiting for the function suite to open, so it was hard to relax. The restaurant looked nice, though the seating was poor and one chair was very uncomfortable because its middle supports had gone. Food was mediocre for the price, and breakfast was disappointing, with few options for vegetarians. We expected a lot better from a four star hotel.

My room was beautiful, and Steph arranged dinner for me in there and went above and beyond to make the stay lovely. When I arrived, I was told the hotel was overbooked and they'd upgraded me to a suite, which was a very nice surprise for a Tuesday night. I had two spa treatments, then used the relaxation room, pool, steam room and sauna. I got down to breakfast late and worried about what might be left, but everything was still available and looked recently replenished. The break went by too fast, but I'll definitely be back.