The Willows Training Centre

The food and refreshments were all a very high standard, and the reception staff gave me good service. I ran a First Aid course at The Willows today, and they showed me to the room, pointed out the facilities, and gave me a professional hand-over. The air-conditioned room was clean, comfortable, and a good size, and the AV equipment worked well. I’d be glad to run another course here.

You can eat in the cricket bar until 9pm, which gives you time if you get back late. The hotel is also much cheaper than plenty of others nearby. Rooms are clean, the staff are friendly, and the location is decent. One thing to know in summer: the rooms get extremely warm and don’t have much ventilation. There’s a small fan, but it doesn’t help much. Still, the hotel itself is great.

The hotel is nice overall and the staff are lovely, but checking in around 7pm was inconvenient. There was nobody at reception, so I had to look for someone in the restaurant. It was quite noisy there, and I ended up walking back with a lovely young lady to the reception area because I couldn’t hear very well. Someone should be at reception. Having to go and find a person is a hassle, so I’ve marked down the service for that.

The quiet setting was good for getting fresh air between study sessions, and the staff were friendly and quick to respond. When I had a shower problem, they fixed it within an hour. At The Cricket Kitchen the meals were consistently hot, fresh, and good quality. The 24/7 drink stations were clean and stocked with hot drinks and flavoured water, which was handy during long study days. My room was clean and a decent size for the little time I spent in it. Just remember that drinks don’t come with meals. If plain water isn’t enough, bring a bottle, or fill one with soft drinks at the Firebrand centre. There were a few comfort problems during my intensive Firebrand course. With no air-conditioning, the room felt stuffy in warm weather. The thin windows didn’t let much air in, and I could hear outside noise. The pillows were very thin, and the thick duvet made sleeping uncomfortable in the summer heat. There weren’t many sockets near the bed, and there was no fridge. I bought an insulated bag and ice at the local Tesco Extra to keep drinks cool, but the heat in the room meant it didn’t last long.