The Swan Hotel

After we'd waited an hour for our food, we asked what was happening and were told it would be along soon because there was a kitchen problem. Another 15 minutes passed with no food, even though much of our order was cold items like sandwiches and ploughmans. The manager's response was so nonchalant. I explained it was an important family day and we had two children, and she replied, "Well some things are more important". There was no offer to make up for the trouble. We eventually got our money back, and the food arrived after that. The kids hadn't really noticed how dreadful the service was and ate a little of one sandwich before putting it aside. I work in a public-facing role and this was without a doubt the worst service and consideration I've ever experienced. Next time we'll go to the Kings Head, as I'm sure plenty of the customers from that day will too. We should have known things weren't going well when the customer ahead of us asked for the advertised coffee and cake and was told there was no coffee. They'd also run out of lemon for another customer's G and T. We'd booked a table, arrived on time and ordered quickly, and it wasn't very busy. The delay could have been handled with some skillful customer service, a warning about the wait, or maybe a bit of ice-cream for the children. Instead, nothing was done to redeem the experience.

The food was nicely cooked and presented, but the vegan breakfast was scant, and the whole meal was disappointing and expensive. We booked after checking that a vegan breakfast was available, since some of our group were staying overnight. The menu described the other dishes in detail but gave no details for the vegetarian option. The waitress didn't help much when we asked what it included, and left before taking everyone's order. Our vegans eventually chose from what was offered, but there was no vegetarian milk, despite the staff knowing we had vegans with us. Someone had to go to the local shop for soya milk for their tea. Drinks weren't included in breakfast. Coffee cost another £3.50 each, and the "Speciality teas and coffees" turned out to be instant coffee served in a teapot, which was unpleasant and not what we'd expected for the price. One person ordered tea, just one teabag in a pot, then added her own milk. To be fair, the staff were working hard to clear flooding, with water coming into the bar and reception areas. Given what we paid and how breakfast went, cancelling our booking and finding somewhere else would have been preferable.

The river Severn setting is beautiful, and Upton upon Severn is a lovely town with a good choice of shops. We had a wonderful dinner at The Swan Hotel. The building is full of history, traditionally styled and warmly decorated to a high standard. The toilets were spotless too. Staff were welcoming and friendly, and our drinks arrived soon after we sat down. We shared two rounds of Cod and chips, with generous portions that looked delicious. The Steak and Guinness pie and chips were just as tasty, one with fresh garden peas and mine with mushy peas. We finished with Lemon cheesecake, Syrup Sponge with custard and Apple Crumble with custard, all delicious. Thanks, Alfie, for the great service, and thanks to the rest of the staff as well. Definitely recommend a visit to the hotel and the town.

We had a river view from our large, comfortable room, and dinner in the restaurant was excellent value and really good. Breakfast was lovely too, cooked from scratch. Prices were very reasonable, the location was lovely, and the staff were so friendly. A fantastic stay all round. Thoroughly recommend it, and we'll definitely be back!