Rowton Hall

What should have been a special sister day, something we’d both looked forward to, was spoiled from the start. I was so uncomfortable after the interaction that I genuinely didn’t want to stay. No guest should be spoken to that way, especially when confusion about arrival times could have been handled calmly and professionally. I hope this feedback is taken seriously. We’d booked afternoon tea for 3:00pm and facials for 4:40pm, so we’d have had less than three hours to use the facilities anyway. We weren’t trying to misuse access, just to enjoy what we’d paid for. When I checked my confirmation emails later, one clearly gave our arrival time as 1:00pm. On arrival, we were initially greeted pleasantly and told our robes wouldn’t be ready until 2:00pm. We accepted that and put our belongings in the changing room. Soon after, a member of reception staff stopped us and spoke in an incredibly rude, abrupt way, saying we’d arrived too early and couldn’t enter until 2:00pm. The condescending tone embarrassed and humiliated me in front of others, as if I’d done something wrong. I explained I’d contacted the spa on Instagram and had been told arriving at 1:00pm was fine. The reply was that I “should have messaged Spa Seekers directly and not Instagram,” and that whoever replied “thought I was a guest.” It was dismissive and patronising. The manager’s tone was just as patronising. Saying “we pay a lot of money to Spa Seekers so you should have messaged them” was unnecessary and inappropriate, and not the service I’d expect from a luxury spa. I felt like a naughty school child instead of a valued paying customer.

The grounds are pleasant for a walk, and it’s good value for the price. The hotel has a stately home feel, with lots of carved panelling. The rooms are well furnished, though they could use a little routine maintenance. The spa was relaxing and professionally run. Treatments were excellent, and Anna gave a very good, professional massage. Poolside there are loungers and seats where you can relax after swimming or read quietly. Bar and restaurant staff were very nice and helpful, especially Claudia, who looked after us at dinner. Breakfast had plenty of choice and was well cooked and tasty. Well worth another visit.

The spa was the highlight of our one-night stay, and the included massage was great. The view from the room was lovely, though the room itself was dated. We were also supposed to have a bottle of bubbles in the room, but it wasn’t there. Spa and reception staff were lovely, I can’t fault them. The restaurant really let the trip down. The menu online was completely different from the one in the restaurant. When we asked, a staff member just said they were using this menu that day. The restaurant staff seemed completely unprepared, making what should have been enjoyable feel like hard work. We ordered a trio of curries, and they didn’t even seem to know which curries they were serving. Breakfast was inedible, with the dippy eggs still raw. Go for the spa, but don’t bother staying or eating.

The staff made us feel genuinely welcome throughout our visit. The receptionist was lovely, helpful and attentive. Our room was clean and spacious, a comfortable base for the stay, and the spa facilities were really relaxing. Rowton Hall is a beautiful Georgian setting and gave us a genuine escape. We had a great experience.