Hackthorne Gardens Luxury Accommodation

The views are beautiful, and the rooms feel like a home of your own, with lovely furnishings and a calm, peaceful atmosphere. One of the prettiest places to stay.

I wouldn't book here. The owner may charge your card over a questionable or very minor reason, including a curry smell in the room after we ate there once. There was no room service or complimentary drinking water either. I wouldn't call it a luxury stay by any standard.

It was very quiet, which made it a good place to relax. We chose this accommodation for its garden and view, and even asked through Booking .com about paying extra for an upstairs room with a view. We did get an upstairs end room, but a tree blocked about three quarters of the view, so we had to go through the house and outside to see the whole thing. The garden looked neglected, with weeds everywhere and a green, unattended pond. After 5 there was nobody on site. We ran short of toilet paper and had to get some from the downstairs toilet. There were only four coffee pods in the room, in two flavours. We're keen coffee drinkers, and once we'd used the six sugar sachets and coffee, we had to go into town to buy coffee for the morning.

The carpets in the common areas need replacing, and the hotel as a whole feels like it needs a complete overhaul. There was no food or bar, and it was incredibly disappointing for the price. Customer service was poor too. Reception was usually empty, and when we left, the note telling us to ring a number just sent the call to a mobile phone sitting on the desk. There was a phone in the room, but it wasn't connected, so I had to walk up to reception to find someone. Only one cup and saucer had been left for us, and the manager seemed surprised when I asked for another. I wonder whether the owners or managers have ever stayed somewhere they consider luxury.