Ardencote

The refund was eventually sorted, and Charmaine even suggested another spa. That was the sort of helpful response we should have received at the start. Instead, my boyfriend was first spoken to by someone demanding his card details, then hung up on when he asked why he was being treated as if he’d done something wrong. Charmaine also responded badly when he questioned the negative tone, and later said she wouldn’t address what I’d told her. She only asked whether I wanted the refund. This booking was meant as a birthday present for his Mom and four friends. We’d booked a spa afternoon and treatments a month ahead on my recommendation, then heard the day before that there would be no hot water. He cancelled because he couldn’t expect them to use the spa in the middle of winter without hot water, especially after paying nearly £500. He’d also arranged transport for the group and will lose that money. I was frustrated explaining that it was unlikely we’d find somewhere else with a day’s notice, and that the way he’d been treated was rude and unprofessional. I didn’t hear any understanding from Charmaine. She said the cancellation was out of their control, blamed the tension from redundancies and claimed customers had been abusive. There was no abuse, though my tone was frustrated. I only pointed out the poor service. The lack of hot water wasn’t their fault, but how they handled our calls was. Customer service means listening to people’s frustrations, showing empathy, apologising on behalf of the company, and responding professionally. I work with the public too, and my own organisation is going through redundancies, so I don’t see that as an excuse. I dread to think how his Mom’s birthday might have gone if she’d attended and been looked after by these staff. I used to love Ardencote. I’d been many times, recommended it to others and bought vouchers for friends. This experience changed that completely. I know Ardencote was recently taken over by Barons Eden, and I’ll let them know. I’ve used their other spas Hoar Cross all and Edens Hall, and this wasn’t the service I’d expect from their employees. Beyond disappointing.

The spa was a real treat, and the party setup for our company Christmas do was brilliant. Dinner was the one part that let us down, though the full English breakfast partly made up for it. We stayed at the Ardencote and came away pleased.

The staff were so friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. We loved the spa, and both lunch in the bar and breakfast were delicious. It was our first visit, and the hotel and its grounds are lovely.

We got great value from the Sunday Driver deal, the best we’ve had, and we’ve had a LOT!! The 16 of us were there for a golf trip and had a fantastic time. Dinner and breakfast were delicious, and we made use of all the facilities, including the spa, sauna, swimming pool and table tennis. There was Sky TV in the lounge, lovely grounds and tennis courts too. Thanks to all the staff for putting up with us!