Fredrick's Hotel Restaurant & Spa

The helpful, lovely receptionist is the only reason I’m giving this two stars. The lobby looks impressive, but the rooms were the opposite. The spa was unavailable because of technical problems. Our first room, 106, smelled strongly of damp and mould. Moisture had left everything wet, with condensation dripping on the windows and soaked curtains. The bath leaked and wouldn’t shut off, so we went back to reception and were moved to room 206. At least that room didn’t smell mouldy, but the beds were clearly old and our two pillows felt practically nonexistent. There was limescale all over the toilet and bath. I won’t stay here again, and I’ll be contacting booking.com to ask for a refund. Hopefully the hotel will help with that, at least.

The bedroom was the worst part. The bed felt like bricks, and I didn’t get any sleep. The place also feels tired and needs redecorating. For the price, I expected a decent mattress and a nice room. Ours overlooked a busy road, beside the bar waste area where bottles were being dumped in the bin all evening. The pool was warm, with a great sauna and steam room, but the spa had very little indoor lounger space. A group of girls had taken all the loungers, and two women were shouting into their phones. Nobody on staff said anything, which was really disappointing for a place meant for relaxing. Dinner was really nice, especially the excellent steak, and service was quick and efficient. We were the only couple dining because there was a wedding on, which I wish we’d been told when booking. The staff were helpful and friendly, and the food was great. That’s about all I can say in the place’s favour.

Breakfast was generous and delicious, and one evening the restaurant served me one of the best sausages and mash I’ve had. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. My room was spacious and well appointed. The main downside was the cold: both the room and restaurant were chilly, and they’d run out of spare heaters.

The spa was the only reason I chose Fredrick’s Hotel and Spa, Maidenhead, but it was out of service for my entire stay. I paid about £700 for seven nights and had ongoing discomfort and disruption, with promised facilities unavailable. They offered a complimentary one-hour massage valued at £75, which felt completely out of proportion to the problems. A loud party on Saturday night kept going until midnight, with heavy bass that made sleep impossible. The meals were average at best and didn’t match the prices or the hotel’s reputation. The decor was badly dated, like the 1980s, and the whole place felt neglected. I was moved from room 5 to room 1. The first room had peeling wallpaper, curtains coming off the rail and a cold tap that didn’t work. The second was worse: visibly dirty, mould in the bathroom, thick dust along the skirting boards and curtains loose from the wall again. The supposed king-size bed was two single mattresses pushed together, with a hard ridge in the middle that made sleeping very uncomfortable. The shower screen was broken, the linens were poor quality, there was no accessible Wi-Fi in the room, and the TV had very few options. The fire emergency plans displayed in the room were outdated, which raises concerns about compliance and guest safety. The first impression at check-in was already unacceptable, and this fell far below what I’d expect from a four-star hotel. Based on the cleanliness, maintenance, amenities and overall experience, it seems more like a two-star place at best. It’s frankly shameful to market it as four-star.