Best Western Shrubbery Hotel

We had a brilliant time at the New Year’s Eve event. The staff that evening were fabulous, the carvery was excellent, and the band kept everyone dancing all night. Our room was up two flights of stairs, but it was huge and well designed.

The room was in very poor condition, and I won’t stay here again when I’m in the area for business. I’d also advise colleagues to avoid it. I booked a “Superior Queen Room” but found it in what looked like a side building in the car park, away from the main hotel. The hallways smelled damp. The carpet was dirty and full of hair, there were hairs around the bathroom sink, and the toilet seat looked unclean from the previous guest. The toilet hadn’t been flushed, either. I found three long black hairs under the quilt. Guest Wi-Fi was practically unusable, measuring 3 mbps on a speed check. I couldn’t even load the hotel’s own website. The shower pressure was abysmal, and the water wouldn’t get above lukewarm. I skipped breakfast because the price was outrageous.

We had a wonderful evening meal and breakfast, and I can’t fault the food at all. The staff gave us a pleasant welcome, and the room was clean, though we were in the hotel annexe. It was like a sauna in there. We were told they were going to refurbish the annexe and fix the heating, so fingers crossed for next time. I’d definitely stay again.

We stayed for a family wedding from Friday 12/09/2025 to 17/09/2025. We’d planned to go away after the wedding and called ahead to ask whether we could park our motorhome in the car park. We broke down on the way but made it to the hotel. They let us extend our stay in the same room, and the whole visit was lovely. Our room had an en-suite, a lovely big bed and a nice view of Herne Hill. It would have been useful to have a door card for requesting a clean or putting up a do not disturb sign. Breakfast and dinner in the restaurant were both lovely, and non-residents are welcome. There’s plenty of parking and seating inside and out, nice areas to sit, and the bar is reasonably priced. The staff were all friendly, helpful and welcoming. The wedding reception was really well organised. The building is nice, there’s no lift, and it’s a short walk into Illminster, a lovely little town. The hotel is between Chard, Yeovil and Taunton. I can’t fault it. Thanks to all the staff. We’ll definitely be back and would recommend it. We’ve stayed a few times since writing this and always use Room 16, which they’ve made even more comfortable. The staff are still friendly, helpful and welcoming, and we’ve chatted about how cosy the hotel feels, with its nice sitting areas. We’ll keep coming back and recommending it. We stayed again for three nights from 01/01/2026, this time in the lovely family room. Upstairs there’s a big bedroom with a comfortable bed, two single beds, a TV and a heater. The stairs light up. Downstairs has a nice sitting area with a big sofa, table and chairs, a colour ceiling light in the lounge and bathroom, and a big TV. There’s also a kitchen area with cutlery, plates, glasses, mugs, a microwave, fridge, kettle and toaster, plus a bathroom with a shower. The staff are still lovely, helpful and good fun. This room is perfect for big families or groups, and reasonably priced for everything you get in the apartment.