Marriott Hotel Waltham Abbey

The staff are the real standouts here. They helped me fix my car and made sure we had a lovely breakfast and dinner with friends. Food options are a little limited compared with other places, but the service is top notch. The standard Deluxe rooms are a reasonable size and have everything you'd want. Bedrooms and facilities were superb and very clean, and it's a great spot for conferences or families. Waltham Abbey is a rare hotel under £100 a night that I couldn't complain about. The location is perfect for Epping Forest and the regional attractions. The TVs have YouTube but no Netflix, which feels limited these days.

In the past two years, both my parents were buried at the nearby Waltham Abbey Jewish Cemetery. The burials take place very soon after death, so finding somewhere that can host around 40 to 50 people at very short notice is difficult. Each time, the staff were courteous and their communications were prompt and precise while helping us arrange things. The food and drink menu is very good and plentiful, and the staff working on the day were exceptionally respectful and helpful. I highly recommend the venue and its team. Many thanks.

The event manager was great and did his best as things went wrong. He was honest about the problems and even spoke openly about other issues he'd noticed. The woman at reception, whose name I've forgotten, always smiled and wanted to help. The man setting up tables for our event was also great, happy to help with anything. Those two staff members were the highlights, which makes it a shame that the rest of the experience was tarnished. We were given a complimentary stay after problems at an event held here: the air conditioning didn't work, so the fire exits had to be opened to cool the room, and that set off the fire alarm, spoiling the event. Management emails promised complimentary bed and breakfast, but during the stay we were asked to pay for breakfast. Communication, accountability, and planning were disappointing. When we raised concerns, the responses were defensive and abrupt, telling us we were wrong instead of apologising. Booking an event here may be a challenge, it wasn't straightforward for us.

The Royal Forest sounds like a much better option, based on my experience here. I’d happily book there again: the food was amazing, the rooms were 10/10, and the service was great. At this hotel, they refused to let me stay even one night because I didn’t have ID. I offered to email a photo of my passport or driving licence to confirm who I was, but they wouldn’t help at all. I was on my own, thankfully. If my kids had been with me, we’d have been left out on the street. I wouldn’t even give this place one star if I could.