Best Western Bristol North The Gables Hotel

Room 301 was advertised as a small double, but it had loads of space and storage. It was quiet, warm, and really well equipped, with a great bathroom and rainfall shower, good towels, blackout blinds and curtains, and plenty of heating and fan settings. The Dolce Gusto machine could use instructions, and for a cappuccino you need both pods, but otherwise the room was brilliant. After a nightmare journey through floods and accidents, I arrived well after 6 on Friday instead of half past 3. The receptionist had been told about the delay and arranged for the restaurant to hold my reservation, which I really appreciated. The reception team were lovely. I ate at the restaurant on both nights, once by myself and once with friends. The calamari, steak, prawns, pasta, salads and desserts were all fresh, good quality and enjoyable. Breakfast was hot and had a good selection, plus decent sausages. Everyone was good with us, especially Kaitlyn in the restaurant, who’s a real asset. My main gripe was finding the sign in the dark when arriving. It was hard to see, and I wondered if one of its bulbs had gone. The stay was great value. I’d recommend The Gables and will be back.

The breakfast selection was great, and the sausages were amazing. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the car park is huge. I was here for work and will stay again. The ground floor room was a little dated. The table lamps wouldn’t work on their own without the main light, which was a bit blinding at night. I wasn’t keen on the restaurant food, it felt no better than a Sizzling or similar chain pub.

The first night went well, and at first the hotel seemed good, with a decent location, pleasant staff and a clean room. The second night was a different story: a huge Christmas party was taking place in the conference room two doors away. The noise was horrendous, and when it ended at who knows what time, several guests came past our room clearly the worse for drink. There were plenty of other rooms available, so I don’t understand why guests who weren’t attending were put in the same wing. Given that experience, I can’t recommend the hotel.

We’re 19 and felt singled out and picked on. Chris served me at the bar when we arrived at 10pm, and came across as blunt and miserable. The hotel and rooms are great, but Chris’s welcome and hospitality were very poor, and he seemed very judgmental toward us.