Ramada Plaza

The room had plenty of space, and they’d left some complimentary chocolate and drinks. Food was generally good. Take a look at the breakfast menu as well as the usual buffet, since it has some good choices. We had a good stay.

Breakfast was a letdown. There was no orange juice, little choice of other drinks, no fresh fruit, and only jam for preserves. When I asked about the empty dried cranberry jar, a staff member checked, came back with the still-empty jar, said they’d run out, then put it back. The cheese came in plastic-wrapped cubes, the sliced bread was cheap, and there were no pastries or gluten-free options. At 8:30 each morning, the fried eggs had set solid, the scrambled eggs were dry and hard in whey, the tinned mushrooms had no taste, and the tea and coffee were stewing in flasks. The gym was a joke too, and the puddle outside was bigger than the hot tub. Dreadful for a hotel that calls itself four-star. Getting around the building was a struggle from the start. Neither of the automatic door openers worked during my stay, so I had to wrestle with two heavy doors while carrying my suitcase. The raised thresholds made that painful and awkward. In the room, the toilet was so low it felt child-sized, and I had to stand over it rather than sit, which was humiliating. There was a grab rail inside the shower but nowhere safe to hold while getting out, except the sharp underside of the bath edge, which could trap your fingers. The tea tray sat in a high cupboard and blocked access to the kettle. Pouring boiling water into a mug and then putting the kettle back behind the steaming mugs felt unsafe. The iron plate was burnt too, so I couldn’t use it.

The food was one of the reasons I booked, and it worked well for competing: it was cooked to order and they were flexible. After I finished late one night, the main restaurant had closed, but they brought food to my room with a smile. I also wanted the little gym so I could prepare for my matches at the nearby Wrexham Tennis Centre, where I played a British Master Tennis Tournament. The room was spacious and clean, with a generous bath and a shower that had a strong flow. Parking was plentiful too. I’m calling this stay “Rainbows over Ramada.” It was easy, comfortable and lovely, and I’ll definitely be back.

The breakfast was limited and underwhelming compared with other hotels I’ve stayed in, and the stay didn’t feel like a four-star experience. Luckily, work was paying; otherwise I’d have felt short-changed. Although it’s well placed for Wrexham and the surrounding area, I wouldn’t choose to book it myself. The problems I’d read about were there. Hot water only reached the sink after I ran the bath’s hot tap first. Several electrical fittings were loose: part of the desk lamp fell off when I switched it on and off, the light by the door came loose from its surround and hung down, and the bedside lamp was loose too. I also spotted cracks in the conference room ceilings.