Bedford Swan

The spa was small but very well appointed, with guest numbers limited and a two-hour maximum stay. Afternoon tea was good and the service was nice, though the two proseccos we booked never arrived. The hotel itself is lovely, with great river views, a good room, and helpful staff. The receptionist wished us a happy 39th anniversary, but there wasn't another acknowledgement like a card or bottle, as we've had at other hotels. There was also no complimentary bottled water in the room, which mattered because my wife doesn't drink tap water. It wasn't easy to book the stay we wanted online. We planned to use the spa the day after staying and have afternoon tea, but had to make two separate bookings and couldn't find a way to apply the guest discount to the spa. Still, it was very good value overall. Four stars because of these issues, and the booking system could be improved.

Right in central Bedford beside the river, the hotel is well placed for walks along the riverbank. The town centre itself is quite run down, so I wouldn't recommend it for shopping, though there are some really nice restaurants nearby. A boat trip along the river is worth doing. It's a lovely old hotel with a nice atmosphere, a good bar and restaurant, and plenty of places to sit and chat. Breakfast was excellent. Parking is tight and somewhat limited for a hotel of this size.

The main hotel is impressive and nicely decorated, and Pen and Cob was pleasant, with good food and very helpful staff. We had a pleasant two-night stay overall, though breakfast was warm rather than hot since it was self-service. It would've been nice to have tea and coffee brought to us instead of having to use the machine. If you have mobility issues, check the route to your room before booking. We were told there was a lift to the second floor, which was true, but after that we had three sets of four stairs and then a full staircase up to the roof section. Part of the room was under the roof, so you had to duck getting in and out of bed. We asked for a cream tea at 1:30 on Saturday and they'd run out of scones. They have a lovely room called Anna’s to promote afternoon teas, so running out seemed odd for a hotel this size. I'd suggest booking ahead.

The pool was the perfect temperature and left me feeling properly relaxed, though I wasn't keen on the spa changing rooms. Afterwards, we had afternoon tea, which was first class. We left very happy customers. Thank you.