Banoge House

Cold Comfort Farm came to mind during our stay at Banoge House, and I'm writing this in the hope that others don't have the same experience. We arrived on a cold January night at about 7pm. The lobby was freezing, smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, and we were asked for payment before going further into the property. We paid, then John showed us to a huge bedroom with one small double and two single beds. The two weak radiators hadn't brought the room above freezing. The bathroom had a freestanding bath with a handheld shower attachment. There were no toiletries apart from liquid hand soap. We found two dark grey hand towels that were very unattractive and damp, and only one bath towel for the two of us, also damp. The bedding looked old and tired, the pillows sagged, and the throw on the double bed had a faint smell of cat urine. There was no kettle, cups, tea, coffee, glasses or water. John left us to look around. We went out to dinner, dreading coming back. After getting glasses from him, we drank a couple of large whiskies from the bottle we'd bought, then went nervously to bed. We slept only on and off. In the morning we skipped the shower and washed at the basin. We'd tried to dry the hand towels on a radiator. Downstairs, the large kitchen was cluttered and untidy. We chose cereal while waiting for our cooked breakfast, and were told that no guests had chosen cereal for months, which wasn't encouraging. To be fair, the hot breakfast was decent and filling, though it was a set plate with no choices. My tomato ketchup bottle had old, congealed sauce caked around the nozzle. The cat watched us from in front of the Aga. We packed and left as quickly as we could. Looking back at other guests' comments, it's hard to understand the many five-star reviews, though there haven't been any recently. We think it's time for a reality check that focuses less on the property's and John's charm and more on what guests actually face. If you're tempted by the three stars and the positive reviews, ask to see your room before paying, and don't commit yourself. Take our advice and pay a little more to stay elsewhere. Otherwise, don't say you weren't warned. We hope someone with official responsibility reads this and considers reassessing Banoge House as a three-star B&B. Jane and Michael Gilbert

John, the manager, gave us a lift to and from our venue in a taxi, and made us a fresh, nice breakfast the next morning. The old building is lovely, the gardens are well kept and our room was nice and warm. We'll be back in summer to try the barbecue, John. 😁

This is an old country house that smells and feels like the 1800s, so be ready for a taste of that way of life. Don't expect the amenities or standard of a new, modern hotel. Built in 1780, it's a historic place where the new owner, John, has tried to keep its original character without changing too much. We stayed one night and felt transported back in time. The countryside atmosphere was lovely, breakfast was delicious, and John did everything he could to make us comfortable and enjoy our stay.

We were in town for a cheerleading competition and have just got home after one night. We felt comfortable and relaxed, and slept very well. The room was fantastic and suited our needs. We had a lovely breakfast, and our host was very nice and polite.