Horizon Hotel

We only stopped for one night on our way north, but the room was lovely, clean and comfortable, the food was excellent, and the location was amazing. It's also extremely dog friendly. What really made the stay was the staff, who went above and beyond to make things perfect. Thanks, Horizon. We'll definitely be back.

The food was very good, with both set menu and à la carte options, and I could get continental breakfast as early as 6am. That was a real extra effort for guests. My bed was one of the most comfortable I've slept in. At first the room seemed small because the bed took up so much space, though it had a large TV with plenty of channels. The hotel could use a little TLC, with paint touch-ups and minor bedroom repairs. Drinks were a bit expensive, and parking on the grounds was limited, though I found a space after work each day. The only real snag was having to run the shower and sink tap for five minutes before hot water came through. Fix that and I'd call my week's stay five star.

After six hours on the road, my girlfriend and I were told we couldn't stay, and the hotel kept my £100 booking money. I believe I have the right to choose how I hand over my details, and I plan to look into my options in court. The dispute began at reception, where a tall Indian man immediately demanded my bank card in case I smoked in the room or used drinks they might charge for. I offered to write down the needed details, but said I wasn't comfortable handing him the card over the counter. He said information on paper could be left around for weeks where anyone could see it, while details entered on the computer would be deleted the next day. That struck me as a strange approach to data protection. A woman who said she was the manager then appeared and rudely said I wasn't staying. I asked whether they had a card reader to take a deposit, like other hotels, and she said they didn't and I couldn't stay. By then we agreed to give them the card, but the manager became arrogant when she realised we couldn't cancel through Expedia and get a refund without her permission. I found the service terrible and the staff very rude, with no understanding of customer service or data protection. I feel my details weren't handled properly, and losing the £100 while being refused a stay was an absolute disgrace.

My sister's family picked the Horizon Hotel for her funeral tea after she passed away. The food and staff were amazing, especially given the reason we were there, and the staff did the hotel credit. We plan to come back when the weather improves, enjoy the scenery and have a meal. If the food and service are as good as last time, we'll thoroughly enjoy it.