The Royal & Fortescue

The atmosphere was good, and the coffee and service were lovely. I've had sandwiches and Sunday roast here before, and both were great. But whoever plates the jacket potatoes needs to pay more attention. Mine had maybe a spoonful of filling and no butter. Maybe the price should go up a bit so we can eat the whole potato with filling. We don't like sending food back and were hungry, so we ate about half of it dry, with the salad and chutney on top. I should've taken a picture to show how little filling there was, but it didn't occur to me at the time.

Our room was a good size and clean, with plenty of storage and a bath with shower. It was at the rear of the property and very quiet. When we had trouble with the heating, they quickly brought us a small heater that worked great. We had a meal included, with a £25-per-person allowance against the main menu. Breakfast was mixed. The first morning's full English was hot, but the plate was very greasy. On the second morning, we tried poached eggs on toast, which came cold and overcooked. The cereal and pastries were fine. The large main bar was welcoming, and drinks were priced about as expected for a hotel. The lunchtime bar menu seemed popular. The hotel is at the end of the high street, within easy walking distance of the shops. There's ample parking, but not beside or behind the hotel. It's a short walk along an alley that was once a road. Access to the rear would be useful, since the car parks can only be reached via a narrow lane. The hotel has a lift, but it doesn't serve every floor, so some stairs are still needed. It was very quiet despite the location. Would I stay again? Yes, no problem at all.

I just booked my sister and my 93-year-old mother into the Royal & Fortescue, and wow, I'm so jealous! They've been upgraded to a suite with wonderful views up the High Street. My mother has had a tough year health-wise, but she was thrilled when she saw her beautiful room. Thank you to The Royal & Fortescue. You're a fantastic local business setting the standard for quality service.

We spent almost £100 on four carveries and soft drinks, but unfortunately it wasn't an enjoyable meal. A few Sundays ago, the service was really poor. I work in hospitality, and I've rarely seen such poor hospitality from a front-of-house team. I found them rude. Nobody checked whether we wanted more drinks or whether the food was okay, and it wasn't even busy. When we asked for the bill, we were told to go to the bar, with no please, thank you, or offer to show us where it was. The only positive hospitality came from the carvery chef, who was doing an excellent job.