Hart's

We had a relaxed stay, with easy access to the city and the convenience of EV charging. Our room was on the second floor, and we didn’t hear any disturbances. I can understand why others might mention noise, though, as the doors don’t close softly. The staff were always professional and polite, room service was reasonably priced, and breakfast was nice. The room itself was small but fine for sleeping, with good tea and coffee facilities and an optional minibar. It felt a little dated, the bed was comfortable, and the sheets were clean. Housekeeping could have paid more attention to the bathroom, though I notice those details more than most because I work in the industry. We booked at the last minute while on the way, after our original hotel went into administration. They welcomed us from the car park, possibly before we were due, and luckily the room was ready. They didn’t turn us away or charge us for early check-in. The city centre location was perfect. We booked through hotels.com, which hadn’t made the prices clear. There were extra charges for parking and breakfast, which we paid since we used both.

The hotel is in a handy spot on the edge of town, and the rooms are spacious. My family has stayed twice, but communication between reservations and the restaurant seems to be lacking. We told them about serious allergies when we booked and asked whether breakfast options would be suitable. When my husband and son arrived, the restaurant team knew nothing about it. They took it seriously once it was raised, and eventually found suitable toast, but it was disappointing that we’d flagged it well ahead of time.

We booked at the last minute, so there weren’t many hotels to choose from. The room was small but clean, and the person who checked us in was lovely. We woke several times to doors constantly opening and closing along the landing. Soft closers, or something similar on the inner frames, could stop the doors banging. Breakfast was nice, and the serving staff were pleasant and friendly. The room was already expensive, then there was another charge for breakfast and a separate fee for the small car park.

We booked two nights in a garden room at Harts for a family reunion in September. Booking went smoothly, communication was good, and the staff were friendly when we arrived. Here’s what I found during the stay. The location is fantastic, just off the city centre and away from the buses, but still only a few minutes’ walk into town. Our garden view looked out over the park from above. The bathroom had the best water pressure I can remember, filling the huge, full-length bath quickly and making for a great morning shower. The large, fluffy towels smelled fresh. Heating was individually controlled and worked well for my stay, though there’s no air conditioning, which could be a problem in summer. The biggest issue was noise from the room doors. The hotel is showing its age, and the doors slam loudly, with no soft-close fittings. From around 3pm the noise was almost continuous, about 15 slams every half hour, or one every couple of minutes. It stopped when people went to bed, then started again around 7am. It’s a shame because the hotel is otherwise lovely and surprisingly quiet for the city centre. I used earplugs rated to 30 decibels, but could still hear the thuds. The cleaners were another source of noise. Room 2 seemed to be where they gathered in the mornings. They sat right outside my room folding sheets and laundry while talking and laughing loudly, so there was no chance of sleeping. The laundry cupboard was directly opposite my room and kept being opened, with banging noises from the cleaners. From what I could tell, garden rooms 1-4 would all be affected. The carpet in my room was badly stained and needs at least a thorough clean. In my opinion, it’s been due for replacement for years. The fittings were old, chipped, and battered. Frosted glass panels on the bathroom sliding door let light flood the whole room, even with the curtains and blinds shut. It was a poor design. There was no working bathroom extractor, so steam built up and I couldn’t use the mirror. The shower grout was mouldy and needs regrouting. The room was tiny, the smallest hotel room I’ve ever stayed in, and I could barely function in it, never mind do yoga. Even the toilet paper was awful, like something from a motorway service station. There’s no good reason not to spend an extra 50p per booking on decent paper. It’s a well located hotel, but it’s badly showing its age. For this price, it simply isn’t acceptable, and you’d be better off at the Premier Inn across the road. There are many design flaws, as if nobody considered how the place would work day to day. The owner or a manager should spend a night here to see its significant shortcomings firsthand. I hope they make needed improvements and deal with some of these problems. I had a disappointing stay and would struggle to rate the hotel above 4 out of 10.